How To Choose the Best Espresso Machine

Ask any true coffee-lover worldwide about the best cup of coffee and you'd most likely get an answer "The Espresso!" This one tiny shot of pure coffee adorned with foam at the top gives a kick-start to many of us, awakening our minds and bodies and making us fit to survive through the rest of the day. Most people who haven't had a good cup of espresso typically say they don't like it because it is bitter. If espresso is bitter, it most likely hasn't been made properly as it is supposed to taste like a cup of molten bitter-sweet chocolate. It doesn't need sugar; it is naturally sweet. This belief is true at least for US, while in UK and India, the opposite might be true. In any case, so many of us depend on Barista, Starbucks or Peet's and other cafes for our daily dose of caffeine, that it's easier to invest in a high-quality espresso machine and brew your own cup, which I'm sure would not only save you a lot of "moolah", but also give you immense satisfaction! The million-dollar question though: "How to choose the perfect Espresso Machine? and How to Brew your Coffee the right way??"

The sad fact is, outside of Italy and the other Latin espresso-making countries, few people have had real espresso. Most cafés sell overpriced hot milk with coffee flavoring, and the majority of the mass market home espresso machines are designed to produce the same. So for most of us who insist on good espresso made with organic coffee beans, the only option is to make it ourselves.

Espresso is made when water is forced through a puck of ground coffee at 9 bar of pressure to extract 2 ounces in 25 seconds. However, good espresso is not easy to make — it takes practice. But with the right tools, the best java beans, and a little technique, you can enjoy this bliss at home. When buying a new Espresso Maker, ask yourself these 4 questions:

1. Does this machine produce exceptional espresso?
2. Does this machine have the steaming ability to make outstanding foam?
3. Would I be proud to use this machine in my home to serve cappuccinos and lattes to my guests?
4. Is this worth the price I pay for my coffee everyday?

These essentially translate into the following criteria:

Quality: How consistent was the machine? How good were the shots of espresso it produced? The layer of foam at the top of a shot is called the crema—how thick and well-formed was this layer? When I poured some sugar on it, did it take more than a second or two for the granules to sink through? And how well did it foam milk for cappuccinos?

Convenience/Usability: How difficult was the machine to master? How easy was the machine to use on a daily basis? How long did it take to disassemble and clean? How quickly did it heat up? Espresso cups should be warmed before use—did the machine have a cup warmer? And, for those living in cramped quarters and cooking in cramped kitchens, how much countertop space did it occupy?

Looks: Making a good cup of espresso is something of an art form, and the best espresso machines are themselves works of art. As well they should be, given how much they cost and how much time you'll spend using them (not to mention looking at them sitting on your kitchen counter). All of which is to say that, when it comes to espresso makers, looks count.

Value: On an average, a cup costs 4 bucks, and 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year gives roughly 1500 dollars per year that you spend for just one cup of coffee per day. So accommodate this in the price of the machine you are looking for, and also the added value of being able to use it anytime at home or work!

I'm sure you can find a wide variety of machines of different brands in the market. For beginners, try Saeco or Krupps. Make sure you check out some true reviews for a machine that you've seen or liked before jumping into buying it. Select ones that others have rated high based on personal experience.

I hope this write-up helps you make a suitable choice. After all, this is the first cup of morning caffeine that we are talking about, and our body deserves to be given nothing but the best and the perfect, right?!!

SmartShopper - Kitchen Gadget to Record & Print Your Lists

If you are like my husband, 9 times out of 10 you'll forget an item or two from the grocery list that you "memorized" before going to the store, simply because you were too lazy to write it down! I have spent days wishing there was an automatic grocery list generator so I could record my list of items (yes, record it, not write it!!), then print it out and hand it to him so he doesn't miss anything on the list; well, looks like God (a.k.a technology) just answered my prayers!! The SmartShopper, an electronic Grocery List Organizer that is voice-activated, and comes with a built-in printer is the coolest kitchen gadget I've found this week!! "Say it, Print it, and Go Get it!!" This tiny kitchen contraption is so cute and efficient that there's no way you can stop yourself from falling in love with it!

Smartshopper is an easy-to-use electronic kitchen gadget that helps you create your grocery list, without having to write it down on a piece of paper that you'd find hard to locate when you actually head out to the store! Smartshopper uses Nuance's state-of-the-art voice recognition technology to record your voice, and keeps adding your items or commands to the list stored in its memory. When it's time to head to the store, press the print button and the embedded thermal printer will print out your list for you. Best of all the printed list is categorized by grocery departments such as "frozen foods" or "produce". This will help you find what you need in each department or aisle easier, therefore making your shopping experience faster and more efficient.

Its intuitive interface is fun to use and easy to master. Just push the record button, say the name of the item you want to add to the list, and it shows up on the LCD screen for your confirmation. keep recording items till you like; and you don't have to finish the list at the same time! It will store it in memory, and update it as you add more items. There are already over 2,500 items in SmartShopper's database, and it can even learn new items tailored to your lifestyle. With a large (2.25 x 1.25) LCD display screen, it shows the items you have already entered in a 9-point font size, and categorized in alphabetical order.

SmartShopper is also an excellent way to keep track of your errands! Just record your list of "To-Do" things and print it out to better organize your day and complete your tasks efficiently. Of course, my husband would prefer to use the iPhone for this, but I guess I can settle for the Smartshopper:)

It is made out of durable hard plastic with a brushed aluminum front. Operating on 4 AA batteries, the printer uses uses thermal paper that is ink-free, which means you don't have to worry about replacing messy ink cartridges. SmartShopper also has built-in magnets so you can stick it to your refrigerator, right beside your family message-board, and also comes with hardware to mount on a wall if needed. A Quick-Start guide, warranty sheet, and 3 rolls of thermal paper are included in the package. Priced at $150, it is not a bad investment, especially if it makes your life more efficient and stress-free!

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Audiovox Homebase - A Sleek Kitchen Message Board with Picture Frame

I'm sure each one of you has a kitchen "white-board" sticking to your fridge on which you scribble your grocery lists and leave messages for your family! Till now, I thought it was a wonderful addition to my kitchen, but a look at the Audiovox Homebase totally won me over! It combines the extremely essential message center with a digital picture frame, all in a sleek and stylish design that adds a lively dimension to your kitchen. With an ability to record audio and video messages, or scribble in the old-fashioned way, and also find a place for sticking notes and post-its, Audiovox has thought of everything when it designed this Homebase Message Center. It is creative, innovative, and really easy to use; in fact, it simply calls out to you to "leave a message" on the refrigerator! But there's more to this kitchen gadget than what meets the eye!

The Homebase features a 7 inch LCD color display, and comes with 512MB of built-in memory, which can be expanded with an external memory card. You can buy the combined Audio-Video Homebase, which allows you to record audio and video messages. Elegantly designed in white with green menu buttons, it looks sleek and can fit any kitchen decor. The small size makes it ideal for mounting on the fridge, but you can choose to mount it on a wall instead, or level it on a counter-top, whichever suits your convenience.

The Homebase doesn’t require any software setup to get started. The setup is extremely simple, even for non-tech-savvy people! As soon as you plug it in, a homebase logo pops up on the screen, followed by a slideshow presentation guiding you through the settings and options. With simple navigation and Yes/No selections, you can easily train the unit to record memos, timer settings, calendar options, and of course, record and playback audio/video messages; a green light indicates new messages and turns off after you've listened to it! The unit also has slots for a dry-erase marker and magnetic borders for post-it pads useful for quick scribbling.

But the highlight of this gadget is the ability to upload and play digital photos. You can choose to store photos (via USB) on the device memory, then keep playing them as still images or slideshows! pretty cool huh! It even makes the Homebase to be a beautiful gift for someone! The voice and video quality is pretty decent from the reviews I read, and the look and feel is definitely appealing. Besides, its also actually useful. The Audio-only version is currently selling for $149 (the A/V version will be available in late summer for $199). It does sound a bit high for just a message board, but if you compare it to digital picture frames, the price is pretty competitive!

The only change I might have liked was that it should support battery-power, so that its easy to mount and reduces clutter. Its hard to cover wires behind the frame on the fridge! But other than that, the Audiovox Homebase sure looks like a useful and innovative kitchen gadget that I've seen in some time.

AeroGarden - Grow Herbs and Flowering Plants in Your Kitchen or Office!

Aerogarden, the name must not be unfamiliar to many of you who may have seen these cute-looking miniature garden units that boast of growing plenty of varieties or herbs and plants without much maintenance! For those of you who may not have heard of these, Aerogardens literally bring your garden into your office, kitchen or any other space you want to make green. Last year, they had introduced their first edition mainly for herbs and greens, but at a price label of $150, it was still out of reach for the general mass. But due to growing popularity and demand, they have launched a revamped version which grows not only herbs, but other decorative flowering plants as well, and has the added benefit of a price cut!!

So what is an AeroGarden? Well, its basically a NASA-tested aeroponic technology that grows plants in water, nutrients and air – so simply and easily that anyone can succeed. With the starter kit, you can choose from over 50 different seed kits, from fresh herb varieties to cherry tomatoes, salad greens, chili peppers, lettuce, mint and now even flowering varieties like petunias! Fully automated garden with built-in grow lights, no dirt, no weeds, no mess and requiring no special care except following instructions, this is like a dream-come-true for garden-lovers! AeroGarden is truly a boon for cooks like me who love to use fresh herbs and vegetables in their cooking but do not have the luxury of having a huge garden space to grow them. Some of its interesting features are:

- Available in black, white or silver-colored models
- The AeroGarden unit, 2 daylight-spectrum bulbs, preseeded bio-dome grow pod, time-release nutrients, and tending and harvesting guide with recipes
- Self-monitoring system that adjusts for best growing conditions
- Automatic alert system that notifies when more water or nutrients are needed
- Organic-based, 100% natural tool requires no dirt or natural light; grows 5 times faster than soil

The best part is this - they have recently launched "The $99 AeroGarden-3" which targets an entirely new category with an increased focus on flowers and home decor; For the first time, anyone can grow a beautiful, blooming flower garden right inside their home, office or kitchen, any time of year. This also includes more than 40 new herb, vegetable and flower seed kits, including exotic plants like Purple Basil and Mini Roses and Japanese Herbs! To know more about this, check Aerogarden-How it Works section and find out for yourself. .

Here are some more interesting Aerogarden Reviews, and from what I read, it looks like a really cool and efficient way to grow germ-free and healthy plants right insode your home! And with the new price cut, its more affordable too. I am seriously considering of buying one, and if anyone has used it before, please share your opinions with our readers. Hope it intrigues some of you too - after all, who doesn't love home-grown organic plants and herbs, right?!!

A Retro Kitchen that is Both Stylish and Eco-Friendly

With every passing day, we see more and more people tend to lean on designing their homes and interiors to be more "green and eco-friendly". Some people go to extreme lengths to hire reputed designers that can give meaning to their ideas and design something captivating yet useful. "Conceptual Kitchens" that are in sync with the decor of your home, but at the same time add an element of "green" seem to be the in-thing these days. But looks like some Turkish designers have come up with a truly revolutionary kitchen set-up with a host of features to give it a stylish modern look, at the same time designing it to minimise wastage of food and water. It looks too fancy to be true, but you have to read on to admire the motive behind such an innovative design!

Altera Design Studio’s latest concept comes in the form of a retro-looking kitchen design called "Alight Kitchens". It was recently awarded a design win at the Incheon International Design Competition 2007 and will be exhibited at International Design Fair this December. The project deals with global shortages of clean water, food, resources. What role can a designer play in minimising wastage of resources became the theme behind the birth of this beautiful kichen. The system is designed to not only minimize waste materials but to make people aware of how much they are consuming. If you can take your eyes off the vibrant kitchen, take a look at some of the cool features that the Alight Kitchen boasts of:

* Only ready-made food and beverages can be consumed in sheet-metal packaging so people will be conscious about what and how much they eat.

* The cooling unit provided in the design will only allow storage of 3 days' worth of food.

* A smart oven warms up the food in groups to minimize how often it’s used. It arranges the ideal time and temperature for the packs by reading their barcodes!!

* There are 4 hollow plates located on the main dining table. Each of them can rotate on its center-axis so you can eat on the either side of the plate. The center of the table also features a small flatware station.

* The integrated dishwasher conserves water by using a biological solution for filtering and reusing the dirty water. On the table, there are two lids for detergent and capsules of filtering solution, and also a lid under the table for changing water after several usages.

* All plates are stored underneath the table in their own compartments, in sheet-metal packages which is easy to collect, store and recycle after usage.

This may not be a kitchen that you cook in daily; I for one simply CANNOT imagine myself using this for my everyday chores, especially as cooking for me is an elaborate affair, and I'd prefer a spacious open kitchen with a window overlooking some green field!:) But even then, I really admire the intention behind this design. It brings an innovative kitchen concept that focusses on minimizing waste of time, food, energy used in appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers, and the need for a large kitchen space. This design can surely fit the bill for bachelors or vacation homes, condos or places that you use occasionally. I love the look and design, and I'm sure more and more people would eventually warm up to the idea of such innovations!

The Lazy Teapot - Stylish and a Blessing for the Disabled and Elderly

It's true that the entire gadget craze is aimed at making us lazy, but it's better to go with the pretense that they make life more simple! At least my hubby would agree with this theory, and so would many others in this world. You have to admit that some of these design innovations are not the same for all. What might be a lame device for someone, could actually be a blessing for someone else. And this Lazy Teapot seems to fit the bill! It's a classic teapot that relieves you of that cumbersome and backbreaking chore of actually picking up a teapot and pouring its contents into a cup. And there's a little more! (Design Credit - Lotte Alpert; Photo credit - Yanko Design)



Designed by Lotte Alpert, this concept is both stylish, elegant, and could actually come in handy. Most of the cool gadgets simply sell on a style appeal, and the few that work towards making lives simpler, are an instant hit! This elegant porcelain teapot, available in classic white, comes with a matching silver docking base, which allows you to pour your cofee or tea without having to lift it up. The pout is long and ensures that you don't spill your hot drink and create a mess while serving your guests.



Furthermore the holding device is able to boil up the liquid in the teapot and to keep it warm precisely on different temperatures. The measured temperatures are read at the diodes in the region of the operational controls and compared with the temperature that was manually chosen. So now you don't even have to worry about reheating your beverage!



It is great for clumsy people as well as for handicapped, disabled or elderly people who find it hard to lift or balance the pot. Plus, it looks really chic and is sure to impress your guests too! And if it makes you a little bit lazier, who cares? After all, that's the mantra the entire "La-Z-Boy" company runs on, right!!



I don't know where and for how much is this available; its still a conceptual design, but I found ti interesting enough to be shared with you all readers out there!

Spruce Up your Kitchen with Innovative Snap Cups or Tableware!!

If you are a fun-loving person who loves to cook and spends above average time in the kitchen, Angela Schwab has something for you that is sure to blow you away! The colorful, vibrant and retro collection of cups and tableware from a Denver-based ceramic production studio not only adds a splash of color to your table, but also an intriguing sculptural element. These are no ordinary cups, in fact they are an innovative design invention that is a perfect balance of features, functionality and creativity. So if you are ready to add some spice to your kitchen, check these out! I'm sure you'll be attracted to these beautiful creations.

Featured above (the pic on the right) are Stalactite cups, which is basically a set of chain-link magnetic cups. Perfectly sized for a couple shots of espresso, champagne, or some tea, these small ceramic cups come with magnets embedded in either side, so you can hang them off your refrigerator, or link them together to add a fun and interesting arrangement to your kitchen. The image above shows how they are hanging down from an iron rod in the kitchen!!

Angela Schwab, residing in Denver, specializes in Invention of new forms through Alteration of existing objects in order to enhance the way people can use and interact with everyday functional products, and proudly presents a line of interesting products through IN/ALT, her production house. Featured above is the classic "Tableware", which utilizes neodymium magnets embedded in the ceramic pieces and the table to store your dinnerware under your table. Imagine your guest's surprise when you pull out a whole place setting (plus a candle) like magic from beneath the table!! Cool, huh!??

Or check out these brilliant "Snap Cups", which have snaps on the sides or bottoms and comes with a cork-cushioned handle to ensure a snug fit, while the other kind snaps onto a glass stem. There's plenty of opportunity to mix and match, so you can create the artistic Cup-Candles (shown below) or the very cute Magnetically-linked cups for you and your valentine to share your love and more!



I love all of these innovative ideas! They are beautifully designed, and have a lot of functional value. Easy to store, they actually are space-savers too! And I love the "hide-it-under-the-table" idea! Neither variety is dishwasher or microwave safe, so they need to be washed by hand. But all of them have been tested to work with any kind of beverages and deemed to be safe to use. For more designs and order information, visit their website!

Egg-Cracker - No more messy egg cracking for you!!

As a person who bakes quite often, I am pathetic at cracking eggs! Seriously, I marvel when I see chefs on TV cracking eggs in a whack without any mess, in fact, with great style! Alas, though I'm a good cook, I'm not a good egg-cracker:) But now I've found this perfect solution to my problem. A kitchen gadget that makes cracking eggs so easy it's like a dream come true. I'm sure many of you must have experienced similar problems while baking. With the recipe book open at one end, and your hand stirring the mixture in the bowl, it's convenient to crack the egg on the rim of the bowl, until you see the egg white dripping from your fingers and some small flecks of shell that conveniently find their way into the batter! You can only sigh and try to remove them with a spoon, creating even more mess than you earlier imagined. So in my quest to be "stress-free" and make my baking a little "mess-free", I found this cute little Egg-cracker which does the job perfectly. I know it's not a great find, but you'll really appreciate it once you start using it and see the results:)

The Egg Cracker from Walter Drake makes cracking eggs for any purpose clean and simple. The gadget is easy to use, compact, cute and extremely easy to clean. and great for kids to help with the cooking! Simply put in the egg in the holder, tap a little, then invert and press - the yolk and whites come out in tact, and the shell is left behind, right where it's supposed to be. Also, it's easier to separate the egg yolk from the whites when it's cracked in such an organised way.

The egg-cracker is Dishwasher safe, and pretty easy to clean. No sharp curves or blades, so it's kid-friendly too; in fact, it's a great way to let your kids help with the cooking! It is small and can be stored anywhere, and fancy enough to look good on your kitchen counter. With all the comfort and convenience, this tiny gadget comes with a price tag of only $6.99!! (from Amazon) Can't beat that one, right? Combine this with any egg-separator and you have the recipe for a perfect dessert. It's simple and efficient, nothing fancy about it, but does it's job well, and that's what makes my life easy. Try it for yourself and see, then come back to share your experiences with us!

Nutri-weight Food Scale - An answer to all your Food and Nutrition queries!!

Gadgets and innovations have always fascinated me, as you might have guessed by the Tech Blog that I write. But as a chef who loves to cook, and yet likes to live a healthy life with a balanced diet so I don't put on all that extra weight, I keep looking for ways in which I could keep a tab on what I eat so that I never go overboard. One such cool and neat kitchen gadget that I came across on the web was this ultra-sleek, retro Nutrition Food-Scale. Yes, just like a regular weighing scale, except that it looks like a laptop, this one is for the foods you eat, and it tells you clearly what's the nutrition content of your meal so you don't need to go by the rough estimates that you get from calorie and nutrition counters on the web!!

A look at this super-functional Nutriscale and you'll know I'm not kidding. It analyses the nutritional content of your food by portion size, calculates the calories, protein, carbohydrates, total sugars, total fat, fiber, sodium, cholesterol, net carbohydrates and GI value of your food and then displays all this invaluable information in an easy-to-read format on a large LCD screen. This product that is sold by Salter Nutrition, has the advantage of a large data base that stores the nutritional values for over 1,440 foods and liquids, plus memorizes an additional 100 foods/recipes of your choice. And, it's constantly growing, so you can be sure most of your foods are going to be on their list!!

It also comes with automatic predictive-text feature for quick and easy on-screen food search. You can even place all your raw food in a bowl and it'll give you the combined results, minus the weight of the bowl. Find it too good to be true??!! I sure did, especially when I saw that it comes with a 10-year warranty, and is bundled at an affordable price of just $99.00 - that's less than the consultation fee for most nutritionists!!

It even allows you to record daily food intake and set dietary goals, then review progress so you never lose focus on your goal. It's like your own personal trainer, right in the convenience of your home!! And it is battery-operated making it a portable device. It is easy to clean and maintain, and looks really sleek. The only drawback I found in it is that it would only work for raw ingredients, not if you used it for a prepared dish, but then it's easier to just weigh all your ingredients first so you know ahead of time how many calories you are eating and can adjust the amount that goes into making your dish accordingly, right? This device sure would work for me to keep a tab on my food intake. So if you are looking for gift ideas, this is one thing you should strongly consider. I am really inclined to buy one of these myself! If you'd like to order one too, here's one place I found on the web - MetroKitchen

Would Fries Taste the same if they were "Low-Fat"??

French Fries are the most loved food of most people, especially Americans. Easy to grab, tasty to eat, its an ideal snack and a food-to-go. The only thing that might draw you away from digging into a bag of french fries is the amount of oil that it soaks!! But what if I told you that you can now make delicious french fries at home with just a tablespoon of olive oil and 3% fat content??? Would that interest you enough?

French Fries and Deep fryers go hand-in-hand, and it's hard to imagine seeing fries being made in a vessel that uses no oil! I am a foodie who's highly into eating healthy as much as possible, but then, there are some things which are just eaten for their taste, and you absolutely cannot make them taste the same if you try to alter them into "low-fat" or "healthy". Fries, undoubtedly, fall in the same category.

The European kitchen company "Tefal" has come out with a new electronic gadget called Actifry, which seeks to preserve the crispy goodness of fried foods while getting rid of the fat and oil, unlike the traditional deep fryer. It claims that with as little 1 tablespoon of oil you can enjoy about 2 pounds of french fries at home that promise to be crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and most importantly - Healthy.

Actifry incorporates convection style heating with a spinning stir attachment that promises even cooking. Using fans and motion, it coats about 4 potatoes worth of fries in about a tablespoon of oil, which it then re-circulates throughout the fry cooker using a motor and heat. The end result, delicious almost zero-fat fries! The Actifry can also be used for cooking frozen chips, scampi, chicken drumsticks, stir-fried vegetables and lots more. They also include a recipe book with the package. An odourless filter keeps your kitchen fresh, and you can check on progress through the viewing window on the top. Everything except the base can go into the dishwasher, and of course there’s no oil to filter after frying.

While the concept is interesting, and worth a try if it really fulfills what it claims, the pricetag is something that'll throw you off. The ActiFry comes at an exorbitant price of $300!!! That's a lot of money, so the obvious question is: Is this worth it? Plus, would french fries taste the same without the oil which actually adds all the flavour to it?! I think Not. Unless you are a fitness freak, you can easily reduce your fried food intake without losing much on the taste factor; there's no need for extreme steps which you know you might end up regretting. But if you are on a diet, or have been advised by a doctor to quit fats and oil, Actifry might be a good alternative. What you choose is your personal choice, so think before you buy, and settle for something that you would actually use!

Toastabags and Holy Toasts

Toaster is a gadget most of us use everyday in our daily lives, and now if I tell you that you can convert your toaster into a sandwich-maker, would you be kind enough to buy me lunch? And I also have something to kick-start your day in the divine presence of God, literally!!

The first gadget is ToastaBag, which is a zip-lock bag that can take in your bread, cheese and veggies, goes right inside your toaste, and voila! what comes out is a freshly-baked toasted sandwich! You can also cook pizza, bagels, pitta bread, waffles, chapattis, ciabatta, apple turnovers and much, much more! And all for under $15!! The bag can be reused for at least 300 times...wow, that's a catch for the moms, execs and the kids that are always on the go! (photos courtesy latestbuy.com )

The other mind-boggling thing that I came across on my path to seek the Holy Grail was the "Holy Toast". As you can see below, now you no longer need to practice meditation and concentration, nor wait for a miracle to try to witness God's presence. Just press your bread into the mould, pop it into a toaster and watch your toast turn into an impression of your faith. Personally, I don't know whether to call it "fascinating" or "weird", for I don't think I need such a blatant expression of my piety and faith, and I wouldn't even dream of buying something like this. But I would definitely like to hear your comments and ideas.

I hope you've enjoyed reading about these 2 new discoveries. Again, keep your feedback coming in the form of comments, and I promise to keep sharing more such inventions with you!! Check out more cool kitchen contraption under "Gagdets"

Just Specs or Sushi Specs???

21st century for sure is a tech-century, and gizmos and gadgets are the talk of the day. People are getting busier by the day, there's no time to sit and eat, relax and enjoy the savour of your food, and the talented inventors of the world are helping make life so "trendy and simple", that the gap between savouring and satisfying your hunger has grown even large.... One such cool gadget that I recently read about is "Sushi-specs", yup, you heard me right!! A German designer named Ralph Anderl invented lightweight stainless steel frames with temples (the arms) that detach to become chopsticks (photo courtesy law.harvard.edu). And those who aren't adept at using chopsticks can have forks attached as an alternative !!! After you are finished eating, you can re-attach the chopstics back to your glasses with screws. Hmmmm....And these specs have created a havoc in US, Japan and Europe, even with their high price tags of $300-$400. Wow, and I thought spending $500 on the I-phone would be an indulgence! But maybe not many people think like me.

I'm sure pretty soon this will be enhanced to act as spoon/knife and fork all in one, totally eradicating the need of silverware from the restaurants! What do you say??!! Would you be willing to buy one of those?? And how would you manage to see and eat the food if you had to remove your specs???:) Maybe the designer forgot to consider the alternative that people actually wear specs because they need it, not because wearing plain glasses is the "in thing", huh!!??

What colour does your Coffee Lid boast today?

The daily dose of caffeine that lies on everyone's desk unnoticed has now been revolutionized!! I recently read an article in a business magazine which was titled "Coffee gets a colour correction" and it spoke about a new innovation from a Sydney-based company called Smart Lid Systems. It has come out with a new genre of coffee lids which act as "mood rings" for your caffeine. It changes colour with the temperature of your beverage, boasting a bright Red when its too hot to handle, and a calm deep and rich Mocha Brown when its just perfect!! It also shows a mottled red when the lid is not properly secured to the cup.... Wow, can you believe that???!!!

Apparently, its not just "chick and cool", but an efficient safety measure too, and priced at just 5c a piece, the coffee-lovers are creating a huge demand for these not just in Australia, but in US and UK markets too. And these are not the only gadget-gizmos honouring this beverage. There are gifts like "Auto-Stirrer Coffe mugs" and temperature-sensing mugs too which maintain the heat or coolness of your drink as long as you like it. Its like an electronic butler, who would ask for anything else???


Well, as I get back to enjoy my cup of caffeine for the day, you can comment about this post and tell me what you think. Also, if you have a new idea related to food or an interesting venture, email me and I'll be glad to post an article for you. After all, a great idea can be born from a "burning" need, right??