Yahoo News Grace Gould on the kitchen tech fit for a MasterChef contestant
When I was younger, I used to spend hours in John Lewis’s gadget section.
For my 18th birthday I was given a mixer with a detachable blender on top. Never has a present brought me so much joy. Something about the design of these products and the theatre of cooking has always appealed to me.
It’s refreshing, as tech is so often encouraging us to be more insular, lost in a world of our mobile phones or laptops to find products about having fun and sharing experiences with those around you.
Even if that just means 3D-printing your boyfriend’s face on a pancake.
The best kitchen tech for your smart home
Zerowater filter jug
This product has been described as doing the unthinkable — turning wine into water. It does do this but it’s not its primary function.
It’s simply a powerful, well-made water filter. It has a five-stage filter process, rather than the conventional two, which means it takes out 99.6 per cent of the dissolved solids in your water.
Veritable smart herb garden
This is a garden for London flats. It doesn’t need natural sunshine and has its own light and irrigation system so you only need to water it every few weeks.
You can have four plants in it at any one time.
Be warned, they grow fast, so imagine Day of the Triffids-sized chives within weeks.
Pancake bot
Think a George Foreman grill with a robotic arm attached that pipes out batter to 3D-print pancakes. Seriously.
You use the SD card to programme the bot to make any design or image you want — from astronauts to your face to the Eiffel Tower. It’s the most fun you’ll have making breakfast.
Cuisinart gelato and ice cream maker
What’s special about this is the built-in freezer, so you don’t need to try to find space in yours. The compressor system means you don’t need to freeze the bowl.
You can go from warm ingredients to fluffy salted caramel ice cream in only 40 minutes. Yum.
Slush Puppie machine
After a week of sunshine I couldn’t resist buying this giant Slush Puppie machine.
I’ve steered clear of the syrups they offer and have been working on my own concoctions. Best so far has been a mix of Sipsmith gin with ice, Waitrose elderflower liquor and thinly chopped mint to create an amazing frozen gin cocktail.
Molecular gastronomy set
I was inspired by watching Chef’s Table with Grant Achatz, founder of Alinea restaurant.
To reduce Achatz genius to a kit, try this set. It teaches you how to emulsify and mould. Do try this at home.
Barisieur coffee alarm clock
Vinyl players inspired London designer Josh Renouf’s Barisieur alarm clock. It’s a wooden alarm clock programmed to brew your coffee for the exact moment you wake up.
The Scandi look, glass decanters and softness of bubbling water when you wake up makes it feel much more ritualistic than futuristic.
Grace Gould is the founder of Soda
