Home and Kitchen

News, reviews and articles about home and kitchen products.

Simplify your home automation with the SmartThings Hub and app

SmartThings

There are a lot of home automation devices out there, each with their own app. As you work towards the smart home of your dreams, before long, you’ll have multiple apps for your multiple devices. You can simplify things by controlling everything with the SmartThings Hub and iOS/Android app (you’ll need at least iOS 7.0 […]

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ClockONE is an insanely cool E-ink clock with an equally insane price tag

oneclock1

The ClockONE from Twelve24 is simple and beautiful. It’s a wall mountable 39.37 x 13.78 inches (1000 x 350 mm) clock that features a digital display that uses E-ink. The clock runs for one year on one CR2450 button battery and mounts to the wall with a magnet. I love the look of it and

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No more waiting, now you can spread butter right from the fridge

spreadthatknife

Or at least that is what the SpreadTHAT! Heated Butter Knife claims to be able to do. The unique thing about this hi-tech kitchen gadget is that it doesn’t use any electricity to warm the knife. It uses a non-toxic titanium coating to conduct the heat from your hand down to the blade, allowing you to

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No more crawling under the desk to plug things in with the Wall Mounted Outlet Extender

wall mounted outlet extender 2

I just put an Elfa shelving unit in my tiny kitchen with no counter space.  I now have a place to work while preparing food, but plugging in my little KitchenAid chopper requires me to crawl under the unit and reach behind the water cooler to plug it in.  I was thinking about getting a

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KitchenAid brings a whole new look to the SodaStream Sparkling Beverage Maker

kitchenaid soda stream

Julie reviewed the SodaStream a few years ago and determined it was an economical way to make your own sodas at home.  It gives you the option to make regular, diet, and caffeine-free sodas and flavored waters, but it did look a bit utilitarian.  Big deal, you might say, but there are some people out

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The Android app for Belkin’s WeMo line of home automation products is now available

belkin wemo android app 2

I reviewed the Belkin WeMo Smart Home Automation Switch about a year ago, and at the time, you really needed an iOS device to control the products.  There was an Android app, but it was in beta, but Belkin announced late last month that the Android app is ready.  Just like with the iOS app

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Your refreshments will be assimilated by the Borg

thinkgeek borg fridge 2

This cute little Borg Cube can keep your food or beverages at the proper temperature.  It has a temperature switch, so you can refrigerate or warm the contents.  It measures 11.5″ in each dimension on the outside, and the storage area inside is 6″ x 7.5″ x 8.25″.  It’s more like a desk-top fridge than a

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Microwave your lunch in your lunch bag and eat directly from it, too

compleat foodbag 2

We’ve mentioned a couple of different Unikia products for carrying your lunch in the past.  One was a Compleat Robust lunch box, one was a Compleat FoodSkin that cradled your sandwich to keep it together as you assembled it (see related posts at the end of this article).  Today’s product is the Compleat FoodBag.  Like the

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Is the Ripple a bowl with a detachable plate or a plate with a detachable bowl?

ripple1

How many times have you dreamt about an easy way to carry around a bowl of soup with a sandwich? Your dreams have come true with the Ripple Bowl. The Ripple Bowl is a BPA free, microwave and dishwasher safe bowl with a convenient handle and a detachable bowl. The bowl locks and unlocks from

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Office Star Space REVV 86 Series SpaceFlex manager’s chair review

space revv 1

Choosing the perfect office chair can be as difficult as choosing the perfect pair of sneakers, jeans, mattress or car. Everyone has their own criteria of what feels good to them. That’s probably why I’ve had the same office chair for the last 20 or more years. Wow, I didn’t even realize I’ve had the

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The Olight H15S Wave headlamp is controlled with hand gestures

olight h15s 1

Remember that time you were in a cave and your hands were all muddy, so you didn’t want to touch your headlamp to turn it on? Yeah, me neither… But the NEXT time you do find yourself in a similar situation, make sure you have an Olight H15S Wave rechargeable LED headlamp on your head.

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This simple doodad can make using a ceiling fan easier

harbor breeze ceiling fan pull chains

There’s nothing world-changing about the Harbor Breeze Brushed Nickel and White Pull Chain set, but it will make it plainly obvious to everyone in your family and to visitors which chain turns on the light attached to the ceiling fan and which adjusts the fan speed.  The brushed nickel chain pulls look like a tiny light bulb

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Turn any light bulb into a WiFi-connected bulb

emberlight kickstarter 2

This Kickstarter project gives you the tools to turn any dimmable light bulb into a WiFi-controllable bulb.  You don’t need hubs, and getting your house connected is as easy as signing the bulb into your router.  The emberlight is a screw-in base that you can use with any of your current light fixtures or lamps

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Replace your big screen TV with a tiny black box

brookstone projector tiny home theater 2

My fascination with tiny houses and micro houses continues, and I saw a home theater system in one of the small homes that would work equally well in bigger spaces.  I was watching a video made by Derek Diedricksen for his Relaxshacks website in which he toured the small house built by Chris Haynes of Tiny

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