Home and Kitchen

News, reviews and articles about home and kitchen products.

Sit at the bar with Darth Vader

star wars counter stools

If you’re looking to spiff up your breakfast bar or turn the rumpus room into your own version of the Mos Eisley Cantina, ThinkGeek can help you outfit your room.   These Star Wars Bar Stools have chrome-plated, base-metal legs and cushioned vinyl-covered seats.  The seats do not spin like some bar stools do, but […]

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Addalock increases your security when you travel

addalock

I’m still researching home security and door locks, and I stumbled upon the Addalock at Amazon.  The Addalock fits between the door and jamb and prevents the door from opening easily.  It’s made of chrome-plated carbon steel, and it’s for use with any door that is hinged and opens inwards.  It’s designed to increase the

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15yr old inventor creates a switch plate that doubles as a message board

switchport

The Switch Port is a laser cut dry-erase light switch cover with a marker that attaches to the side magnetically. As you walk out the door, you see your reminders. It is available for 1, 2 or 3 switches and is priced at $10, $11 and $12 respectively, which also covers shipping. The Switch Port

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See a new color on your walls before buying a can of paint

sherwin williams colorsnap app

After upteen years at the same address, my family will soon be moving into a almost time-capsule mid-century condo.  Moving has a lot of work and a lot of expense associated with it (and I’m not just talking about the mortgage, either), so I want to be sure I get things right the first time.

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The perfect finishing touch for chilling in your music room

marshall fridge

While it’s perfect for chilling drinks in your music room or studio, the Marshall Compact Refrigerator will look equally at home in a family room or dorm room.  It has 4 cubic feet of fridge space and a 0.4-ft³ of freezer space.   There’s an adjustable glass shelf and can/bottle storage in the door.  At

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This Parrot can tell you when your plants need water

parrot flower power sensor

There’s been a bit of interest in plant monitors here at The Gadgeteer.  (Apparently many of you have better luck with plants than I do – even my artificial plants look unhealthy!)  The Parrot Flower Power sensor is a new entry into the wireless plant monitoring field.  The Flower Power was developed in collaboration with

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Add more – and safer – outlets to your home without requiring an electrician

livingplug outlet

If you’re reading this, you probably have a lot of gadgets – maybe more than you have outlets in your home.  Some of you also have young children, and you’ve probably spent a lot of money on gizmos to try to prevent the little ones from harming themselves by sticking things into the outlets you

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Get the premium Dropcam experience with the Dropcam Pro

dropcam pro

I’ve been using the Dropcam to keep an eye on things around my house, and it has worked very well for me.  I’m impressed with the clarity of the images I see, even in a dark room.  Of course, I’m always interested to know when things get better, which is why I’m telling you about

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Now you can monitor energy usage with the latest WeMo Switch

wemo insight switch

I’ve been using four WeMo Switch modules in my house for a few months now, and they work great for turning lights on and off on a program and for letting me manually control them from anywhere I have internet connectivity.  Belkin isn’t resting on their laurels, though, and they have announced the WeMo Insight

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Nest Thermostat maker is now developing a WiFi-connected smoke alarm

nest smoke plus carbon monoxide alarm

The Nest Protect, from the makers of the Nest Thermostat, aims to change the way your home smoke alarm works.  The Protect monitors smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide levels in your home.  It’s smart about how it alerts you to possible emergency conditions, too.  You tell the Protect what room it’s in, so a human

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This Victorinox knife block also serves as a tablet stand

victorinox knife block tablet stand

There are a lot of cooking apps and videos available for tablets.  You can watch videos as you cook to learn new techniques or follow a recipe in your virtual recipe box, but whatever you’re doing on a tablet in the kitchen, you’ll need a stand to keep it safe and viewable.  There are countless

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Now you can control your light switches with WeMo controllers

wemo light switch

I recently reviewed the Belkin WeMo Smart Home Automation Switch, and I’m still happily using four of them everyday to control my table lamps and the Fake TV.  There are some rooms, like the bathroom, that don’t have table lamps, but I’d still like to be able to remotely control my ceiling fixture in there.

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Poo~Pourri, an awkward subject and rather, well, smelly

Poo Pourri 1

We all know poo happens, but did you know it doesn’t have to stink?  Yep, you heard me right, you can have stink-less #2 too by pre-treating your loo with a product called Poo~Pourri.  One of our most advanced senses, our sense of smell, isn’t fooled by covering up poo odor with fragrance.   Poo~Pourri doesn’t just

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Tailgate in style with these cooking appliances

max burton 12v cooking appliances

Whether you want to have a nice spread for your tailgate party before the big game or travel in an RV, you’ll appreciate these Max Burton appliances.  They plug into a car’s 12V power outlet and prepare a meal as you travel.  The Digital Stove to Go (top, left) has a 1.5-qt capacity and reaches

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Build your own Steampunk thermometer

thinkgeek nixie tube thermometer

I have a fascination with nixie tubes, or vacuum tubes that ThinkGeek calls the LEDs of the past.  These tubes aren’t being manufactured any longer, but there are still some available that are being used to make Steampunk things like clocks and thermometers.  You’ll need to know how to read schematics and how to solder

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Moistly is a gadget that helps save your leafy friends from a horrible death of dehydration

moistly

If you have houseplants, you’ve most certainly experienced the tragedy and self blame that comes along when your neglect causes their untimely demise. You don’t have to be a plant killer anymore, the Moistly easy to use plant buddy is here to help you. What is it? It’s a sensor that will beep and blink

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Become the master of your domain… err, dishes!

dishmaster

In my search for retro, mid-century items, I stumbled upon an interesting item for the kitchen that really does qualify as a gadget.  The Dishmaster was developed “in 1948 in the post-war years when the American kitchen was being re-invented”, and it replaced a typical faucet with a gadget that could make washing dishes easier.  The Dishmaster

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