Archives for Unitasker Wednesday
Unitasker Wednesday: The Beaba Babycook
Okay, I know that choosing unitaskers from Williams-Sonoma is so simple that it’s like shooting fish in a barrel … but I can’t help myself! There are so many wonderful unitaskers lining their shelves. It’s fruitless for me to try to steer clear. I am drawn to their shiny, unitasker-ness like a moth to a street lamp. I can’t help myself.
This week’s winner of the unitasker title is the Beaba Babycook.
Simply by using a pot, a steamer insert for that pot, and a blender (or potato masher or food processor or even the back of a sturdy fork) that you already own, you can make your child’s food without this contraption. Heck, if you already own a rice cooker you don’t even need a pot and steamer insert (a rice cooker, although the name implies it only cooks rice, is actually quite a wonderful multitasker). I am stumped as to why a parent might possibly need this Beaba Babycook appliance. Oh, and it’s $150 for an appliance you will maybe use for a year, if you even use it at all.
Popularity: 5% [?]
Unitasker Wednesday: Meatball Grill Basket
All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!
When I think about cooking out on the grill, I think about hotdogs, hamburgers, steak, corn, asparagus, kebobs, bratwursts, and peaches (mmmmm, grilled peaches). Want to know what I don’t think about? Meatballs.
Williams-Sonoma has once again created a solution (the Meatball Grill Basket) for a problem that doesn’t exist. People the world over were just fine cooking their meatballs on the stove or in the oven. No one was crying late at night, gnashing their teeth, wishing that someone, somewhere would create a giant contraption for the specific purpose of grilling meatballs.
But now, NOW!, you can drop $50 for this item that you have no use for owning. Honestly, if you really wanted to grill meatballs (and again, why would you?) all you have to do is add a bit of egg to your meatball mixture and you can set meatballs directly onto the grill grates, same as a hamburger. If you want meatballs smaller than your grill grates, simply set a metal cooling rack (make sure it’s just plain metal) onto your grill grates and then cook your meatballs on the smaller-grated cooling rack. (It will look kind of like this.) A metal cooling rack has a dozen purposes and costs less than $7.
Wow, I wonder how many of these Meatball Grill Baskets Williams-Sonoma is going to sell?? Unbelievable.
Popularity: 12% [?]
Ask Unclutterer: Me and My Unitaskers
Reader Wilhelm asked the following question of Unclutterer in the comments of a recent post:
If [the] Unclutterer staff owns some of these things, can we have photos of them with their Unitasker?
I immediately fell in love with this suggestion and then went through Unitasker Wednesday archives to find all of the ones I own. Turns out, all of my unitaskers are kitchen-related items:
The Ice Cream Maker. The inner canister is currently in the freezer, getting ready for my next batch. I’m of the opinion that if I’m going to consume calories from ice cream, they should at least be the best tasting calories I can get my hands on.
The Apple Peeler-Corer. I make pies, and apple pies are my specialty in the late summer and fall. The time this gadget saves me when I’m in apple-pie season is worth it the other months of the year.
The Garlic Roaster. Mine isn’t electric, but it still takes up a lot of space in my cupboards. I actually use it for tortillas instead of roasting garlic. I wouldn’t hold onto it, otherwise.
The Juicer. We buy lemons and limes by the bag full and then juice them up for drinks. Best of all, most all of the parts of this little guy can go in the dishwasher for fast and easy cleanup.
The Pickle Picker. I don’t know where this pickle fork came from, but it’s been a part of our kitchen for years. We don’t use it for pickles, though, we use it to open packaging, dig things out of small crevices around the stove, and use it as an all-purpose tiny tool. You can see that we’ve dented the tines a bit.
Now you know what Unitasker Wednesday items are in my collection! What Unitasker Wednesday items do you have in your cupboards? Share them with us in the comments. I’m encouraging the other Unclutterer staffers to do the same (let’s see if they step up to the plate).
Thank you, Wilhelm, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.
Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.
Popularity: 11% [?]
Unitasker Wednesday: USB microwave
All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!
This week’s unitasker is specifically for our England-based readers. Sure, you’re across the pond, but that doesn’t seem to keep you free from lovely items such as:
Yes, it’s a USB microwave from Heinz. The Beanzawave is perfect for the office worker who is chained to his desk:
The mini-micro has been designed by microwave expert Gordon Andrews and Stephen Frazer, an authority on industrial design and managng director of Frazer Designers.
Apart from its size, the key breakthrough is the use of a combination of mobile phone radio frequencies to create the heat to cook both on the outside and within in under a minute.
Mr Andrews, the managing director of GAMA Microwave Technology, said it is possible to ‘tune’ the radio-frequencies to provide the best results with any small product.
‘It is possible to heat a pie, a burger, a cup of soup or tea in quick time,’ he said.
‘There is the option of powering it with lithium ion batteries that would make it completely portable, which would be a help to fishermen, campers or sportsmen.’
I don’t know what is creepier, the fact that a worker doesn’t have enough time to leave his desk to eat a meal or that this thing cooks using mobile phone radio frequencies. Well, um, thankfully it’s not yet for sale and only looking to be manufactured in England.
Special thanks to my college pal Adam at Serious Eats for giving me a head’s up about this product.
Popularity: 11% [?]
Unitasker Wednesday: Rochambeau
All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!
I’ll be honest, I never believed that I was going to find a better unitasker than the Spin the Bottle game. With Spin the Bottle, I thought the rest of our posts would pale in comparison. Then, I got a message from my friend Brittany and everything changed. Brittany introduced me to the Rock Paper Scissors game:
To play, you put your hand on the buttons and choose to push one button (scissors) or two buttons (rock) or no buttons at all (paper).
You can buy the game in (in)convenient 24-packs or the party-size 72 pack and display case!
Popularity: 11% [?]
Unitasker Wednesday: Rotato Potato Peeler
All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!
Has peeling potatoes got you down?
Do you believe that getting rid of the most nutritious part of the potato is the best choice for your family?
Is your kitchen so big that you have counter-top space galore?
If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, then the Rotato Potato Peeler is for you! It doesn’t slice, it doesn’t dice, it doesn’t even julienne! All it does is peel, peel, peel.
Simply hook up your potato to the Rotato Potato Peeler, push the start button, and watch all that good nutrition peel away. Peeling a potato has never been as expensive or space hogging!
(Thanks to reader Allysun for directing our attention to this gem.)
Popularity: 12% [?]
Unitasker Wednesday: Garbage Bowl
All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!
I know that the bowl pictured to the right looks like a regular bowl — but it isn’t. No, this is a very special bowl. This bowl can only be used for disposing food scraps and trash while you are preparing a meal. It is the extremely specific Rachael Ray Garbage Bowl.
Anyone who has been using a trash can or another bowl for this purpose is way out of line. Only a proper and trademarked Rachael Ray Garbage Bowl should be used for such tasks.
Additionally, if you have one of these bowls and are using it for something else, you are going against everything this bowl stands for. There can be no multi-tasking for this Garbage Bowl. It’s not a regular bowl. You can’t put chips or salad in it. Don’t you see its name!?!
Popularity: 16% [?]
Unitasker Wednesday: Poop Freeze Aerosol Freeze Spray
All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!
I was hesitant to pick this interesting product as a unitasker selection. My trepidation wasn’t because of the product’s “delicate” nature, but because I honestly have no clue if it even has one purpose. I’m afraid it might be a “no-tasker.”
The Poop Freeze Aerosol Freeze Spray is supposed to do what its name suggests — freeze your dog’s mess. But, what I don’t understand is WHY?!! Why would you want to freeze it?! At what point in the process? And, what does one do with it after it’s frozen??
At $11 a can, I’m also a little skeptical that this is the best solution if you would wish to use such a thing. A quick peek at the product reviews and I learned it’s not the best option. Apparently, hairspray and a can of compressed air (simply held upside down) will do the exact same thing. (The reviews of the product are actually some of the worst I have ever seen on Amazon.) Too bad Vapoorize isn’t a real product.
However, if you can find a reason for this product, you may also want the Poop Freeze Carry Tote. There is nothing cooler than walking around the dog park with a tote that says “Poop Freeze” on it! (No pun intended in that last sentence.)
Popularity: 13% [?]
Unitasker Wednesday: Drywalkers
Sitting down and taking off your wet or muddy shoes is such an awful chore. First you have to sit, and then you have to take off your shoes. Exhausting!
Well, stop wasting all of that energy and start using Drywalkers!
They’re clean shoes to put on over your dirty shoes! Wear these until they get dirty and then put on another pair of Drywalkers over your dirty Drywalkers and dirty shoes. You’ll never have to sit and take off a pair of shoes again! Just keep adding as many pair of Drywalkers as you need over the entire course of your life. Hey, you’ve always wanted to be a little bit taller!
Thanks to reader Martin for bringing this unitasker to our attention.
Popularity: 13% [?]
Unitasker Wednesday: Spin the Bottle Game
The Electronic Spin the Bottle Game:
From the product description:
This isn’t your parents’ Spin the Bottle. Back in their day, they actually had to use a gross empty bottle that didn’t spin very well. Borrrring! Electronic Spin the Bottle takes the old party favorite out of the dark ages and into the 21st Century.
I am at a loss for what more to say.
Popularity: 14% [?]
Unitasker Wednesday: The IceBlok
All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!
One of the reasons I hate refreshing cold beverages in the summer heat is the “shocking splash of wayward ice cubes.” Thankfully, the IceBlok set puts an end to such shocking, horrible events. Made from space-age material (I’m assuming), the IceBlok will keep terrifying ice from falling into your face. From the product description:
Simply add ice to glass, slide IceBlok in, and sip beverage; IceBlok stays in place to keep ice out of your face.
Stop using straws that do the exact same thing, and get yourself an IceBlok!
Thanks to reader jsn for bringing this unitasker to our attention.
Popularity: 17% [?]
Unitasker Wednesday: The dog umbrella
All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!
I recently had a big double take after seeing a pet umbrella in action at my local park. Did I just see that? Yes, yes I did.
Did the poor dog have a cold? Did other dogs make fun of him for retreating under an umbrella? Since when did a dog require an umbrella for a walk in the rain? Has the pampering of pets become such an industry that a product like this becomes a good idea for consumers? I had so many questions to ask the owner, but I had to be somewhere and the dog owner was probably unable to answer any of my queries.
Have any of you seen a pet umbrella in action? It is definitely something to see. Any owners of a pet umbrella out there? Defend it in the comments if you’d like. The wet dog smell is obviously a reason to employ the pet umbrella, but what else beyond that? I’m truly baffled.
Popularity: 19% [?]
Unitasker Wednesday: Toothpaste dispenser
All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!
A streamlined morning ritual is always a good idea. Planning a morning routine is key to being on time, and the Toothpaste Dispenser is just the thing to help you with that time-wasting, strenuous task of putting toothpaste on your toothbrush. I can’t think of a single other method you could use to extract toothpaste out of the tube. This wall mounted dispenser not only saves you from extreme stress, but it also takes up a lot of space! We’re so lucky to live in 2009.
The dispenser comes in chrome (pictured) and white. So choose wisely on which color matches your decor the best. Also, don’t be afraid to invest in two (or more!) of these dispensers if your roommate, wife, husband, or child uses a different toothpaste. Your friends will be envious that you have cracked the code on how to get toothpaste out of the tube.
Popularity: 12% [?]
Unitasker Wednesday: Bed Made EZ
All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!
Making the bed is one of my least favorite household chores. Is the chore difficult? Not really, but it does seem like a waste of time, especially since we don’t have pets. Hardly anyone ever sets foot in our bedroom, so we simply let the sheets and blankets be most of the time.
All of this bed-making procrastination may come to an end if I invest in the Bed Made EZ. This tool is “an ergonomic device that slides easily between the mattress and the box springs, raising the mattress so linens are easier to put on.”
If you have back pain that is a hindrance to your bed-making skills, maybe this has a purpose for you. Maybe. You’d still have to bend over quite a bit to shove the device between your mattresses. For able-bodied people, though, it actually looks like it takes more effort than tucking the sheet into the bed normally.
Popularity: 9% [?]
Unitasker Wednesday: Muffin Magic
All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!
Are you tired of making muffins the old fashioned way? Now you can make muffins in mere minutes with Muffin Magic!
The Muffin Magic is marketed as a space-saving alternative to the traditional way of baking a muffin. So, instead of owning an oven, you would own a Muffin Magic. Can you imagine having friends over to dinner and showing them your kitchen and explaining that you don’t own an oven because you have a Muffin Magic instead? “Tonight, we will have muffins with a side of muffins, followed by muffins for dessert!”
Did I mention this thing makes three whole muffins?
Thanks to reader Arielle for bringing this unitasker to our attention.
Popularity: 11% [?]
