Drinking

America seems to run on Starbucks. If the world's supply of coffee beans were destroyed, we would be faced by listless zombies struggling to pull themselves out of bed everyday. However, if you're part of the population that doesn't need their daily jolt of caffeine, the latest product from Breville might catch your eye.

In what would seem like something out of sheer science fiction to the tea-drinking community, Breville has combined an electronic tea kettle with an electronically controlled toaster to create a mutant of the breakfast world. With sheer convenience in mind, it features a … Read more

This may be the best way to deliver beverages since the "Flying Barstool."

The radio-controlled cooler can take the place of a poolside cabana boy and you won't even have to give it a tip. We suggest only sealed containers, however, not any fruity drinks that can easily spill their umbrellas.

There are other drawbacks: The cooler holds just six beverages and has a range of only 30 feet, according to GeekAlerts, so your guests will have to stay reasonably nearby whether you like it or not. But if you team it up with a beer-fetching Roomba … Read more

What's new in the kitchen? We explored the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago in March to find out.

The trade show, which is closed to the public, is known as the largest of its kind, attracting store buyers from more than 100 countries.

Among the items attracting attention this year were a microwave and handheld espresso maker, both billed as the world's smallest. Eco-minded shoppers could find plenty of options for making the home a bit greener, and people with a sweet tooth could find contraptions for making doughnuts and gummy candies.

During the show, we covered … Read more

If we were to ever give it much thought, we probably would have ventured to guess that coffee makers and Swarovski crystals probably wouldn't make a great combination. But that's what happens when one works for Crave: The irrational exuberance of some gadget makers forces the most unthinkable thoughts to the surface.

Indeed, the mere sight of the hideous "Nespresso Crystal Coffee Machine" from the U.K.'s infamous Goldstriker is enough to cause temporary blindness, but the $4,000 price tag will afflict the digestive system too. There is some amusement to be had, however, … Read more

So much for our trend-spotting skills. We thought for sure that, where beer dispensing is concerned, the next big thing would be built-in taps, whether they be for the fridge or the game console. Instead, what seems to be taking hold is the portable version, we assume for reasons of practicality.

Case in point (so to speak): The Heineken "BeerTender," which Gizmodo says it wrote about nearly four years ago, at long last is arriving on U.S. shores. The attractive dispenser accommodates a 5-liter mini-keg, though the long delay means it'll face some stiff competition. Even … Read more

I'm a little militant when it comes to steeping my tea. In my mind, there's nothing worse than having a much-anticipated tea break ruined by the bitter taste of leaves that have soaked too long. Unfortunately, this preference often results in fingertip burns from lifting the still-hot infuser out of my teapot once the 2- to 6-minute brewing time has elapsed.

Enter the Tea Control Teapot with Brew Stop Infuser, whose lengthy name spells out pretty much all you need to know. The heat-resistant glass pot features a built-in infuser with a handy design trick: a door that … Read more

I love sparkling water, and I was accustomed to buying a bottle or two (or three) from the office vending machine and enjoying a glass of San Pellegrino at home in the evening. But once I started working from home I had to face the terrible side effects of my addiction: high grocery bills, heavy shopping bags, and a recycling bin filled to overflowing with large glass or plastic bottles.

That last bit, especially, started to weigh on me. How much energy went into making that bottle? What's the carbon footprint of a case of water that's been … Read more

In a study that could make marketing managers and salespeople rub their hands with glee, scientists have used brain-scanning technology to shed new light on the old adage, "You get what you pay for."

Researchers from the California Institute of Technology and Stanford's business school have directly seen that the sensation of pleasantness that people experience when tasting wine is linked directly to its price. And that's true even when, unbeknownst to the test subjects, it's exactly the same Cabernet Sauvignon with a dramatically different price tag.

Specifically, the researchers found that with the higher … Read more

If you have a caffeine habit that even remotely approaches ours, you've probably given at least a fleeting thought to trading in those Starbucks gift cards for your own espresso machine. And this latest model from De Dietrich is sure to make the idea all the more tempting.

Built-in espresso makers are nothing new, but the DED700X's technology seems to elevate the process to an art form. For starters, it has an LED screen, touch controls, and all kinds of digital indicators to help keep you from messing up. Just imagine: As many venti soy chai lattes as … Read more