Household electronics and gadgets are pretty amazing. The objective
with most of the modern ones seems to be speed. Let’s
move this job along quickly so we can get the next one accomplished.
Blend,
chop, mix, open, clean, swift, vacuum; chores are done in
minutes that used to take hours. An example is the Bullitt
Mixer. It mixes just about anything. You can make soup out
of a squash faster then you can scoop it out. Remember the
old style coffee percolator you set on the stove? You could
buy one for about $5. Now, for about $100 you can buy a coffee “maker” that
will take up half your counter’s workspace. It grinds
the coffee beans (imported from Columbia), wakes you up (the
grinding is noisy) and fills to a pre-set water level. In minutes,
a pre-set cup of Joe — extra strong to very weak, is
ready to help get your day started. Starbucks hates these
designer machines.
A
cleaning gadget that is “sweeping” the nation
is Robo sold as, “iRobot Roomba.” Ads say, Robo
is “... the gold standard in automated vacuums.” You
just set them down, turn them on and off they go vacuuming
around, under and over any obstacles that would have to
be moved in the past. Even better, with the top of the
line
model, you can schedule it to clean when you are not even
home. Perhaps
they may require a bit more guidance control though.
I
heard of one that caught the dog’s tail and another
one that ran away, you can’t leave a door open
when they are operating. The cost is a mere $600, but
they ship
free
(probably just rolls itself to your door and knocks).
I
stopped at a casino recently and thought it pretty funny
that all the men were carrying a Robo under their
arms — it
was the latest giveaway to lure customers to visit. My wife
settled for a new-style vacuum that has a container she just
takes off and dumps without the worry of having bags to change.
It’s bright yellow, so easy to locate when the
cleaning urge strikes.
If
you just need a quick clean up, grab your “Swiffer.” The
ad says, “The Swiffer Duster grabs onto dirt and holds
it tightly.” Are they kidding? This tool appears
to just swiftly move the dirt around.
I
have a friend who bakes — a lot. She should check out
the “Nickel Pearl Professional 6 Quart Stand Mixer” that
sells for just under $400. She probably won’t
have to do anything but watch.
When
all the work is done in the kitchen, head for a “iTouchless
13 gallon deodorizer filtered stainless steel sensor.” I
think it’s a garbage bucket but it cost
$63, so it may do more.