You could say that it all started with the at home espresso machine. Small, private manufacturers began to understand that many homeowners were willing to pay a little bit extra so that they could have complete control over some of their favorite indulgences.
However, espresso machines have been on the market for a very long time and coffee machines do not really afford you any type of control over the coffee that you get to use. So, perhaps, a better place to look for the start of this revolution is in the first soda stream, and, for those of us who watch Shark Tank, we know that the newest step in this direction is the Draft Beer System. But we should really take it by the numbers as there are several products that will definitely make your life better and more enjoyable.
The Soda Maker
The reason why I love the soda maker is because it allows me to control how much sugar I put into my body. Notice that I said how much sugar and not that you should not have any type of sugar at all. If you are one of those people who practice 2 hours of yoga per day and who only eat vegan then you should probably now that even simple fizzy water somewhat changes the PH of your blood and thus you could argue has a negative effect.
However, I love my fizzy drinks and I aim for a balanced life where I am eliminating the extremes but do not cut everything out. I prefer to use the SodaStream system because they were the first on the market and their Cola concentrate is, in my opinion, the best. However this is not about soda makers because I suspect most of you already own one. I will, however, encourage you to try my favorite healthy “Sprite” recipe. In case you have never tasted some Sprite that has stood out in a glass for more than 24 hours so that all the fizziness is gone, let me tell you that, once the bubbles are gone, you can clearly taste the limes.
“So, what I like to do on hot summer days is to mix the juice from 2 limes with about 6 big spoonfuls of honey. Add to that a bottle of fizzy water and you will have a natural and yet delicious drink. It will not taste quite like Sprite because you are using honey and not a pound of sugar, but it will still be great.”
The Craft Cider Maker
A couple of months ago I learned about the Alchema craft cider maker. Now, they are not paying me to tell you about it, I am not sure if they have a competitor, as far as I know they do not, and I am not linking to their product, but here is a short video that will give you a better idea of what this is
Still, I need to talk about it because it is such an incredible little product. As you may have guest from what I have said about the soda maker above, I am one of those people who are crazy about drinks that you can enjoy on warm summer evening. And if you think of warm summer evenings, what else goes better with a conversation among friends than a jug of homemade cider? However the process of making cider at home is quite lengthy and messy. Or it used to be until the Alchema. With this new product all you have to do is to get the best apples money can buy, ideally pick them yourself from an open farm, wash them, chop them, and let the machine do its job. I have ordered mine, and it has not arrived yet, but the thing that I am most excited about is the fact that it seems to be able to connect to a wireless network. Having done so, it allows me to check on the status of my cider from my iPhone. Plus, the Alchema allows you control over the alcohol content of your cider so you will know which batch is safe to drink with your teenage son and which you should only save for the adults in the party.
The Draft Beer System
I am one of those people who really does not appreciate beer except when he can get it in a bar. I never thought much about it or why that was but the answer was handed down to me when I saw the last Shark Tank episode. The newest kitchen gadget to hit the market is the Fizzics Draft Beer System. You can use any type of beer you want with it and it will use sound waves to burst some of the big bubbles you would normally get in a regular can of beer, and make up a thick layer of foam. As the guys from Fizzics explained and the Sharks testified, it is that layer of foam that gives the bear the characteristic smoothness that usually you cannot get anywhere else but in a bar. Again, this is not a product I have personally tested so I am not posting any links, but it is a piece of technology that you can expect to see thoroughly reviewed here in the near future.
Meanwhile, let me encourage you to try any of these gadgets out and drop me a line on Facebook to let me know what you have thought of it. Let me promise you that, unless I get dozens and dozens of negative feedback I will eventually tryout all of these gadgets since they seem to be so extremely cool.
