PlanetBox

Are you the carting-food-to-work sort of person? Do your kids take lunch to school? Would you like a food-transportation device that's both a container and a serving vessel?

Well, maybe you'd like PlanetBox.

It's not a box to put your planets in (not even poor downgraded Pluto) but instead it's metal compartmented tray that fits into a cute little carrier. It comes with a couple of metal tins for things that should go into tins, and there are magnets included to decorate the top lid of the tray.

The carrier has a couple of places where you could carry extra things, like a water bottle, extra napkins or wet-wipes or whatever else you need to bring along. And the carrier comes in a whole bunch of colors.

At first glance, I thought the tray looked a little small for an adult lunch, but on closer inspection, it's probably sized pretty well. One compartment would snugly hold a sandwich. Note: I don't buy commercial bread, so I'm not sure how snug. Pretty snug.

And then there are the other compartments. And you could use the front pocket for a thermos with soup or a banana or apple You could tuck in a single-serving pack of chips. And then there are the little containers for cole slaw, dipping sauce ... whatever it is you bring for lunch. And there's spare space in the carrying case, so you could tuck in a magazine or something. An extra bag of chips. Sorry, I'm a little peckish and chips sound sort of good at the moment.

And since space is a little limited, it would be good for portion control. I mean, even if you're eating at home, you could make the sandwich, add a small portion of chips, a few pickles, a salad ... and when lunch time comes, you've got it all ready to go.

It would be cute for kids, too. Just fill it with less stuff, right?

The bags come in different colors, so everyone in the family could have a different one, making it easy to tell who gets the sushi and who gets the turkey sandwich.

Who's it for: Mostly for people who bring lunch to work or school. Could be fun for picnics, too.

Pros: Dishwasher safe tray. Nice tote for carrying.

Cons: The tray might be a tiny bit small for adults with big appetites.

Wishes: A place to store clean and dirty silverware would be nice. And it would be sort of cool if it come with a variety of magnets, so kids could decorate in different ways on different days.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.

Cherry Blossom collection from Charles Viancin

Let's face it, cherry blossoms are pretty. Charles Viancin has created a set of cherry-blossom-themed silicone covers (for bowls and such) as well as some cute bottle stoppers in the same design.

While these evoke spring, they'll work just as well in summer. And, hey, when winter comes along you can pretend they're poinsettias.

Of course, if you're using them in the kitchen for cooking and storing, it doesn't matter if they match the season or not, right? You might want a bit of springtime in the midst of winter.

But here's the thing. They aren't just decorative - they're functional. For the covers, the protruding bit in the center of the flower makes a nice handle. And there's a hole for hanging the covers, should you want to do that.

Since these are made from silicone, they're flexible, heat resistant, dishwasher safe, and microwave safe. Like other covers of this type, they create a bit of a vacuum seal on bowls, but they remove easily when you grab an edge.

The small covers would be lovely for outdoor dining, to cover drinks.

Who's it for: People who have bowls and things to cover.

Pros: Pretty. Useful.

Cons: Sort of seasonal.

Wishes: None really.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.

Red Cup Shot Glasses

You know those big red plastic cups that tend to show up at casual barbecues and parties? Well, apparently they're not just inexpensive drinkware, but they've become a "thing." There are a whole bunch of other products dedicated to the look of that classic red cup.

One item that I thought would make a useful gift rather than just a haha-funny grab bag gift was the Red Cup Shot Glasses.

Of course you can use them as shot glasses, but if you don't often serve shots, then they'd be great for individual condiments, flavored butters, sauces, soup shooters, tasters, mise en place, tiny desserts, or for when you want to give your guests some extra stuff that they can add to their own plate.

For being a fun item, these are solid, dishwasher safe, and they stack fairly well for storage. They actually look higher-end than the cups they represent. And let's face it, they look cute.

I doubt I'll ever use mine for shots, but I'll definitely be using them.

Who's it for: People with a sense of humor who like fun and casual serving pieces. These won't match with that heirloom crystal all that well.

Pros: Fun gift item that's actually useful. Comes in a decent box for easy wrapping.

Cons: Possibly too simple as a stand-alone gift.

Wishes: While the red cup is a thing, they'd be fun in a multi-color set.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.

Kyocera Dual Grinder

I use fresh ground pepper exclusively. Although I might have an ancient can of pre-ground stuff stuck in the back of a cabinet somewhere, I never use it. I have a couple of different grinders for different purposes.

The one thing I never saw a major need for was a salt grinder. I have a few, and they look cool. They're fun on the table. Maybe for a finishing salt when you want a rougher texture.

But in the end, it's just plain white salt that you're grinding - and salt doesn't get stale like pepper does, so "freshly ground salt" doesn't make a bit of difference if you're cooking with it.

But when Kyocera offered me their dual grinder to test, I thought I'd give it a shot. Or a grind, I guess.

I filled it with black peppercorns and I raided a couple other grinders for coarse white salt.

And then I read the instructions. Woah. This is something to re-think. Because the grinding mechanisms are ceramic rather than metal, you can use this for "wetter" salts as well as regular salt. And you can use it for spices other than pepper, if that amuses you.

This is a game-changer.

Okay, it's not the most earthshaking thing on the planet, but after I read the instructions, I dumped the white salt back into the original grinders, and I dug out a jar of a gray coarse salt that has been languishing in my pantry. It was a little too coarse for most uses, and too wet for a grinder with a metal mechanism.

Not only does the grinder look cooler with the pebbly gray salt in it, it means I'm actually going to use that goofy salt. And for folks who like the idea that the gray, pink, red, black, and other salts carry minerals that pure white salt doesn't have - well, here's a way to use it more often.

Not only could I use this grinder for salt and pepper, but I could use it for two different salts (gray and pink, maybe) or for black pepper on one side and white pepper on the other. Or, if you have other spices or spice mixes that you like to grind, this could be ideal.

Oh yeah, and the grind size is adjustable, there are caps on both ends so nothing's going to get messy, and it's easy to fill.

It has a pretty design so it would look good on a dining room table (without being pretentious) and it looks sturdy and easy to clean, which means it's great for the kitchen.

Who's it for: People who use salt and pepper. Okay, fine, people who use salt, pepper, or other spices and who are looking for a nice grinder.

Pros: Nice design, easy to use and keep clean, works well, can be used for "wet" salts and for spices other than salt and pepper.

Cons: It's not huuuuge, so if you grind vasts amounts of stuff, this isn't what you're looking for. However, for normal cooking and table use, it's plenty big.

Wishes: Not really a wish for the product, but I'm going to take a hard look at the grinders I use and maybe buy one or two more of these transfer some spices into dual grinders. We'll see.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.

More info: You can find Kyocera one Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

The Ripple - a bowl and plate combo

I am most likely not the right demographic for The Ripple, since I don't have kids and I usually eat at the table.

Okay, I might slurp a peach over the kitchen sink, or I might sneak some chips while I'm watching TV. But for the most part, I don't need to be portable with my food.

But I can see how this would be useful. The bowl and the plate connect, and there's a handle on the bowl - so you can carry both the bowl and the plate with one hand.

The bowl is pretty big, from a soup-serving standpoint, so reasonably-coordinated kids could probably manage to carry soup and a sandwich without making a mess. The bowl is lifted far enough above the bowl that a lot of the plate surface is usable.

The large bowl size would also be nice for large salad to go with the sandwich.

While this probably wouldn't be your first choice for an elegant party, it would be fine for a casual gathering or an outdoor gathering where plastic makes sense.

This product got its start from Kickstarter funding, so it's obviously got a market waiting for it.

Who's it for: People who need one-handed plate-and-bowl carrying.

Pros: Unbreakable and practical. Child-friendly. Microwave and dishwasher safe.

Cons: It has a child-like vibe. While it could be useful for adult gatherings, the look might keep it at the kids' table.

Wishes: I think this would be more useful with a smaller bowl to hold dip, salsa, condiments, toppings ... perhaps interchangeable bowls of different sizes.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.