Many recent food-focused initiatives bring gourmet goods to consumers’ doorsteps.
Subscription delivery services,
in-home cooking sessions, and even
digital instruction all provide housebound individuals with direct access to better eats. But the advent of new forms of portable cookware appears to be reversing this trajectory, encouraging foodies to cook outside the kitchen—whether in the backyard, in the wilderness, or simply at the office.
Bento: Brown-bag lunches are healthier and cheaper than takeout alternatives, but, taste- wise, they’re
kind of a drag. Product developers at
Vim & Vigor hope to eliminate the dry, cold monotony of bagged lunch with the
Bento steamer lunchbox. With its trio of tiered food compartments, the stackable container is reminiscent of the
tiffin carriers widely used in India. But the Bento boasts the added benefit of hidden inductive technology, which allows users to steam their food to perfection by simply adding water. The Bento is just a concept as of now, but an actualized version could encourage healthier eating by giving hungry office workers midday access to self-made hot meals.
Hexa Pot: Consumers are facing a widening landscape of
biodegradable options, and now even the most unlikely products are fair game for eco-friendly updates. The
Hexa Pot is one such example: a foldable, disposable pot made out of heat-proof, biodegradable paper. Hexa Pot’s primary purpose is to heat liquids, and campers who wish to boil food or coffee will appreciate its portability and ease of use. But the paper pot can also be used to sterilize water in the (
increasingly likely) occurrence of
natural disasters. Hexa Pot failed to meet its
Kickstarter goal by deadline, but
interest in the paper pot nonetheless inspired its creators to
set up (virtual) shop.
Portable Oven: Campers whose fancy tastes demand a certain measure of open- air
refinement will appreciate this
portable propane oven-and-stove by camping brand
Coleman. The miniature oven not only evokes fond memories of a certain
beloved toy, it also permits grander culinary variety in the great outdoors—encouraging intrepid outdoorsmen and women to venture beyond standard fire-pit fare to bake, boil or fry up dinner according to their cravings. Campsite traditionalists may never get fully on board with the appliance’s capacity to bake “up to a 12-inch pizza,” but we suspect that the promise of a fresh-baked
s’mores brownie might change a few minds.
