Egg and Muffin Toaster (Back to Basics, $49.99)
Welcome to the era that has outlawed all necessity for patience, an era where waiting for something to get done is considered a waste of time, where simultaneous activity is not only encouraged but required to keep up with everything around you.
This theory applies to everything from the corporate world to your breakfast. Back to Basics' Egg and Muffin Toaster will not solve your business dilemmas, but it can help you out with a quick and sufficient breakfast. This hyper-toaster will warm your meat, poach or hard-boil your egg and toast your bread all at the same time, making those moments before your morning caffeine much less painful and permitting you those extra ten minutes of sleep.
Beer Burglar Alarm ($14.98, www.findmeagift.com)
'Keep da hands off ma beer!' The latest from the UK, the Beer Burglar Alarm will do all of your yelling for you upon the travesty of someone eyeing your beer. The alarm is equipped with a motion sensor with a range of 30 cm. ensuring dependable protection of the beer that you paid for.
If you perceive that the potential thief is too determined to respond to mere words, simply switch the setting to siren mode, which will emit an earth-shattering noise upon attempted theft, sending the culpable running in the opposite direction.
Now, when you're ready to drink your beer, you should ...well, it doesn't say.
Sephra Chocolate Fountain ($99-$399.99, depending on size)
It may not be as popular as beer on the college campus, but in all likelihood chocolate takes a close second. The Sephra Chocolate Fountain, new on the market, adds a new dimension to the meaning of fondue. At 19 inches tall and 10.75 inches wide, the fountain can fulfil childhood dreams of immersing yourself in a surge of streaming chocolate.
Or, if you're classier than that, the fountain will be that chic enhancement to your already-cutting edge lifestyle, or the one saving grace of the dump that you call home.
Also, contrary to what its title may indicate, the Chocolate Fountain is not limited to chocolate. It will secrete five pounds of various fondues and dips.
Tassimo Hot Beverage System ($169)
A little pricey, but this so-much-more-than-a-cappuccino-maker will have you foaming at the mouth. This unique machine is capable of producing a variety of beverages, including Gevalia and Maxwell House Caf?? Collection Lattes, Gevalia and Maxwell House Espresso, Earl Grey tea and Suchard Hot Chocolate. Tassimo turned the age-old coffee making process into a technological breakthrough.
The machine operates in conjunction with beverage-specific T-Discs, which are small disc-shaped packets including the formulas for the various beverages. The machine reads the barcode of the disc, which informs the machine of the drink size, amount of water necessary, ideal temperature, and the time it takes to make it. But you don't need to know any of that. You just have to press a button. You can also adjust the strength of the drink to accommodate your tastes.
Automatic Yogurt Maker (William Sonoma, $21.99)
For those of you who actually care about your health, meaning beer and chocolate alone will not suffice, William Sonoma's Internet and catalogue-exclusive Automatic Yogurt Maker complete with glass jars makes domestic, a normally store-bought commodity.
Step 1: Pour heated milk into jars. Step 2: Add yogurt starter and self-selected flavorings or fruits into jars. Step 3: Flip the switch. Step 4: Wait six to 10 hours. Then 'bam!' (well not really, taking the wait into consideration) you're consuming natural yogurt that they swear tastes better than the store-bought stuff.
All products except the Beer Burglar Alarm can be found in major department stores across Madison.
