The Classic Spork - Reinvented

While on the shopping trip at World Market where I found the fantastic collapsible silicon funnels, I also found this little gem: two-in-one fork and spoon, a.k.a spork. This institutional standby has been redesigned into a clever utensil designed for convenience and portability. Unlike a traditional spork, which is a spoon with tines on the end of the bowl, this spork is a fork on one end and a spoon on the other. They were just $1.99 and are made of durable stainless steal. I bought two because I thought they were quite clever and wanted to try them out, but the more I think about them the more I realize they are great space savers for those with a tiny house too.

Things that I like about this spork (although it is like no spork you have ever used before) include both its solidness its space saving size, and its portability. It would be useful in a kitchen, a lunch kit, strapped to a Bento Box, or included in a picnic basket. I also think keeping a couple in my drawer at work will be convenient since I hate plastic disposable flatware. Because you wash and reuse this spork (it is dishwasher safe), it is a green alternative for those looking to help reduce the amount of trash going to our landfills. These would be a one time purchase as opposed to plastics which could possibly have BPA and/or other toxins and would eventually end up on a landfill not decomposing for 100 years or more.

As great as I think this is, there are some limitations to consider in the design of this spork. First, there really is no "handle" so your hands will touch the spoon end when using the fork end, and vice versa. You will either need to use the fork side first then wipe it off to use the spoon side, or the reverse. Second, the spoon is not really very deep. Finally, The tines on the fork are rather short.

I tried this spork out today on my Cup-o-Noodle lunch and despite its compact size it worked quite wonderfully. I am going to go and pick up four more of these to keep in my picnic basket as well as the two I already have in my desk at work. I think that once I am in my tiny house, these will come in handy there as well in the limited space of my tiny kitchen. If you are not a great gourmet and are looking for practical utensils that don't consume much real estate in small spaces, then this ingenious piece of flatware might just be something you come to love.

You can order your own at the World Market site here:
http://www.worldmarket.com/product/metal-spork.do?from=Search&cx=0

What do you think? Have you ever used a spork before? Would you find something like this handy in your kitchen?

Collapsible Silicone - Kitchen Wares of the Future Available Today

I stopped by my local World Market on my way home from work last night to pick up some tea. If you have never spent any time in World Market, you really need to go check it out. They have some very interesting things from all around the world and a great selection of kitchen goods at very reasonable prices. As I wandered up and down the aisles looking at all the do-dads and trinkets, I came across these collapsible funnels. I just knew I had to share with you, dear reader, all about them. They are part of a new trend of collapsible silicon kitchen gear. They pop out to a regular full size product and then conveniently store back down into a flat and tidy size. They were just $1.99 each, which is a fantastic value and came in a variety of colors. I chose to buy two, one green and one blue. They are dishwasher safe and can stand the heat of boiling water without issue. Silicon is also easy to clean, has no BPA, is supple, and is durable.

There is an entire line of collapsible silicon products made by Squish and Progressive International that make bulkier kitchen goods such as colanders and bowls much more convenient to store. The cost is still a little more for many of these items as you are paying what I like to call a "convenience" fee, but over time I think the costs will come down. Living in a tiny house, or even just having a small kitchen, no longer means you can not have a variety of items to cook with, it just means looking at traditional, large-foot items with a new eye.

Have you tried any collapsible or silicone kitchen wares? Share you experience below.