EDITOR’S NOTE (UPDATED): If you recall, peeps, we said last week that we would be updating our Gift Guide, so hey look, the Gift Guide got updated!
More cool stuff for you and yours.
Okay, so as we mentioned, there was Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday, and then came Cyber Monday. Pretty soon, every day will just be Buyday up until Christmas.
With that in mind, and knowing your taste for the unique, we’ve curated a new shopping list of some pretty sweet items that are equally cool and equally useful.
As we’ve mentioned here before, everyone from Amazon to FedEx to DHL, et cetera, will deliver that gift you’re looking at this morning, to your giftee by dinner tomorrow. Shop on.
Bring on the Boil
The holidays are all about food—the sharing, the cooking, the serving, the eating. But we get it. The eating is really the only part that you’re interested in. We get that.
But how about this idea?
You contact Topsail Steamer, and the next day a large box arrives. And the clock starts. In the box is a large steel pot, and that pot is filled with everything you might want or need for a serious seafood extravaganza—lobster tails, king crab legs, oysters, clams, sweet bliss potatoes, scallops, and corn.
It’s all fresh. You have 24 hours to cook it.
So, just put a couple of cups of water into the steel pot, take the ingredients out of their wrapping, stack them in the pot per the instructions, and set the pot on the range. In about 40 minutes, take the pot off the heat, drain the remaining water, and then empty the pot right onto the heavyweight paper tablecloth they’ve already provided.
Dig in. It’s that simple.
And the food cooks perfectly, as you can see. You can order a steamer pot to serve 2-4, or serve 6-8. We did the 2-4, and I took home a lot of crab legs.
Slave over a turkey, or just toss the dinner right onto the table. That’s what we did. And it was awesome.
Grab your pot at topsailsteamer.com.
Because Coffee
How about some coffee on Christmas morning? Or while you’re watching the Rose Parade? And if it’s a special day, try some special coffee. Kahawa 1893 is as coffee as coffee gets. “Kahawa” is Swahili for coffee. According to their website, coffee can be traced back to ancient forests in Ethiopia, but coffee had to travel around the world before it eventually made its way back to Africa in the late 1800s.
Margaret Myamumbo’s grandfather was a driver for the colonial government many decades ago, and managed to get his hands on some seedlings to start his own coffee farm.
“Growing up in a community of coffee farmers,” says Myamumbo, “ I witnessed the inequalities within the coffee industry — women provided 90% of the labor, but didn’t own land.”
After studying in the US, she “returned home with some ideas on how to bring Kenyan coffee to the world in a way that benefits our women farmers the most.”
Now, Kahawa 1893 is a collection of small farms growing and harvesting some of the finest coffees in the world, back in coffee’s original home. The coffees range from light, medium, and dark roast, in various combinations, including espresso, along with K-Cup pods and a host of coffee bundles.
They sent us enough of their delicious blends to last us until summer. I’m sure we’ll be contacting them when Fathers’ Day comes around.
Brew it up right here.
How Much More Remarkable Can it Get?
We’ve loved the Remarkable Tablet since the first time we laid our online eyes at it. To our happy astonishment, it’s been made even better than the device we first crushed on a few years back.
Enter the Remarkable Paper Pro, designed to totally simulate the paper writing experience. And it does. When this arrived, to our glee, we put everything aside, turned down the music, carefully opened the box, and then got lost in focused work for hours.
This is “paper with digital powers,” as the Remarkable people put it. There are nine writing tools with multiple templates, to create and edit documents which you can resize, undo, cut, copy and paste, of course.
But the Paper Pro also features a Canvas Color display, with nine distinct colors, which you can also blend, like the artist you are, to create your own range of distinct colors.
There’s an adjustable reading light to accommodate the whole range of reading and work situations, ease eye strain and prevent you from keeping your partner awake as you brainstorm your latest masterpiece, or really well-designed grocery shopping list.
Like your home computer or phone, there are also folders that you can tag and search, along with a Remarkable app, so you can sync up everything to everything, and find that doc in an instant.
And when you’re done composing, the Remarkable converts your handwritten notes into typed text, with just one tap.
The first Remarkable device changed the writing tablet landscape. The Paper Pro is more like an ingenious Tsunami of smarts and intuitive creativity that totally frees you from online distractions, keeping you focused, while making you and your work look great.
You can be remarkable right here.
Sitting Pretty (and Comfortably) While You Work
When we were first approached to feature this chair, we jumped out of our Herman Miller Aeron chair in anticipation. Like a lot of workers who sit all day on and off, we spend too much time and energy hoping to eventually find the perfect chairFor at least ten years, that chair for us was the classic Herman Miller Aeron. Teamed with a Purple Royal seat cushion, we bounced along happily. But not long after we got the chair, the gas cartridge—which controls the height—gave out. A friend’s offer to replace the cartridge failed miserably, and a couple more pillows took the place of an automatic height adjustment.
For me, being tall, that height adjustment was everything. I couldn’t wait for the Hinomi chair.
The X1 arrived in a sizable heavy box. It turned out the weight was mostly the sturdy four-wheeled stand. Once all the parts were taken out of the box and laid out for assembly, it all made sense.
Assembly took about 45 minutes, and though some of the connections were unique, Hinomi (short for “highly ergonomic”) also included a nifty shiny, clear box which contained spare parts, as well as the proprietary tool we would need for assembly.
Once we rolled the completed chair into position at our desk, the world’s troubles also rolled away and somewhere, office angels were singing. The chair (which we also paired with a Purple Royal seat cushion) was immediately comfortable with only a bit of adjustment.
But speaking of adjustment, the chair is infinitely adjustable, as it not only rocks back and forth on its seat, the backrest will also go back as you lean. A leg extension is tucked discreetly underneath the front edge of the seat to provide even more stretched-out luxury.
The chair’s arms also move back and forward and out of your way if you need the lap room, while the head rest as well as the back and seat itself is constructed of a unique patented mesh. Way comfortable.
Even when reclining and using a mobile device, the vertical tilt feature (front-end 30º tilt and back-end 15º tilt) ensures continued support for your arms and shoulders.
And as our friends at Hinomi reminded us, the chair also supports your posture, reduces neck strain, improves blood circulation, and relieves pressure on the hips.
Most remarkable perhaps, is the unique four-part adjustable back and lumbar support, which envelops you as you sit. The backrest can also be raised and lowered.
The armrests are also uniquely adjustable depending on your task. (We moved them aside as we played guitar in our off hours.) In fact, just about everything is adjustable on the Hinomi chair, from seat height to the lumbar support, to provide a perfect supportive fit while you work.
And we are sitting in it right now.
Want more info? Get comfy at www.hinomi.co.
Show up Looking Ready
Who knows sunglasses better than first responders? Wherever a situation calls for a cop or firefighter, nine times out of ten, they’re rocking some serious shades.
Coronado firefighter Mike Ettenberg was a sunglasses guy, but given the nature of his work, those designer shades got scratched, cracked, broken, and lost. Imagine his frustration
He saved $5,000 in the summer of 2021, filed for a trademark, built a website, and launched Frontline Optics with just 300 pairs.
Word of mouth began to spread like you-know-what, and Frontline Optics was growing. By October of 2022, he made the decision to leave the fire service to support his new venture.
His affordable and durable sunglasses have been getting a lot of usage around this office and in the field ever since.
And even cooler, every pair is backed by a no-questions-asked replacement program for lost or damaged glasses.
Mike still works as an instructor for a local Paramedic and EMT program to help train the next generation of First Responders, and, even better, 5% of Front Line revenue supports the First Responders Children’s Foundation.
Personally, we like the Pomona Guardian. You can choose your favorite right here.
Let’s Get Loud
Everyone loves it loud. At least until they don’t. But Christmas morning should rock.
This sleek combination from Tuefel and the legendary Fender company in a heavy-duty Bluetooth stereo speaker, seriously brings the noise, in the very best way.
The Fender x Teufel Rockster Cross combines innovative audio technology with Fender’s iconic retro design complete with guitar strap. This baby straddles the border between easy-to-carry and powerful true stereo sound and comes full of audio technology.
You can even pair two Fender x Teufel Rockster Crosses using Bluetooth for simultaneous playback at even higher volumes.
It features intuitive buttons for key functions, as well as a set of LEDs on the back to display the battery status.
On the floor or on a table, just tip it back to project the sound out across the horizon. Or leave it on a shelf until the whole house is rocking.
The Fender®x Teufel™ Rockster Cross is available at Amazon.com.
See The Power, Be the Power
Full disclosure: we love these things. We try to feature one in every guide every year. Now ubiquitous, portable power stations are the perfect answer to emergency or not-so-emergency power needs.
The Grecell T-300, is a compact and versatile energy solution for outdoor adventures, travel, and emergencies. With a 288Wh capacity and 330W output, it powers your laptops, phones, lights, and everything you brought into the wilderness, or your garage.
Enhanced with advanced safety features and rapid charging capabilities, it can charge up to eight devices simultaneously. Rechargeable via AC, solar panel, or car outlet, it’s the perfect companion for any journey, or workshop or office or studio, or car or home, or boat. You get the idea.
Power up right here.
Get Your Chocolate On
Chocolate is such a great gift for any occasion. Whether it’s a chocolate skyscraper from some luxury conglomerate, or a small, boutique shop making chocolate in small batches by hand. Like Monsoon Chocolate in Tucson, Arizona, of all places.
The company works directly with farm workers who grow, harvest, ferment, and dry their cacao, purchased from suppliers all over the world, and then process the cacao “as minimally as possible to reveal the beautiful and complex flavors inherent in the beans,” we’ve learned.
Small batches are made in a former tortilla factory building in the historic Santa Rita Park neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona, using cocoa beans from all over the world.
Among the numerous chocolate delights that we sampled this year was the Rincon Collection. Named for the Rincon Mountains to the east of the factory, the collection features agave-based spirits and flavors characteristic of the Sonora Desert, where the company is based.
The yummy bonbons included Mesquite White Chocolate, Mezcal Caramel, Chiltepín Caramel, and Reposado Sweet Orange Margarita, and yeah, all pretty much as delicious as they sound. We also tasted their Cashew Brittle with dark chocolate, their dark chocolate Sonoran Sea Salt, and their Peppermint Bark, a blend of white and dark chocolate, topped with crumbled peppermint bits.
Thinking about chocolate? Maybe think about the desert.
More yum is available at monsoonchocolate.com.
Planking It
Need a quick workout spot and don’t have the wallet for a full home gym? No problem. Express your minimalistic nature with the Plankpad Pro, Studio, or Kids fitness device. The Pro plank provides games and workouts on your smartphone or tablet, and despite its convenient size, works to train your whole body. Planking can help get you in shape, lose fat and gain muscles, perhaps even prevent back pain.
The nature of the plank exercise strengthens the entire body. Arms, shoulders, back, abs, glutes and legs are trained simultaneously.
Plankpad comes with a synchronized app, thus the movements you perform, control the games and workouts. The Plankpad can, according to the makers, also be used as a basic balance board for working your lower muscles out, increasing your body balance, better motor coordination, faster reaction time, and increased stability.
Work it out at plankpad.com.
Let’s Get Mozy
The day might begin sunny, but when you’re at the Rose Bowl come New Year’s Day to watch the Yet to be Named battle it out against the other Yet to be Named, the temperature will drop as soon as the sun does.
We understand, of course, that it’s really only California cold, but that’s cold enough for you. You reach for mittens and a scarf when the temperature sinks below 68.
And that’s OK. A company called Mozy just might have your number.
The “Mozy” is a skirt-like thermal wrap. It fits around your lower body with a patented warmth technology that’s scientifically tested, say the makers, to keep you 500% warmer than a stadium blanket. Apparently developed by an engineer named “Charlie,” who got tired of sitting in freezing bleacher seats to watch his kids’ soccer games, and having to run to the car heater every 30 minutes.
Mozy’s design utilizes the principles of heat transfer and thermodynamics to seal in your body heat, preventing convective heat loss, the process of cold air molecules replacing warm air molecules nearest the skin’s surface.
Mozy prevents this as its technology doesn’t allow for the molecular transfer of cold molecules, therefore sealing in your own warm air molecules.
It’s constructed with a nylon exterior and a fleece lining, to keep peeps dry and warm. You’ll sit comfortably all game or concert long, and the warmth is fully adjustable for changing temperatures.
You can warm it up at Getthemozy.com
Espresso Yourself Wherever You Are
Light at just over a pound, you can take the travel-sized-shaped OutIn Espresso Machine anywhere for a quick, hot espresso. One tap, and you’ll be brewing coffee with a bottle-sized OutIn at home, in your office, or your car or boat.
It heats up in just over three minutes, eventually reaching 198°F. That’s hot.
The 7500 mAh Battery will make five cold water brews or more than 200 hot water brews with its rechargeable battery. The machine also features universal charging, and you can recharge this little dynamo back up with a 12V or 24V Car Charger, or a basic USB Charger.
Now, a lot of coffee machines only support brewing with hot water, so you have to have another bottle of hot water on hand, or start a fire for your coffee, if you’re out in the pretty great outdoors. The OutIn heating blade heats up a half-quart of cold water to 198°F, in just 3 minutes! OutIn takes care of all the temperature settings and timing for you.
The two-in-one brewer is also compatible with either ground coffee or coffee capsules. Currently brewing at outin.com.
Coffee in A Tube? Of Course.
And speaking of coffee when you need it: There you are in the wilderness of the Angeles National Forest some sleepy morning, and you’re jonesing for a mug of deep, dark joe, but you didn’t invite a barista along on your weekend camping adventure with your book club.
Maybe you’re not quite awake enough to actually start a fire and begin the coffee process yourself, but some over-achiever in your posse has already lit the morning campfire, and you at least have hot water.
Now what?
Maybe if only you could just squeeze a spoonful of sweetened, dark roast coffee into that boiling water, from a tube, and stir it up?
That would be crazy. Why, yes it is.
But that’s what No Normal coffee is—a dark roast, presweetened coffee paste that squeezes onto a spoon and then into your cup of boiling water. (The website also shows the paste being squeezed onto a slice of bread. We’re gonna pass on that action.)
But we tried it at home, and it tasted like coffee. It’s certainly convenient enough, and takes up very little room in your backpack .
Pack up some of those creamer packets from the office, and this could actually be a thing.
We’ve been around the block, and then across the street, and down to the corner and then down a few more blocks, and we know coffee.
This Swiss-made coffee crafted from 100% Fair trade Arabica beans and sweetened with organic Swiss beet sugar, makes a pretty satisfying cup of java, whether you make it in your kitchen, or alongside a still lake at the foot of a mountain range.
Just don’t brush your teeth with it.
Each tube makes 20 cups of coffee, and has up to a 12 month shelf life.
You can percolate it at nonormal.com.
Not Just a Pepper Mill
Black Rain’s precision-crafted pepper mill brings professional-grade seasoning to your kitchen table.
Black Rain’s mills meld functionality with a touch of flair.
You can easily stir, toss, or mix with one hand while grinding with the other, as the ergonomic design keeps you in full control. Its precise settings ensure the perfect grind every time, with easy adjustments. The built-in LED light also helps you see exactly how much seasoning you’re adding, so you get perfect results every time—even in low, romantic light. Ahem.
Get your pepper on at Blackrainpepper.com.
