I reject that old joke that goes, “How do you know the toothbrush was invented in Tennessee? Because otherwise, they’d have called it a TEETHbrush.” Aspersions against my home state aside, I’ve been blessed by some pretty good chompers with only one tiny cavity in 40+ years. So I was intrigued when I was offered the chance to try out the BESTEK Sonic Electronic Toothbrush. Follow along to see what I discovered.
In my decade-long career as a food, drink and travel writer, I’ve learned to really appreciate the value of versatile, intelligently designed travel clothing. Believe me, I’ve tried all sorts of potential solutions before I settled on my new go-to brand, Bluffworks.
Between college bowl games plus the NFL season entering the home stretch, it’s prime tailgating season! Cooking outdoors can be problematic in winter, so you need smart convenient solutions. The innovative Gizzo Portable BBQ Grill could just be the answer.
Memorial Day has become regarded as the unofficial kick-off of summer, and with that distinction, the beginning of outdoor grilling season. If you’re a fan of barbecue or low-and-slow cooking in general, temperature control is vitally important to your efforts’ success. I’ve recently discovered an extremely useful tool that has upped my barbecue game, the Flame Boss 300.
As much fun as this looks, a garden torch probably isn’t the safest and best way to light a barbecue grill. I have used a torch hooked up to a propane tank in the past, but despite my friend’s enthusiasm in this photo, I’ve found a better way: The Bison Airlighter 420. Here’s why The Bison is a significant improvement.
The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association represents a global array of businesses that make their living selling products that depend on fire. I was lucky enough to score a pass to visit the expo for two days when the association’s annual convention came to Nashville, and I discovered that the industry is continuously innovating, especially when it comes to outdoor cooking.
Right off the bat, let me admit that there are occasionally review opportunities that I’m predisposed to be a fan of. As a food, drink, travel and tech writer, I often receive invitations to sample items and experiences that I know going in will probably be pretty bad-ass, or pretty bad.
I have often found myself guilty of being “penny-wise and pound-foolish,” that is, in order to save a buck here and there, I’ve put something much more expensive at risk. An example of this has been the way that I secure my road bike when I park it outdoors either at home or downtown when I’m running an errand.
If you’ve visited a large city any time lately, you’ve probably encountered racks of public bicycles available for short-term rentals by tourists and urban residents alike. Where I live here in Nashville, our B-Cycles are red and scattered at dozens of stations around town.
Finally, the weather has warmed up enough where we can officially declare the beginning of grilling season, and with it a plethora of new BBQ tools and gadgets to try out. I recently experimented with a new device that purports to get you grilling even faster, The BBQ Dragon; read along to see if it lives up to the hype.
When the temperature dips below freezing, it takes a lot for me to want to take my road bike out for a ride. Motivation can come in the form of variety, like a new route I’ve never ridden or the need to improve my fitness, because I ate everything over the holidays. The Magellan Cyclo 505hc provides me with both!
Cheesemaking is a science, and it’s an art at the same time. Unlike home brewing or even winemaking at home, cheesemaking is probably not something you’ve ever considered taking on yourself. But with the Creamery in a Box Cheesemaking Starter Kit from Northern Brewer, you can easily acquire all the tools and techniques to learn your way around the whey.
Being a real barbecue enthusiast, I have both a gas grill and a couple of charcoal burners. One of the bummers about cooking with gas it that it’s difficult to add real smoke flavor to the meats you cook. A new product called The Ribalizer aims to help make that a little easier for fans of propane gas grill cooking.
I can tell you from personal experience, it’s tough getting old. As I approach 50, I often find myself in low-light situations where there is just no way to read the small fonts on menus. In my full-time gig as a food writer, that can be a real problem. Fortunately, the Tip’N Split calculator and lighted magnifier offers a solution. I’m not a big fan of “unitasker” tools in the kitchen or in the rest of my life. I look for versatility in gadgets before I’ll dedicate any of the precious space in my kitchen drawers or my already overstuffed…
![Logitech® protection [+] power Case for iPhone Keeps You Charging](https://geardiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Logitech1.jpg "Logitech® protection [+] power Case for iPhone Keeps You Charging 20")
Life is stressful enough without worrying about your beloved iPhone running out of juice. I have a friend who gets twitchy whenever his power meter falls below 50%. If he was a better friend, I’d give him my Logitech® protection [+] power case, but I like it so much I’m selfishly keeping it for myself.
One of the problems I used to encounter when I worked in a real office instead of from home was getting busted for sneaking out to play a round of golf. That glove hanging out of my pocket was a dead giveaway. I wish I’d known about OGIO’s new line of golf shoes back then, particularly the City Turf Shoe. I’m already a big fan of OGIO’s gear with several of their backpacks and my golf bag prominently featuring their name. I bought their golf bag because I didn’t want to associate my mediocre golf game with any particular club…
Of course a real golf pro in your pocket would interfere with your swing, but the new Blast Golf product is the latest addition to Blast Motion’s suite of sports and active life motion capture solutions that pair with your iPhone to deliver real-time motion metrics and smart video capture. Attach the Blast Motion precision motion sensor and go play! The sensor itself is the size of a quarter and weighs less than an ounce, but paired with your iPhone and the Blast Golf app data about your putting and swings is transferred via Bluetooth and can even be overlayed…
When selecting a messenger bag, especially to actually use on a bicycle like they were originally intended for, balance is everything. It’s important to maintain a proper balance between being big enough to hold your stuff and not too bulky to ride with. And the actual balance of the payload is critical. The Altego Lunar Mirror Messenger has it all!
If you’re like me, you probably don’t treat that pair of scissors in your kitchen junk drawer very well. At best, you keep an extra set that you abuse by cutting wire, chicken bones, blister pack or heavy cardboard boxes, and they just continue to get duller and duller over time. With Smart Sizzors, now you’ll only need one pair!
Most Gear Diary readers probably don’t know, but my regular day gig is as a food and drink writer for online and print media outlets. Through that job, I am lucky enough to sample many different wines and spirits. But sometimes it’s difficult to detect the subtle nuances of spirits. Well, it was difficult until I discovered the NEAT glass.
As the resident Gear Diary bicyclist, I usually get the first crack at investigating bike gear. Since I live and bike in an urban environment, flat tires are an unfortunate frequent reality of my cycling experience. That’s why I was excited to hear about the new Patchnride bicycle flat repair kit that promises quick and easy emergency rescues from flats.