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Kitsch'n'Fun Football Bottle Opener
by GodfatherOfSoul
Kitsch'n'Fun Football Bottle Opener
I think I stand alongside most people when I say that one of the few things my life really doesn't need is another bottle opener. My fridge door has already lost all credibility under a sea of novelty items with a small piece of metal embedded within. Then there are the kitchen ... cupboards which are littered with a plethora of devices for snapping the small metal cap off a glass bottle.
Imagine my excitement then when I received yet another novelty bottle opener to add to my copious collection. I can't remember the offending individual responsible for such a well-thought out gift but if I could, rest assured they would already have received the Birthday present of a novelty key fob to show my gratitude.
Being the nice chap that I am though I managed to stifle a large sigh upon receipt and utter something along the lines of "Gee. Thanks! Now I finally have something to open all my bottles." - Of which, by the way, I buy very few (certainly fewer than my plenteous assemblage of bottle openers would suggest.)
>> Design
Lack of necessity aside, I have to say that this bottle opener is certainly not another cheap piece of junk. It feels very well made and certainly looks more purpose-built than many of my other specimens. It is made mostly from plastic and has a reasonable weight to it - about the weight of a medium sized apple.
It is designed in the shape of a football and bears the recognisable black and white pentagonal design. The whole thing is slightly smaller than a tennis ball at around 6.5cm in diameter and fits nicely in the palm of my hand. The back of the ball features a small flat area housing the bottle opener itself along with some magnetic blobs allowing it to perform its customary adhesion to a fridge door, or any other magnetic surface for that matter.
This is not the end of the story though. An unexpected yet pleasant surprise is that the little gadget actually has another feature up its sleeve. I refer to the noise it makes when you use it to open a bottle. When clamping this device onto a bottle top (and thus completing the metal circuit) the miniature football will emit the sound of a man shouting "Goal!" as loud as his lung capacity will allow him. However, this monosyllabic word takes him a good few seconds to articulate since what he actually shouts is "Goooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaa". Anyone familiar with Spanish football commentary will be able to relate to this vocalisation and appreciate the added syllable on the end for maximum effect.
Unfortunately, this is the only utterance he is capable of making though and it may get annoying for some after a while. However, you can easily stifle the man's exuberance by placing the ball flat on the table or back on the fridge door because the small speaker itself is hidden on the back beneath the bottle opening mechanism.
I quite enjoy the noise though and I don't open enough bottles for this to get too annoying or samey. The man also has a slight accent (perhaps he is Spanish after all!) so don't think this sound will be reminiscent of the overly vocal member of your local pub - the one that is under a constant state of inebriation and seems to exist entirely on his fruit-machine winnings.
Also worth noting is that the battery is non-replaceable however it is described as an ultra-long-life battery so you should get plenty of use out of the sound clip. I've had this for well over a year now and it still plays perfectly every time.
>> Does it work?
Short answer - Yes. I have had no problems when using this bottle opener and on each occasion it has simply been a case of gripping it onto the bottle top and pulling away from you whilst your other hand holds the bottle. The top is removed instantly alongside the clamorous cry of our friend with the one-word vocabulary.
Another handy but perhaps unintentional feature is that the bottle top will then 'stick' to the small magnets on the back of the ball. This saves it from rolling along the floor and disappearing down a rabbit hole somewhere, only to re-emerge later for you to stand on in your bare feet.
Of all the bottle openers I possess this is the only one to have this handy feature. It makes opening a bottle that much more pleasant and means that I can easily dispose of all bottle tops without having to take to my hands and knees to recapture the fleeing entity first.
>> Practicality
Bottle opening aside this football shaped gadget is also a practical little product. It will stick easily to your fridge using the small magnets on the back of the football. These are no weak sissy magnets like those that some of my other bottle openers possess. Instead, the magnetism is strong and the ball will stick convincingly to any magnetic surface whilst still being easy enough to remove again with minimal fuss.
The novelty factor also makes this product a great gadget to whip out at parties or other social gatherings. Smiles will be raised, laughs will be had and more importantly, bottles will be opened!
Because of its size, shape and design you may be tempted into thinking that this is an ideal bottle opener to throw across the room to the next person in need of liquid sustenance. However, the plastic football is exactly that - plastic. It is quite hard and is probably not suitable for a game of semi-drunken throw and catch. I would therefore not recommend you test the catching skills of your guests unless you have the name of an emergency glazier on hand or are desperate to open a few personal injury lawsuits. Remember, where there's blame, there's a claim!
>> Price and Availability
You can currently pick up this particular bottle opener from amazon.co.uk for the price of £4.85. If football isn't your cup of tea (or bottle of ale) then there are many other sporting designs from the same brand. These include a golf ball, a tennis ball, a rugby ball, a racing helmet, a dartboard, a fishing rod reel and a cricket ball. Howzat for a selection? I cannot vouch for the quality of these alternatives myself but I would imagine they will be similar to the product reviewed here given that they are all from the wonderfully named Kitsch 'n' Fun brand.
>> Do I recommend it?
Yes. All in all, this is a very good bottle opener and one that I can definitely recommend. It is a fun and novelty product but is also very proficient at opening bottles, unlike so many I have experienced in the past. It would also make a great Secret Santa gift even if the recipient isn't immediately grateful (!)
With a lot of competition it is no mean feat that this little gadget is now one of the most used bottle openers in my household; a feat achieved through its consistent effectiveness and fun factor. It's definitely one for the social occasions as well, where you will have all your guests smiling as they use it, football fan or not. Just remember not to chance fate though by testing the catching ability of your fellow party goers. Because nothing says party's over like a broken window or a concussion.
Thanks for reading :)
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Maglite Boxed Mini Mag AA Torch
by January
I have had my mini maglite for around three years now it is a metalic blue colour there are a few colours to chose from and I carry mine in my handbag. It cost me £19.99 from a local store called Sheppards which sells hardware and houshold goods. But you can find them at most camping outlet stores and online.
The mini maglite ... is 162mm x 18mm and comes in a nice box that protects it from knocks, I don't keep it in the box as it is quite capable of getting knocked about in my handbag and so far I have not had to replace any of the parts due to damage, I have replaced the bulb in the three years I have owned this but that was just due to the usage it gets.
The top of the maglite twists so that you can turn it on and off, this also can give you a wide beam or a more direct beam depending on what you are using your torch for. I have it on direct beam which is a thin line of light so that I can see the lock on my house and car doors int he dark.
I also use this for walking the dog at night so I can see him and the cars can see me on the country lanes whilst I'm walking.
It isn't a heavy torch and weights just 108 grams so its light and useful, it comes in a few colours, black, silver, blue, red and white so there's something for everyone's taste.
It takes two AA batteries which can last you up to 6 hours of light. It is shock proof and this I have to agree with as I have dropped mine a few times from my bag and it hasn't broken.
I really rate the maglite range as if your looking for a long lasting torch then these are great for all kinds of uses and you can get them in different sizes, this mini torch is great for taking around with you in your bag and it makes a good birthday or christmas present for both boys and girls.
You can buy replacement parts if you need them and my mini maglite came with a replacement bulb in the box when I bought it.
You can twist the head of the torch right off and have it as a candle light effect of your in a tent and are looking for something or want to read by the light of the torch.
I am happy with my purchase and would recommend this to you if your looking to buy a good torch.
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Farringdon Cooling Rack
by edithcat
I have a few different cooling racks in my home and some of them I have had for many years, some of them are newer. I have 4 in total which are large and one smaller one. They are all metal and I wouldn't be without them. Because I use them a lot.
One of the better ones I have though is the Farrigdon Cooling Rack and I bought ... this from the Internet for only £4 which I thought was a very fair price to pay because it is a lovely quality and very well made. I like to do a lot of my own baking such as pies and cakes and biscuits and when my granddaughter comes to my house this is one of the things we both like to do together. I teach her to bake just like I did with her mother and her uncle.
The only thing that annoys me about my rack is that when I pop the cakes out onto it if they are too hot and straight from the oven, is that they get those little slat marks on them as the cakes cool down. I know this cannot be helped but it does annoy. If I ice the cakes however, this isn't a problem. This is the same with all of the racks I have, even my Farringdon one.
All of my cooling racks are such a good idea because without them the cakes and biscuits would not be able to get the air to circulate around the hot cooked food as the rack allows them to cool down much quicker than they would had I just left them in their tin to cool down naturally.
They are all easy to wash and I even use Brillo pads on mine when they get really encrusted and this hasn't damaged them at all over the years. My Farringdon Cooling Rack seems to be lasting a lot longer than any of my other racks are and it is looking as good today as when I first bought it. I also fiind that my Farringdon Cooling Rack seems to wash cleaner and better and much more easily than my other racks do and I find that cakes and other baking items do not tend to stick to the rack so much as the other ones do. My daughter also owns a Farringdon Cooling Rack and she puts hers in the dishwasher but I don't have a dishwasher so I do not know how well they clean up. I prefer to wash mine over the sink in hot soapy water. It has small metallic feet on the bottom of them which allows the rack to stand proud of the bench allows the air to properly circulate around the food.
Farringdon Cooling Racks are very handy things to have in your kitchen and I recommend them to you, especially over the other makes and certainly more so than a rounded cooling rack, whcih I personally find a bit of a nuisance.
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