5 Portable Food Gadgets Tested By Design Expert | Well Equipped | Epicurious
Design and usability guru Dan Formosa returns for another episode of Well Equipped, this time reviewing 5 kitchen gadgets you can take with you on the go. Watch as he tests each device and assesses them for effectiveness and usability, commenting on what works, what doesn't, and how he would improve their design with a few tweaks.
Shop for the products Dan reviews in this episode!
Outlery, Reusable Cutlery & Chopsticks fave.co/3VIioxC
Ori-kit, Origami-Based Foldable Kitchen Tools amzn.to/3VOxGkj
Mini Bag Sealer, Handheld Heat Vacuum Sealer amzn.to/3OVHaYR
Heinz Ketchup Packet Roller amzn.to/3XStwKo
CRUNCHCUP A Portable Cereal Cup amzn.to/3FnjA4n
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Producer/Director: Jen Osaki
Talent: Dan Formosa
Editor: Brendan Day
Sr. Culinary Director: Kelly Janke
Culinary Producer: Stevie Steward
Culinary Assistant: Leslie Raney
Line Producer: Jennifer McGinty
Associate Producer: Sam Ghee
Production Manager: Janine Dispensa
Production Coordinator: Elizabeth Hymes
Camera Operator: Eric Brouse
Assistant Camera: Dave Castellano
Production Assistant: Rafael Vasquez
Audio: Rebecca O’Neill
Post Production Supervisor: Andrea Farr
Post Production Coordinator: Scott Alter
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araújo
Assistant Editor: Diego Rentsch
Junior Editor: JC Scruggs
Graphics Supervisor: Léa Donenberg
0:00 Portable Kitchen Gadgets
0:31 Packet Squeezer
4:22 Crunch Cup
8:12 Bag Slicer And Resealer
13:14 Ori-Kit
17:30 Pocket-Size Cutlery And Chopsticks
22:37 Final Thoughts
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I love how Dan added the waist bag to his wardrobe to let us all know he really means business about being on the go.
it gives me anxiety waiting for him to spill something on that white bag... I'm amazed he got through the ketchup without a single mark
@@darkylinky288 he's a real professional
Fanny pack*
Bum bag*
Must be trending in the designer community i know im a designer and have worn one for years and at the design school i attended so many people wore bags like that or other cross body bags i know i personally own 10 or more
I feel like the crunch cup would be vastly improved if there was a button you could press to allow the milk to come out that way you can have more control over the milk/cereal ratio
Very smart
I was thinking the same. My contigo coffee cup has a button opposite the spout that you just hold down while sipping
@@jewpackoshur711 o ye I love that cup. I could see that working.
Several other reviews of that product agree with you.
I was thinking instead of a button, the milk bottle would be squeezable like those Gatorade bottles, which give the same control while reducing complexity.
A camping episode would be great! The Camping industry has a ton of “unnecessary” stuff like this and I love the idea of Dan hanging out in front of a camper in the woods, crackin jokes.
The Ori-Kit seems like it was designed for camping.
As a person with a hand that doesnt always work right or grip things well i REALLY appreciate the left handed oil test. this is the only place i have seen that done and it is nice to know that there is someone out there that thinks of this when testing things, even if the things suck! thank you!
I was super unsurprised when I found out he’d done a ton of design work for Oxo Good Grips - they’re so much better for my not-great hands than any other kitchen brand. It’s really refreshing to have a youtube series that centres disabled people’s needs!
@@HirathaYT OXO GG are BEST kitchen utensils/device, hands down
Bag sealer is great for places with high humidity where chips and cheese curls get stale quickly. I also pop them in ziplocks.
But the use of a zip-lock defeats the purpose of the sealer. If it doesn't save you a bag it's useless.
There are sealers without the knife. Honestly, I prefer the no-knife version.
Just fold up the pocket and clip it up, no water vapor could get in.
@@charismahornum-fries691 exactly, kinda defeats the purpose but also if there isn't a knife and there is an edge indicator it would rank higher since the only down side to it was it is too dangerous specially since it doesn't have any indicator as to what it does.
I think it's an either or situation, I don't think they're saying they seal with the device then put in a ziploc
I want to find someone who gives me the kind of attention that this man gives to random and convoluted kitchen gadgets.
Adopt an older dog. They will forever adore you
He would then rate you a 1/5
100% Agreed 🤝
enjoy that left handed oil test, it's a doozy.
@@princetandukar9290 what a boss you are xD jajajajaja
The packet squeezer might not have been as useful as advertised but it *did* look the cutest
‘Tis so true 😄! I am quite deeply obsessed with ketchup, and that little guy just makes me happy to look upon. But it’s just so very unnecessary, unless you need a keychain to tell the world about some passionate Heinz brand loyalty 🤔
I get its gimmicky, but I think it's one of those things you'd get better at using. Dan even showed he got better on his second attempt. I think if you had it on your keyring and used it everytime you had ketchup packers, after a couple of goes, you'd be able to do it entirely cleanly. I definitely want to get hold of one and give it ago. Not just for the novelty. Alas my girlfriend hates ketchup to the point of phobia. So I don't think I'll ever be able to try it out. Even if I do love the idea.
It’s worth noting that the reason many designs are that way so that they are extremely lightweight. Backpackers and mountain climbers love to minimize the weight they carry to an extreme.
His critiques were still valid for someone packing extremely light.
yo the fit today is stunning, dan. love the energy. this is one of my favorite series on youtube hands down
The interlocking fork, knife, and spoon issued by the military work 10 times better than any of these silverware gadgets, and take up very little space. Not sure if they are still in production, but any military surplus store would have them for pretty cheap. Been around for decades, and work awesome.
I think for the ori kit, an endoskeleton made of a hard but non magnetic material , like aluminum, in the form of rods that run inside the parts would drastically fix the floppy-ness while keeping a flat storage profile.
Sometimes when I’m just bored of other ppl on yt I always come here to watch Dan obliterate kitchen gadgets one by one, it’s like a comfort series for me
I have a kit that's similar to the collapsible cutlery, but better designed imo - it's made of plastic and just snaps together instead of twisting, the handles are a different color to the utensil end for easy identification, and the handles are square instead of round
i have those too!! i think the brand is sistema
Dan is the best part of the Epicurious channel for sure. Make sure we keep him as long as possible!
Don't forget of Frank, the chef.
Agreed
With the cutlery I keep thinking back to my Boy Scout days where I had a cutlery set that all interlocked into the handle of the knife. It was compact and functional without needing to be complicated but was cheap enough that if I lost it on a campout it wasn't end of the world.
Check out the CRKT Eat N Tool. I carry one always.
That Ori-kit is such a clever IDEA, but yeah I would be worried about them popping open every time I used them!
It smacks of a product that went to market a little early. Needed some more testing.
9:06 🤣 “Let's assume I'm only eating one chip but that never happens.”
Dan is truly the king of dad jokes. None of which “fall flat.”
Yup! @22:00 "case closed" !
Can you do one-handed versions of gadgets that typically require 2 hands in a future episode? I recently bought a one-handed can opener because I am often prepping food with a toddler on my hip and the can opener was the biggest limitation.
Is that can openere battery powered or purely mechanical? I would be interested in a purely mechanical one-handed opener.
@@Taolan8472 It’s mechanical. It’s the Chef'n EzSqueeze can opener. I’ve had it a couple of weeks. It takes a moderate amount of hand strength but definitely works one handed.
@@lcotner5068 they have some that you can plug in and have a magnet that holds that can. they can take a second to install the cans but after that they just hold them up
I had a bag re-sealer in the 90s. It didn't have the knife or the cover, basically looked like a stapler. It worked until it didn't and we went back to clothes pins, because really, does a bag of chips stay around long enough to go stale, and if they do, were they worth eating to begin with? :)
Do Americans use plastic clips? Great to close most plastic bags like bread
@@Djuntas do you mean spring clamps? If so, yes.
Use wide elastic bands or fabric covered hair ponytail band.... cheap and effective
I've got a bunch of plastic clamps from IKEA to close back all kinds of plastic bags (mostly use them with food packages in the freezer, like meat balls or fries). I'm not American though
as someone who is currently studying product design, i love watching videos like these and thinking along with the designer looking at the products. it's a great way to think like a designer and think about your own designs.
It would be interesting to find out what gadgets Dan helped design
From what I’ve been told, the most recent was part of the Oxo Goodgrips line.
He has a website, there's an extensive list there. Really interesting stuff!
He has worked for OxO. One of the best kitchen equipment manufacturers.
Look at your keyboard. See those little bumps on the F and j keys? That was designed by Dan.
@@medes5597 What are you talking about? June E Botich invented that in 2003.
The cutlery set was the first thing on the show I actually considered buying. What I bought in the end was basically a different set of cutlery which comes in an envelope and is more like normal cutlery, just a tiny bit shorter. So pretty close to your suggestions. Keep up the videos they are always fun to watch.
The crunch cup does have a lid now, but it really is a pain to use
I'm genuinely asking, why did you buy the product?
@@danitho eating cereal while driving is about the only real use case i can think of
I would really be curios to know, if the producer of those gadgets actually took the feedback to heart and made changes on their products
Best Christmas Gift after Christmas is a Dan Video! 🎉👏🏼
Back in college, I actually owned and carried around a pair of collapsible chopsticks. They fit into a rather nice little fabric case, and they were designed so that the ends used for eating were made of wood, while the parts that you held were hollow metal tubes with caps on one end. The wood end would fit inside the tube, secured by the cap when not in use, and in order to use them, you would take out the wooden part and screw it into the other end of the metal tubes. What was great is that they were small enough to just leave in a jacket pocket and keep on hand for when I had opportunities to use them. They weren't "full-length" chopsticks, but still, they did a very good job of doing what I needed. I even see that the same brand is still available for purchase on Amazon, which I might go ahead and snag.
The Crunch Cup reminds me of those containers where you put a salad in the bottom cup part and then the lid has a built-in holder for the salad dressing to keep the two separate / portable, only they reversed where the liquid and solid are stored, and it just doesn't quite work. Also I feel like both flatware designs were fundamentally flawed because flatware is already, you know, pretty flat and portable...
As for the crunch cup, rather than adding a lid to it, I'd add a sliding mechanism on it (for both the milk and cereal) to save on space, it also prevent spilling along the way as long as its made well without gaps. That said this would let you control how much milk can come out of the hole by controlling how big it is through the slider. I think its the perfect solution as it saves some space needed for a lid and it also solves the milk to cereal portion. Way more manageable and flexible as it can cater to different people based on how they want their portions.
I think for the origami utensiles, i would add some metal plates in some areas that you could use as magnet attraction as well they could really be usefull for backpack camping in the wild. and for the last cutelry set, i would either make the handle foldable on itself so they would snap open or i would put some magnet in the bottom of a hole (like drill bits that snap on)
Yeah i'm a bit saddened by the origami utensils, those looked genuinely cool and useful (if a bit limited in designs guess), it's really not that hard to come up with a solution to most of those issues.
Whoa, Dan *can* eat just one Lay's! I thought it was impossible!
The best part in this is Dan getting all the snacks 😆 some of these gadgets are just .... yeah... Fun to see. Nothing else.
for the ketchup roller i think the main draw is that it can cut open the packet; & the bag re-sealer is better for the larger chips as just the clip only still lets enough air in to make the chips stale
I feel like for the portable disassembling utensils, having the handles of them be a flat metal strip(aside from the chopsticks obviously, making those square rods or just leave them as is would be fine) so you can pile them on top of each other would save nearly twice as much the space, also use instead of a screw mechanism, a turn&lock latch/slot of sorts, likely not gonna be the most solid piece of cutlery, but personally i'd take more portability over more solidity, and the ergonomics would be improved anyway. Adding a few groves for a better grip might also be nice but tbh i could say that for most cutlery. Lastly, making the shape of the utensils themselves be ambivalent to one another so you could for example put the spoon over the fork would save even more space, effectively, you could end up with a case(or bag) roughly as big as two fingers, likely less while granting enough solidity to be more than usable.
I would have put a rolling cutter inside the bag resealer, would be a lot safer and easier to use.
I have the bag sealer and it's really useful cause for one just folding and clipping does not completely seal the item. So for food item that your not gonna eat within the next week it's definitely better. But the main thing I use it for is gifts. Christmas just past and say you want to make little treat bags for everyone but your not gonna see everyone at the same time sealing the bags means that your treats will stay fresh and it means who ever you give them too doesn't need to eat it straight away. Another use is I use to buy individually wrapped protein snacks my fave being these protein cookies but jeez they are expensive and come in non recyclable plastic. So I just started making my own and seeling them in foil wrappers instead. Saved me so much time and money. And because they are fully sealed they stay fresh for Months!
his tone is everything i love him lol
The ketchup squeezer sounds great for me, I have low dexterity and hypermobile joints so I struggle to squeeze them by hand
You might have better luck buying an old school toothpaste squeezer - it's almost identical to his redesign. :)
For the metal utensils, part of the trade-off there is that you can carry them with you and reduce the amount of plastic cutlery you're using. So the usability is almost a secondary concern. I will admit that the form factor on the ones in the video isn't the best and isn't compact enough, but there are much more compact options like Outlery
okay but you can just take a fork knife spoon and chopsticks (spoon and fork suffice for me, usually) from your kitchen drawer, stick them in a pouch, and carry them in your bag at all times. i understand the idea, but there's really no need for kits like this, imo.
@@ChocolatTherapy 100% agreed that’s an entirely viable option, but the thing I like about the Outlery set in particular is that it’s more robustly protected than my kitchen cutlery would be in a pouch, and it’s more along the size of an Altoids tin than the monstrosity in the video. Without a hard-sided case, the kitchen cutlery is too easy to bend or twist floating in a bag.
I have an outlery set as well and it was so worth it
Outlery also comes with a rubber grip with the complete set
The description says this is from Outlery though?
'You're designed to travel, have a nice trip' I'm dying here 🤣
Well, dang it, there goes my day as I’ll be spending the balance of the afternoon watching previous Dan reviews.
This is my favorite series of anything. Ever.
I've got a bamboo travel cutlery kit from the dollar store, which I love when I go camping, or picnicking or the like :D
thank you dan and team, you're the perfect post holiday salve.
Epicurious should create a tool line with his redesigns. Do not know if they are patents involve, but man, that would make cash!
Typically if you redesign something effectively it qualifies for a new patent.
Apparently he has designed for OXO Good Grips
Dan!! I love these videos, please never stop!! Love from France
Please keep doing well equipped! I love these series! There're lots of gadgets on internet, travel bags, parents stuff for kids, kids utensils, tech gadgets
Can we get an episode where we see his gadgets?
I love Dan, he seems so wholesome and obviously loves his craft :)
Yeeeeeah!!!! Dan!!! I'm so happy!!! 😁
So glad Dan highlighted the bit that frustrates me the most about the "sustainability industry": Do you *actually* need the soution they're peddling? If you find yourself needing utensils on the go all the time, could you not simply stick something you already own in a small pouch? Do you actually need a collapsible/reuseable straw, or could you just drink from the glass? Will your umpteenth "re-useable" water bottle save any more plastic than it has used up in its production, and will it stop you buying a water bottle ever again?
After watching dan do this for years now when I watch one of these test videos I pause it multiple times and try to see if what I observe now matches up with what dan observes and lately I'm batting .1000. I've also done the left handed oil test in my glass studio with all of my tools and have discovered slight modifications to many of my tools that make them much more effective or easier to manipulate. Thanks for the awesome video series Dan and Epicurious
I'd like to see an episode of him going over some of the kitchen gadgets he's had a hand in designing over the years. It'd be interesting to see what design elements he's proud of and thinks are worthwhile innovations (a lot of the things I've seen him review, while interesting in concept, don't actually provide much utility).
I love the puns/whatever the falling flat and case closing etc moments were😂 this was a treat to watch, will be seeking out more content from this guy
i've seen some other people say this before, but as someone who's hands lock up and really don't wanna listen sometimes i really appreciate the care that gets put into seeing if these are actually accessible! it seems like it'd be logical to check for that but a lot of the time people kinda forget about the existence of diabled folks
The oragami kit I would see used more on a backpacking when you have very limited space. So this could be pretty superb. I couldn’t see them used in normal situations.
Yay I’m so happy to see Dan I needed my fix
Remember when people used to snub this man ? Now we all love him Cheers from San Diego California
Is this some kind of reference I’m not getting?
when was he ever snubbed? lol
I freaking love this dude. Watching his videos brightens my day
My local refill shop sells what they call a Cutlery Burrito - a printed fabric, with slots for each piece, wraps round and ties up - just the sort of thing you could also buy on Etsy or make yourself. But my EDC is a small spork in a cotton drawstring bag.
Yay! I was waiting for a new Dan video 💓
I think that ketchup squeezer might be good for people that really do have a hard time opening the packet I think that’s mostly the problem not squeezing out the ketchup
Right? Most people can easily replicate the squeezer effect with your fingers.
you could just use scissors to open the packet and they come on small keychain tools and can be used for so many other things too
I think it’s a really cute gag gift for a fast food person who eats in their car a lot.
Well for someone who can't open the packets, one can just use scissors. Has more use, faster, easier and less Messier than lining it up on that slit
@@TheDeathLove did you not see my comment before writing yours
I legit first thought he came out with his arm in a sling until I realized what it was! I was freaking out he injured his arm, so I first said "oh, no!!! Not Dan !!!!!"
No real winners in this episode. Thanks for debuting some of these pieces of equipment.
One thing I think they should take into account on this program is style and aesthetic, like the origami tools are obviously not trying to be some superior replacement for standard kitchen utensils, it's supposed to be for fun and kind of a statement piece.
We are all collectively in love with Dan
onekit could be lined with magnets like those kids building sets. *they're colorful shapes with magnetic bars in the sides so you can stack them.
For opening and squeezing any kind of sauce packet, open the top, fold the packet in half lenghtwise and then squeeze, that’s how you get everything out
And the weird variations of cereal shape necessitate the spout being pretty large, but that's a great point.
I wonder if the crunch cup would be better with a smaller cereal like rice krispies. Cause I think it makes total sense to have them in two seperate slots so they don't get soggy, but the milk hole should be smaller or have a slot with a button to open like someone else said in the comments.
It might, but all their advertising uses fruit loops in the photos and Dan has said previously that he tries to copy what they have used in their advertising/packaging design.
I don’t know what it is but watching his videos is just delightful.
Yeah fly man Dan! Looking awesome! 😎
This guy is great. He is entertaining and funny. Definitely enjoyed this video.
I love these so much! Does anyone know if, over the years of Dan's reviews, companies/products that have actually implemented *any* aspect of Dan's advice and tips? And or if Dan has then re-tested? Dude I'd love to see that!
This guys accent makes this thing the most painfully honest infomercial I've ever seen and I really love it.
Dan is precious 🥹 more Dan pls!!
This video, especially the part with the chip bag gadget, gives me major Leonard's review of "Let's" potato chips on Community.
I have a tiny thing of portable silverware that came with a package of dango from Amazon like what he reviewed that I think works better. It's in a little plastic case that's like 1.5" by 3.5" by .5", the silverware is made of tough plastic and the handles are squares that just get shoved together with the different heads. The pieces are kind of small but I carry them around in my purse and have worked great when I run out of clean silverware.
"Bag Slicer and Resealer - Effectiveness 5/5, definitely not a tool for murder"
I have had a crunch cup since the kickstarter and love it...its not perfect, but I feel its way better than a 2/5
I've never had an issue with the milk to cereal ratio and, to me, it's primary purpose is to avoid soggy cereal - not portability. I love the crunch cup and would definitely recommend it to anyone who has texture issues with soggy cereal.
round of applause for the chef. Those eggs were beautiful!
The folding thingies - to prevent the flopping, you could make them fold not into a double-walled vertical handle, but into a (hollow) triangular one...
the cereal cup… add a button to access the milk after you have the cereal in your mouth… can also be used for black coffee and creamer
I have one stainless steel portable cutlery set, similar to that but in a smaller case, and its included a spork in it, and i love to use it when im not home, like in my workplace. Because when im finished my dish, i can unscrew the top of the spoon, fork or knife and put it in the empty dishbowl and i can put back the clean end to the case, or just change to an other one. So i can easily store my clean and dirty parts until i get home. And my set comes with a silicone square shaped tube too, to help grab on the rounded parts. :) the brand is Outlery
love it Dan!!
Dan makes my day better ❤🎉
I've got a different brand of the assemble cutlery called outlery, the metal box is about the size of an altoids can, maybe even a bit smaller, and it comes with a little silicone sleeve to help with grip. They have been awesome to keep in the glove box for camping or day trips to help cut down on plastic waste.
i have a diffrent version of the bag recealer . no knife on it. its pretty good. sometimes it do miss a part and the bag don't get closed. But will admit i don't use it so much anymore xD
I feel like you could save even more room with the Last utensils gadget by making the actual handles themselves collapsible(Think those old Lightsaber toys that had the collapsible blade). I do like the idea of the box just because it seems a bit more clean for storage, it just could be smaller.
Dan : I’m going to make sure that it’s open Dan: crunchy crunch 😅😂
"If spinning was a thing you wanted to do with a fork," - An amazing sentence to come out of a mouth.
I think Dan may have been a bit too hasty to judge the bag re-sealer. By all means, the flaws he pointed out are good points. However, what I think we're missing is a test to see how long the food stays fresh with the re-sealed bag compared with the clipped bag. I imagine there might be a place for that product if you need something to stay fresh a bit longer.
I have a different brand of cutlery which is smaller when broken down and I am glad to have them when eating in airports. They are compact and reusable and the case is nice if I can’t wash them right away.
Such harsh reviews, but I love it! 😍
Dan also making a fashion statement. Thought he had some gadgets in there to test
i have that exact version of chopsticks (but only chopsticks) and the packing is a very small box that just hold that 4 strips of 'jigsaw' pieces only and I love using it when I go out. Especially when everyone are using pathetic wooden disposables, and mine just rocks!
Dan with the absolute drip. Trap bag and all.
Ahh! Ketchup on my keys. Exactly what I wanted.
The CrunchCup does have a lid you can get!!! I love mine!!! You do have to do that tongue blockage but imo it's worth it
love the choice of a bum bag!