The first is USB and will cool a can for those hot days. The second is a peeler not just for potatoes but for all those items, so if you want a serrated pattern this three blade triangular piece of equipment can probably do it for you.
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Can Cooler
Mine was red and funnily enough shaped like a can it was red with the top having a dummy ring pull and the rim in grey metal look, in fact apart from the lack of any logo the red colour matches exactly that of a famous cola brand.
It is 19cm tall and half that across. Towards the base there are four columns of four slots for cooling or heating ventilation. The can itself has no controls these are a three position toggle switch in the hard wired USB lead.
The can itself swings open for the full height minus the first 4.5cm of the base where the elements are positioned. So 50% of the rest of the can opens, it swings closed as it has a magnetic catch half way up the 12.5cm cooling/heating portion.
While it can heat or cool quite efficiently do not expect freezing or boiling from the unit. The main drawback I can see is that it only takes standard sized 330ml cans. It cannot take tall cans or even the 250ml thinner cans used by some energy drinks.
You could use it to reheat a mug of coffee but if it is the standard half pint mug size you would have to knock off the handle.
The total lead length is one metre with the switch hot/off/cold being 40cm from the can.
It needs to be taller and larger so it could take at least two cans as well as beer bottles and for the heat side mugs to reheat coffee.
The design is fun but I am sorry to say not that practical in its present form but not all quirky ideas work this well.
Available from the link below for $30 (US) plus a standard p&p charge of $3 (US) whatever your order size.
http://usb.brando.com/usb-can-shaped-cooler-and-warmer_p02236c049d15.html
Joseph Joseph Rotary Peeler
For those who read my review of various other gadgets from Joseph Joseph this was the item that most caught my eye last year but they were unable to send it until after my last review was published on the 13-4-11.
It is 2/3 of a 9cm circle with a 5.5cm at the open end the current selected blade. Even as a left hander I had no problem in using it.
The ‘normal’ blade you use for potatoes works fine even though you need to hold the tool in your hand whereas a standard peeler would be held more like a knife out of the hand.
There is a button in the centre that allows you to rotate the triangular blades to display the serrated blade for things like skinning tomatoes (if they are not too soft) or the julienne blade to give the very ‘cheffy’ touch fot tiny pieces of vegetables such as carrots.
The container is clear while the blade holders are the same lime green colour as the other tools I reviewed in April. There is a small stainless steel eyelet protruding allowing you to hang the unit on a hook when not in use.
Doing my Internet searches found the Joseph Joseph Rotary Peeler at £12.50 from the link below.
http://www.josephjoseph.com/kitchen-tools/rotary-peeler/rotary-peeler---green
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