Forget your typical paper coffee filter, The Kone, designed by Coava Coffee Roasters is made of USA grade stainless steel. The goal for The Kone was to create a sustainable coffee filter that could also brew excellent coffee. It is designed for pour over style coffee makers like the Chemex and Hario. Here’s what Oliver Strand from the New York Times had to say about The Kone:

“The Kone is a beautiful object, simple and stark. More to the point of the design, the coffee it makes is rich and full. The filter is cleaner than a mesh basket, and the photochemically machined holes let oils that would be absorbed by a standard paper filter flow through. It gives you the control of a Chemex and the tannic cup you get from a French press: a Frenchmex. Whether you like it is a matter of taste. For most of my adult life, I was a French-press partisan. But in the last few years I’ve been experimenting with different filter methods, and now I’m accustomed to drinking coffee with bright, floral flavors. When I started using the Kone last week, it was strange to find such an aggressive coffee sitting in my Chemex. It was like pulling the top off a bamboo steam basket and encountering a piece of grilled meat.”

Buy The Kone from Coava Coffee Roasters for $50.

I’ve posted about other ball makers before, namely the MUJI Ice Ball Maker, but nothing comes close to the Ice Ball Mold by Taisin. First of all, there’s a major price difference between the $12 MUJI model and the $200 Taisin Model. Secondly, the cheaper one is made of plastic, while the Taisin is made of aluminum.

The Ice Ball Mold features:

• Ice ball-creator, ideal for both bars and home-use
• Creates spheres of ice which melt slowly, keeping drinks cool
• Available in 30, 55, 65, 70,75, 80mm sizes (please see pull-down menu for prices)
• Made of aluminum
• Cold-proof wooden grip on top (except 30mm version)
• Ball release at bottom (except 30mm & 80mm version)
• Creates 30-40 ice balls per hour
• 55, 65, 70, 75,80mm size Molds include ice-maker blocks (2 pcs.)

Why use spheres? The logic is that since the surface area of a sphere is smaller than a cube, it melts slower. A slower melt means a less diluted drink over time.

Plus, this device simply looks badass. Imagine it sitting alongside your home bar.

Buy the Ice Ball Mold from Japan Trend Shop for $201.

There’s nothing worse than watered down whisky, especially if you like a stiff, strong tasting drink. Of course, nothing waters down whiskey faster than a few cubes of ice – this is something that Don Draper knows all too well. The solution? Whisky Stones of course.

“A few great soapstone workers in Perkinsville, Vermont have created Whiskey Stones. These little ice-imitators are specially designed to put a slight chill in your Whiskey. All you do is put them in the freezer for a few hours and then pop a couple into a glass of single malt. Once you’re done, rinse, dry and do it all over again! And no need to worry about a watery drink, because these stones don’t dilute (that’s the best part).”

Buy a set of Whisky Stones from ThinkGeek for $34.95.

I rarely drink out of public water fountains these days, and it’s not just because they tend to be nasty filthy but also because they are increasingly becoming rare to find. Tap water at home, on the other hand, is something that I do still drink. Maybe it’s because I live in Hawaii and we have great water here. Or maybe it’s because tap water is free (sort of) and it’s not as wasteful (those darn plastic bottles). Needless to day, the Tapi is a nifty device from the wonderful inventors at Dreamfarm that turns any plain sink faucet into a fun home water fountain.

The Tapi is made out of rubber and won’t affect the taste of your water and it fits into any faucet with a straight spout. Pretty nifty, I think, especially for those times when you need a quick drink or want to do a quick rinse minus the need for a cup.

Buy the Tapi from Dreamfarm for $4.95.

According to the official Beer Savers website, Beer Savers are good for 10 reasons:

1. Durable, stretchy molded bottle cap charms
2. Designed to help keep beer fresh and safe
3. Dishwasher safe and reusable
4. Made of food-safe silicone
5. Come in multi-colored sets of 6 – the perfect party pack.
6. Make a great housewarming or hostess gift for any beer lover.
7. Fits most standard beer bottles
8. Make for a great talking point at any dinner party or beer tasting party.
9. Help homebrewers keep their beer bottles clean and sterile before bottling.
10. Helps keep your beer safely identified when in clubs, bars and restaurants

I’m not sure about you, but I would feel a little weird carrying around little silicone bottle caps when going bar hopping. It should be law that if you open a bottle of beer then you should finish it!

With that said, Beer Savers, send me a few caps and I’d be more than happy to test out your product. I’ll start off in the comforts of my own home and then work my way out!

Buy a 6-Pack of Beer Savers from Beer Savers for the sale price of $7.99 (Retail: $12.99).

The Baggy Winecoat by designer Jakob Wagner is just what you need if you would like to put elegance and style into your Bag-in-Box wines. Simply take the bag our of your box wine and place it into the stylish Baggy Winecoat. Skip the six-pack of beer and redefine the tailgate party by bringing this elegant and handy accessory!

“Baggy Winecoat gives the popular Bag in Box wines a casual but stylish look! Simply take the wine bag out of the box, place it in the Baggy Wine Coat and close the flexible top. A rubber bottom makes sure the Baggy Winecoat do not tip over; neither on the dinner table, nor on the picnic. If you want to carry your wine with you, just grab the handle and go!”

By the Baggy Winecoat by Jakob Wagner from the Scandinavian Design Center for $58.19.

This device makes perfectly cylindrical ice ball and I’m not sure why I want one but I do. The 3″ x 3″ ice ball mold is made out of silicon and will be available for sale mid-February at MUJI Ice Maker. Granted that an ice ball made with the ice ball maker will be no different from your typical ice chip when it come chilling your drink – but it will chill in style.

How to make an ice ball:

1) Attach top and bottom parts. Please close it tight.

2) Pour water from top hole. Do NOT fill water completely, please keep a little space on the top.

3) Push top part to make sure there is no space in between, then store in freezer.

4) Slow freezing will make better ice than fast freezing. (Fast freezing will cause crack on ice)

Buy the Ice Ball Maker from MUJI Ice Maker for $11.75.

OK, so functionally, this wine cabinet might not be any better than other wine cabinets on the market, but (and this is a big but) it looks so damn cool. The padlock adds a nice touch, but again, it won’t prevent an eager thief from reaching in between the bars!

• Built of hand-welded and fabricated iron
• Features a rustic finish
• Approx. 40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 37-1/2″W x 34″D x 51-1/2″H

Buy the Metal Wine Cage from Restoration Hardware for $199.

These carved wood bottle openers from Gent Supply Co. is definitely not your average bottle opener. They may not be suitable to hang on your keychain but they would look good on your living room coffee table. My favorite is the elephant!

“Bring your bar to the next level with some useful and sophisticated design. They ingeniously open bottles with their claws or their mouths. Sturdy enough for every day use, while being a great addition to any room. Owl and bull are wood and brass. Elephant is wood, brass and leather. Available in Elephant, Bull or Owl.”

• Menagerie Carved Wood Bottle Openers
• Available in Elephant, Bull or Owl
• Bull and Owl are wood and brass, Elephant is wood, brass and leather.
• Dimensions: Owl (6” x 2” x 1.5”), Bull and Elephant (5.5” x 3” x 2”)
• Finely etched stainless steel

Buy the Carved Wood Bottle Openers from Gent Supply Co. for $24.50.

Renegade Silversmith and crafty designer, Jen Roder, has created some fancy pieces of wearable art using just used bottle caps. Something that people normally just toss in the trash has been turned into useful accessories for the office or a night out in the town. Roder constructs cufflinks, pendants and earrings out of the bottle caps and sells them for quite a profit. The pendants are priced at $48-$65, the earrings start at $88 and the cufflinks go for $150.

Buy the Rotorcaps from Jen Roder for $48-$150.