Question: Why does this product not exist? Alas, the Cookie Dipping Mug is just a concept from designer ENTLO.1A and the inner child in me can’t stop gawking at this marvelous idea. Having said that, I see a few problems with this conceptual mug. First off all, cookies come in different sizes, from Chips Ahoy small to the monster sized cookies they charge an arm and a leg for at Starbucks. I’m sure that once you start increasing the size of your cookie, you’ll run into the same problem as you would if you were using a regular mug (only be able to dip a 5th of the cookie tip). Secondly, the cup is pretty darn ugly. Thirdly, there’s no handle so holding this thing will be pretty awkward.

So Cookie Dipping Mug, I say great idea but poor execution. I needed a Cookie Dipping Mug that 1. has a handle bar (so that I don’t look a 2 year old fumbling with his first cup), 2. is aesthetically pleasing, and 3. expands (somehow, not sure how) with the size of my cookie. Deliver a product that fulfills those three criteria and then we’ll talk.

The New York Times ran an excellent story a few days ago on the death of a New York icon, Leslie Buck. The 87 year old Buck passed away at his home in Glen Cove, New York. Buck is known as being the designer of the ubiquitous Anthora coffee cop that dominated the streets of New York for nearly 4 decades. Beck introduced his novel coffee cup idea to the masses in 1963 and since then it has become a part of the daily ritual for millions of people.

Sales of the cup reached 500 million in 1994 (when it was by far the most popular design for the company’s cups), but fell to about 200 million cups annually in 2005. One New York Times writer in 1995 called the Anthora “perhaps the most successful cup in history”. By 2007, it was mentioned in passing in a New York Times television review as “one of those endangered artifacts” – Wikipedia.

The Anthora coffee cup features the image of an ancient Greek amphora, a decorative border on the top and the bottom, and the capitalized slogan, “WE ARE HAPPY TO SERVE YOU.” The Solo cup company, which purchased the rights to the Anthora cup discontinued it from their catalog in 2006, however, they still have it available for custom orders.

Buck’s NY Times obituary can be seen here.

On the left is the original Anthora coffee cup and to the right is a replica ceramic version.

Photos courtesy of Flickr users mttsndrs and brotherM.

There are only a few more episodes left of the final season of ABC’s hit series, LOST, and many people (myself included) are anxious for the series finale. With that season finale, however, comes the end to one of my favorite shows on Television. Having said that, you better start preparing now for your Lost finale show party now! And what better way to serve ice cold beer than with these custom LOST Polar Beer Pint Glasses by designer Ian Leino.

“Recent archaeological expeditions in Tunisia have uncovered unusual drinking vessels that have puzzled top scientists. While their shape indicates that they were for daily use rather than holy occasions, it is the ghostly visage of a polar bear emblazoned on their surface that has befuddled some of the brightest brains in the field. Whatever their original purpose, our recreation of these artifacts include a detailed artist rendering of the enigmatic yet evocative design that adorned them and are guaranteed to add an extra element of charm and mystery to any occasion.”

The Polar Beer Pint Glasses are printed on both sides (Polar Beer on one side, Dharma logo on the other) using a satin etch look to heighten the sense of wonder and enchantment of even the bast beverage.

Buy the LOST Polar Beer Pint Glasses from Ian Leino for $8.50.

The Water Bobble is one beautiful piece of water bottle engineering. Each “bobble” comes with its own patented carbon filter which has a slight electro-positive charge, which allows it to attract chemical and impurities in the water. It is suggested that the filters be changed every 2 months or every 40 gallons.

Each bobble holds 18.5 oz. of water, is BPA free, and made in the USA out of recycled materials.

By the Water Bobble from the Water Bobble Online Store for $9.99.

Now here’s a neat idea for your next custom mug! These silhouette mugs come to you courtesy of Etsy’s houseware designer, BrooklynRehab, and vector artist Miss Crowland. For a pricetag of $65 you get:

• 2 digital portraits (emailed to you), which you can choose to print in whatever way you see fit
  2 mugs (1 of each portrait)

All you need to do is send in a full sided portrait and Miss Crowland will do the rest. The digital image will be ready within 10 days and the mug no more than 7 days after that.

Buy the Custom Silhouette Mugs from BrooklynRehab for $65.

This unique jug thermos from designer Jörg Boner falls under the I Want That category.

“Thermos is a coffee pot for people on the move. It carries two cups and is no bigger than fits comfortably into a bag. The elastic band that fixes the cups into place can be transformed into a handle in just one move, turning the thermos bottle into a coffee pot. The way in which it plays with both archetypes is characteristic of the product.”

It’s not unusual for a thermos to incorporate a cup into the cover but this one comes with two, making it the perfect companion to a rooftop coffee session with your significant other.

The product was designed for Nescafé. No word yet on availability or price.

Who thought a water bottle could look so sexy? The new reusable My Water Bottle from Stelton offers a different take on the ubiquitous H20 carrier. Buying bottled water is wasteful. Instead, pick up one of these to help keep yourself hydrated while looking good at the same time. No word yet on pricing.

“My” water bottle from Stelton is your personal water bottle – just a bit more stylish than an ordinary recyclable bottle. The bottle takes 0.5 litres and you can find space for it in any bag. My water bottle is a container with a handgrip in a choice of colours, red, midnight blue and light blue. The bottle has a removable top formed like a bottle neck and a close-fitting lid. The top as well as the lid can be removed making it into a drinking glass. The bottle, top and lid may be washed in the dish washer and the grip may be washed at 30 degrees in the washing machine.”

I remember that my Grandpa would always have a drink of whiskey after lunch and he would always refer to it as either juice or poison. Most of the time it was juice but sometimes it would be poison. I guess it depended on how he was feeling on that particular day. In retrospect, I think that he’d actually appreciate this hand engraved poison flask from Refinery29 Shops.

• Stainless steel
• Hand engraved – no two flasks are the same
• 3.5 oz; screw top lid

Buy the Poison Flask from Refinery29 Shops for $50.

If you’re in the market for a new stein, and the stein that you’re looking for is one that is out of the ordinary, than you must check out Beer-Steins.com. Despite the fact that their website looks like it was built in the mid 1990’s using some incarnation of the publish to web function in Microsoft Word, they’ve got a pretty gnarly collection of unusual beer steins. Peruse the steins but be sure to ignore the flashing GIFs.

Take for instance this Superman stein that I stumbled upon. The stein itself measure 7 inches tall and 8.5″ wide and features Superman’s upper body one side and his famous logo on the other side. The inside of the stein is glazed with a cobalt blue colors. The bottom of the stein shows that it is from the late 70’s, 1978 to be exact and looks to be an official DC Comics product produced in California.

Buy the Superman Stein from Beer-Steins.com for $68.

For the beverage enthusiast in training, this BPA free baby bottle is the perfect transitionary tool when going from the natural comforts of the nipple to the synthetics of a baby bottle. I’m not even kidding when I say this is probably the closest thing you find to a nipple on a bottle. And with beautiful design, what’s not to like about it.

“With natural colors, textures and forms, the mimijumi baby bottle closely mimics the breastfeeding experience, providing the perfect complement to breastfeeding and the best possible transition to bottle feeding. The innovative design of the nipple to replicate a mother’s breast creates a natural feeding and latching experience for a happier and healthier bottle fed baby. Bold color and soft textures are combined to give the Very Hungry bottle a distinctive, eye-catching appearance.”

Buy the Mimijumi BPA Free Baby Bottle from Mimijumi starting in December.