Sure, some of you might be searching for last-minute gift ideas, but at this point, you’re probably even more in need of a way to spend some of the gift return cash you’ll soon have in hand after returning that unusual gift from your weird uncle.
Lucky for you, The Spoon team is here to help. We put together some ideas to help get your food tech year off to the right start in 2022. And of course, in case you are shopping for someone special (besides yourself, that is), our recommendations still make for great gifts for the food tech fanatic in your life.
Viome – Personalized Nutrition Gut Intelligence Test ($99)
Mike: What better time to commit to better health than during the new year, and one very food-tech forward way to do that is to subscribe to a personalized nutrition service. Perhaps the most well-known of these new offerings is Viome, and now’s your chance to pick up Viome’s Gut Intelligence test for $99 (regularly $299) by mid-day on December 20th if you use the code 2022You.
Incredible Eats – Edible Cutlery ($8.99/box)
Mike: If you or someone on your shortlist is passionate about reducing plastic waste, give the gift of edible cutlery! The latest generation cutlery from Smart Kitchen Summit alumni Incredible Eats comes in sweet and savory versions – chocolate and vanilla for desserts, oregano chili and black pepper for soups and such – and in both large and small versions. The next batch of the Incredible Eats cutlery is shipping in January, just in time to help you or your loved one make good on that New Year’s initiative to stop putting so much plastic into the waste stream.
Grounded – Plant-Based Cheese ($5.99)
Mike: More and more great plant-based cheeses are making their way to market, and one of our favorites is Grounded’s plant-based cheese made with cauliflower and hemp seed. The goat cheese is funky tasting in a good way, the cream cheese is very spreadable and tastes just like the cow-based stuff, and the cheese-free cheese sauce is a ticket to a guilt-free guilty pleasure for anyone who wants to relive their nacho-loving glory days (and who doesn’t?). The good news is the price of this direct-to-consumer plant-based cheese is the price has dropped by almost half since their launch earlier this year (each cheese is now $5.99 per package, down from $10), so pick yourself up one of each and give them all a try.
Cometeer flash-frozen coffee ($49)
Ashlen: I had the opportunity to try Cometeer’s flash-frozen coffee pucks this Fall, and I was not lying when I said it was the best thing in my freezer. The company uses its proprietary technology to flash freeze coffee extract, brewed from some of the best roasters in the country. We all know a coffee lover in our life, and this is a more unique option compared to gifting them a coffee shop gift card or a bag of beans. For the holiday season, Cometeer opened up a gift portal to make sending a box of its coffee to your loved ones easy. A box will contain four varieties of coffee from different roasters, totaling 32 cups of coffee. The company is currently offering a holiday price of $49 for one box (including shipping).
Hamama microgreen growing system ($35-$69)
Ashlen: This company claims to offer a “Failproof, DIY Veggie Garden”, and that is quite accurate. Hamama has developed a microgreen system that incorporates its patented, non-GMO Seed Quilt. The company’s technology allows the user to only water the Seed Quilt once, and then after seven to 10 days, the microgreens are ready to harvest. Although this system is more low-tech compared to other indoor growing systems, this also means that Hamama’s grow kit comes with a lower price tag. I personally think this would be an excellent gift for a student living in a dorm room and starved of fresh greens, or a garden-enthusiast living in the city. The Hamama starter kit comes with three varieties of seed quilts, with options like broccoli, radish, wheatgrass, clover, and mustard. The company has also created a gift portal to streamline the holiday shopping process.
Misadventure Vodka ($24.99 + $20 shipping)
Ashlen: Based in Vista, California, Misadventure & Company aims to reduce the amount of food waste that enters the landfill by producing vodka made from surplus baked goods. The distillery works with the San Diego Food Bank to gather up bread, baked goods, and pastries, which are normally not distributed to those in need because these items are considered empty calories. Although you cannot taste the flavors of the baked goods and bread in the final product, one of the co-founders of the company says that the vodka has a “subtle vanilla flavor and a silky mouthfeel”. Misadventure Vodka is distilled twelve times and contains 40 percent ABV, and it won a gold medal from the American Distilling Institution in 2020. Those who live locally to the distillery can pick up a bottle, and shipping to anywhere in the country costs $20.
Lomi – Smart Home Composting System ($499)
Alan – Lomi ticks off all of the boxes for anyone in your list who wants to dispose of kitchen waste without the mess and fuss of a traditional composter. With the push of a button, Lomi takes the place of messy garbage bags that go to the curb if your city even has a green bin recycling program. The net result is that waste (which includes compostable plastic and even small chunks of watermelon rinds) is broken down into “clean” compost that can be used for indoor plants and home gardens. An accessory called a LomiPod that is tossed in with the scraps creates an enriched compost. While the next batch of Lomis won’t ship until next year, you can get one by February with a $49 deposit.
