S06.E10: Kitchen Safe, Off the Cob, Magic Cook, Earth-Log

[yeswedo]

 

GoPro CEO Nick Woodman is a guest on the panel. Pitches include a farmer's healthier tortilla chip made from fresh-picked sweet corn, and the manufacturer of scented fire logs. Also: an update on Robert Herjavec's Season 5 investment in a company that sells ugly Christmas sweaters.

 

[mamey2422]

I loved everything about the Earthlog guy. From making his pitch in flip flops to whipping out the purchase order out of his pocket right on cue to the way he accepted Lori's deal I had the same warm fuzzies as Damon. I really hope everything works out for him.

[zxy556575]

Ooh, a shippable food item! I can never resist tasting things (given a reasonable enough price and as long as it isn't made from bugs), so I went for some chips. They're are out of stock on Amazon, so missed opportunity there. After some trouble using IE on the Cob site, I switched to a different browser and was able to place an order -- free shipping, at least. The ingredients list sweet corn third, which is interesting. Also, the guy went to Babson, which made me laugh. Of course he did!

 

Food safe? I dunno. Piece of junk or not, if I'm craving some ice cream and it's on lockdown, I can always go to the danged store and buy more. Not to mention my kitchen and pantry are replete with other food. Not sure where making a grilled cheese sandwich lands in the trade-off between eating that vs a bowl of almond mocha fudge. I don't see it as much of a diet aid, or health aid, or anything else, really.

Edited November 22, 2014 by lordonia

[Teddybear]

Kevin is dead to me.  What a jerk.   

 

I missed Robert!   

Edited November 22, 2014 by Teddybear

[LittleIggy]

Kevin is dead to me.  What a jerk.   

 

I missed Robert!

I'm with you on both sentiments. I was telling Kevin to eff off when he kept calling that man's invention a "piece of crap" and taunting him for tearing up. That was just plain mean.

[LAgator77]

I can't believe that piece of crap Kitchen Safe got a deal. What an idiotic product. I usually think Kevin is ridiculously harsh, but he was on the mark with that one. 

Psst... If you want to lose weight, try eating healthy and exercising. Buying a $50 container that holds half a bag of cookies won't help you.

[GreyBunny]

It's a dumb product but there is a market for that kind of gimmick.  People will buy it.  Thing is, if someone is really determined to get that cookie, they will.  They'll easily break a $50 product and won't think about it until they've picked the last of the crumbs off of their shirt.

 

I didn't like the idea of it being a parenting tool.  A parent with any balls/ovaries will tell the kid, "You can't have this for three hours.  If you keep whining, I'll make it six hours and take something else away too."

 

I wonder if Laurie was thinking what I was-- forget Citronella, make those logs in candle scents.  Pine, cinnamon, vanilla, marshmallow...

 

Aromatherapy logs!  I'd buy that.

Edited November 22, 2014 by GreyBunny

[cooksdelight]

I lost count of how many times the GoPro camera was mentioned, used, talked about, touted as his product. I liked the guy, but once is enough, to me.

I want some of those logs! And that big brick for a firepit is perfect. No need to have to keep adding wood with something that size. Also, the no smoke aspect is very appealing. I do hope Laurie suggests scented logs, I'd buy a case.

Kitchen Safe is one of those things that people with lots of expendable income might buy because it's a novelty.

The cooking container would be perfect for hiking and camping, but like others mentioned, if I want a hot lunch there's a microwave or I go out. If she'd market it in Cabela's or REI, she's have it in the right place.

[starri]

 

Wow, the GoPro guy was nice eye candy.

Shame he was such a douchebag.

 

The Off The Cob chips are available in a couple of stores in the city.  I'd have to go out of my way to try them, but I could see doing it if I wasn't making a special trip, although $3.50 for 4 ozs seems a little steep.

 

I'd buy an EarthLog if I had a fireplace.

[zxy556575]

Wow, the GoPro guy was nice eye candy.

 

Shame he was such a douchebag.

 

I read the first comment and my brain brought up a picture of the EarthLog guy ... "Huh. There's a lid for every pot, I guess."  Then "douchebag" set me straight. And yes, he seriously needed to shutty.

Edited November 22, 2014 by lordonia

[Sarah D. Bunting]

The guy who made a fortune off of GoPro joins the Sharks as a guest investor and just will not shut up about his little camera business. Which, given the quality of this week's pitches, is probably just as well. Philip Michaels reports!

[cooksdelight]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought Mr. GoPro was pushing it a little too hard.

[zxy556575]

When Woodman patronizingly told the sweet corn guy to "stick with it", Cuban's exasperated, reared-back, hands-in-the-air reaction was pretty funny. (If the shot was massaged in editing and didn't even occur when it was shown, don't tell me.)

 

The photo in the recap of the EarthLogs presentation made me wonder how much time it takes for the set to be changed between presentations. That particular one was fairly elaborate, with all the rocks around a fake fire pit and whatnot. The stuff that would take you and me 20 minutes to carry in and arrange probably takes a film crew two hours. (This proclamation courtesy of my one experience 39 years ago as an extra in a scene of All the President's Men. You're welcome.)

[mjc570]

I guess I have a different take toward the Kitchen Safe - I am sorry to admit that I am a "mindless" kind of snacker, and if it something is there (and it usually is, thanks to my son and husband), I'll have some chips/cookies/whatever.  Yes, I do try to limit what's in the house, and to put what we have on a top shelf (I am short), but I really don't have a lot of will power. 

I do need something that will make me think, just for a minute, and that is how I see the value of the kitchen safe type of product.  Just having to decide if its worth the effort is usually enough to give me time to recollect myself.  I think the price would dissuade me from buying it, though.

[Gregg247]

I thought the Kitchen Safe product was a good idea (but expensive!).  The basic idea behind it is solid. One way of effectively losing weight (for some people, anyway) is to buy a normal size container of ice cream and eat just half of it, rather than the entire thing.  The problem is that you never eat "exactly half", and it's so easy to just keep eating.  The solution that I've heard works is to buy the same ice cream, take it home, and immediately put it into 2 equal sized Tupperware containers.  You eat one of those today, and the other tomorrow.  Sure, you might still end up eating both, but the idea is that you really want to lose weight, you've given yourself permission to eat one container of ice cream, and now you're thinking about going to the freezer and eat a second one.  For some people, that's enough of an incentive to NOT eat the second one.  This Kitchen Safe product sounds like the same idea, but with a higher price tag and a bit of an added speed bump for when those eating urges get too strong.

 

I don't think Damon believed in the Magic Cook product any more than the other Sharks; it's a niche product that will sell some units, but never make anyone rich.  However, Damon's ears really perked up when the owner told them that she had been in product manufacturing for 15 years and had extensive experience working with Chinese producers.  I think Damon just hired his new international manufacturing manager!

[bilgistic]

Not sure I understand how the Kitchen Safe is a "tchotchke" and the Bottle Breacher isn't, KEVIN. "Stop crying and be a man"??? FUCK OFF AND DIE.

Anyone know what that extra Shark, Nick, does for a living? He never said.

Edited November 22, 2014 by bilgistic

[theatremouse]

I'm willing to give Nick a pass on this one? It was his first appearance. It would not surprise me if they asked him to specifically mention his company several times so people tuning in midway wouldn't be all "who the hell is that?" I'd also say, early on with this show, man oh man did we hear about the Mavs and Fubu a whole lot. Not quite this much, but still. Stuff the Sharks own gets name dropped.

Edited November 22, 2014 by theatremouse

[Amarsir]

I'm willing to give Nick a pass on this one? It was his first appearance. It would not surprise me if they asked him to specifically mention his company several times so people tuning in midway wouldn't be all "who the hell is that?" I'd also say, early on with this show, man oh man did we hear about the Mavs and Fubu a whole lot. Not quite this much, but still. Stuff the Sharks own gets name dropped.

I agree.  While it was funny for us watching the whole show to hear how much GoPro got mentioned, it's the in-context way of identifying himself.  Not many people would know the name "Nick Woodman" but plenty know his brand.  Much the same way I'm sure there were viewers last night who went "Wait, Kevin made Reader Rabbit?"

 

The food safe is interesting. I simultaneously think it's crap and useful.  Personally I well understand the problem of creating a "once a day" portion that turns into "once every three hours".  But I also have the problem that my appropriate portion is zero and locking the food away in a store doesn't seem to have helped.

 

Likewise I simultaneously get and don't get Kevin's reaction.  He was saying people will buy it for a gimmick and not use it, and you don't care because you already sold it - which I suspect is largely true.  But I don't understand why he was so vicious about it.  I think that's because the guy interrupted to defend his product, which meant Kevin kept ramping up instead of going out. Also I got the sense that was one of the longer pitches with more footage being trimmed.  But even I, who enjoys Kevin and thinks he plays an important role, thought that was way too far.

[LittleIggy]

The cooking kit would be a good thing to have if you lived somewhere that had severe weather resulting in power outages a lot.

[cooksdelight]

I would want to know what the shelf life of the refill packs are to determine how much I'd spend on them. If they are good for five years, no problem.

[Charlesman]

I thought the Magic Cook thing would be a good investment as an international play. I wouldn't see it gaining much ground in the US market outside of the outdoors segments, but, I could see a major market for it in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

[raiderred1]

Kitchen safe stole my idea!!!  Hehe, I actual did think of this concept a while back but I thought more in terms of a safe or vending machine that could lock food up during my critical snack time which for me is from about 2 pm til about 8 pm.  I think it has an outrageous price tag as it is just a plastic container.  I would make it out of some type of polymer that could not be smashed so easily, too.  I like the idea but they've got to bring that price way down.

[Wheresfluffy]

My first thought on the kitchen safe was, with no safety release or anything, what if a kid puts his pet hamster in it?  Or Mommie's car keys?  Someone's insulin?

[Jesse]

The food safe is interesting. I simultaneously think it's crap and useful.  Personally I well understand the problem of creating a "once a day" portion that turns into "once every three hours".  But I also have the problem that my appropriate portion is zero and locking the food away in a store doesn't seem to have helped.

 

Likewise I simultaneously get and don't get Kevin's reaction.  He was saying people will buy it for a gimmick and not use it, and you don't care because you already sold it - which I suspect is largely true.  But I don't understand why he was so vicious about it.  I think that's because the guy interrupted to defend his product, which meant Kevin kept ramping up instead of going out. Also I got the sense that was one of the longer pitches with more footage being trimmed.  But even I, who enjoys Kevin and thinks he plays an important role, thought that was way too far.

 

Yeah, totally. I can see it selling a ton all at once, because there are a zillion people trying to lose weight and paying $50 seems way easier than actually dieting, but it's not going to be a lasting success.

 

 

 I still have never heard or seen the word fubu outside this show.  

 

I'm guessing you're not black -- Fubu stands for "for us, by us" and was huge in the 90s in certain segments of the black community and beyond.

[cooksdelight]

I'd rather have a can of sterno or a propane burner or even a fire.

I laughed when I read this, thinking of a sea of cubicles in an office building, each with their own little fire pit for cooking their lunch.

And laughing at the idea of a hamster trapped inside the Kitchen Safe. He'd die from lack of oxygen....and lawsuits from traumitized families would be the norm.

[Amarsir]

My first thought on the kitchen safe was, with no safety release or anything, what if a kid puts his pet hamster in it?  Or Mommie's car keys?  Someone's insulin?

It's just plastic. Easy enough to break for something important, but not worth it for a cookie.

[KaveDweller]

I would buy Kitchen Safe if I saw it in the store and it was less than $50.  I probably wouldn't use very long, but I do think it's an interesting idea.

[theatremouse]

Yeah, my upper limit on the price of such an item, unfortunately, is damn close to what he said their cost was to make it so...I'm out. They'd never turn a profit trying to sell that stuff to me. 

Edited November 23, 2014 by theatremouse

[UsernameFatigue]

Fubu stands for "for us, by us"

 

Ya learn something every day. While I have seen the logo on clothing over the years, I had no idea it meant something.  On the other hand I have never heard of GoPro or the guy. I found him to be a tad annoying, and am so happy to see in the previews that Robert is back next week. He is by far my favourite shark.

 

I think the Kitchen Safe guys picked a limiting name - since it obviously could be used for many items I think they should have given it a name like The Goodie Safe. I could in a way see it useful - as one poster said it might give you enough pause to decide not to have the snack inside. On the other hand I just have my hubby hide the stuff I don't want to eat since he likes to have some treats around, but I tend to crave them more than he does. When I first had him hide goodies from me, he picked the places he figured I would never look - like the oven (since he does all the cooking - lol).

Edited November 23, 2014 by UsernameFatigue

[retrograde]

I thought the biggest problem with the sweet corn chip guy was that he was presenting his product as a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. "The problem with regular corn chips is that they're dry and bland." No. Most people love corn chips. That is why they are so popular. I would be willing to try his chips, but probably not as a substitute for regular corn chips, because they sound much sweeter and like a different thing.

 

Course, I really don't make a habit of buying chips anyway, which, incidentally, is why I'm unlikely to buy the Kitchen Safe. Because the way to not eat junk food is to not buy junk food. Honestly, I feel like the product would just make your cravings for and fixation on the junk food stronger -- you'd count down until the timer went off, then go straight for it, and there is no chance you wouldn't eat it at that point. Which doesn't necessarily mean the product won't sell -- as others have said, people will spend a lot of money for quick-fix weight-loss solutions. But $50 for a piece of glorified tupperware is evidently too high for a lot of people. 

[AndreaK1041]

I was super annoyed with the discussion about gluten free foods during the chips pitch. Of course they are gluten free. You know what else is? Tostidos. Why? Corn doesn't have gluten. Neither does lettuce (thanks for that sign, produce department) nor, apparently, does my hair conditioner, based in the label. Can we start using our brains with gluten, please?

Before anyone lectures me, I am well aware that Celiac disease is a real medical condition. I also think asking consumers to use their brains just a little bit, especially if they have a debilitating auto immune disorder, should be acceptable. We do not need to label bottled water gluten free.

Sorry for the rant, this just generally irritates me. I have two people in my life who are gluten free and they both eat tortilla chips in mass quantities bc they are unable to eat so many other snacky things. So claiming something is gluten free when most options of that same product already are is just obnoxious.

Edited November 23, 2014 by AndreaK1041

[retrograde]

Corn doesn't have gluten. Neither does lettuce (thanks for that sign, produce department) nor, apparently, does my hair conditioner, based in the label. 

Some shampoos and other skin/beauty products do contain gluten, and some people with celiac disease try to avid them, apparently. So, weirdly, that one actually makes the most sense. 

[LeGrandElephant]

When they mentioned people using kitchen safe on small children's toys, I immediately thought what happens when your four year old puts your car keys in there and turns the dial?

[AndreaK1041]

Some shampoos and other skin/beauty products do contain gluten, and some people with celiac disease try to avid them, apparently. So, weirdly, that one actually makes the most sense.

Gluten can't e absorbed they the skin, so it makes sense for say... Lipstick, but conditioner? Not really. The gluten in a beauty product would also be in the ingredients list so for the very very small number of people who want to know, they could check.

[retrograde]

Gluten can't e absorbed they the skin, so it makes sense for say... Lipstick, but conditioner? Not really. The gluten in a beauty product would also be in the ingredients list so for the very very small number of people who want to know, they could check.

I believe those who do it are worried about getting the shampoo in their mouth, or touching their hair then touching food or their mouth. They may be going over the top, I'm not a doctor, I just know that there are people with celiac disease who do care. Yes, it's true they could memorise/write down all the ingredients that are made with gluten-containing grains, but it is a reasonably long list with some weird words on it. Anyway. So long as it's an accurate label, brands can put "gluten free" on whatever they want, and there is clearly a market for it. Opportunistic? Sure, but I don't really think it does the rest of us much harm. 

[AndreaK1041]

It does harm to people in agriculture who are seeing gluten be vilanized when for an overwhelming majority of the population, it is a harmless protein.

I agree the the Sharks have bought into the gluten free = healthy idea (they said the same about the popcorn). It just annoys me bc it's not real. I've made my point though, so I'll stop :)

Edited November 23, 2014 by AndreaK1041

[needschocolate]

I was really hoping that one of the Kitchen Safe Guys would look at Kevin and say, "You're dead to me."

 

I think they just throw the "organic, gluten free, non GMO" tag on all food pitches that qualify, because it's trendy and apparently matters to Mark and other sharks.

 

Just like a few years ago when no cholesterol was a big thing.  Things that never had cholesterol, like peanut butter, had "Cholesterol Free" labels.

 

It does harm to people in agriculture who are seeing gluten be vilanized when for an overwhelming majority of the population, it is a harmless protein.

I agree the the Sharks have bought into the gluten free = healthy idea (they said the same about the popcorn). It just annoys me bc it's not real. I've made my point though, so I'll stop :)

 

There are many people with celiac disease for whom gluten is a major problem and there are many people with gluten sensitivity who feel better if they avoid gluten, but gluten is not an issue for most people.  I have long held the belief that there wouldn't be so many people that go along with the "gluten-free = healthy" idea if "gluten" had a better sounding name - it sounds like a harmful chemical or like something disgusting.  This may be because the only other place they have heard anything similar is in Mon-Sodium-Glutamate - which has been subjected to a "MSG-free = healthy"  campaign for decades, even though only a small percentage of the poplulation has a reaction to it.  

 

Gluten isn't something you could buy on a store shelf, so people have no experience with it - they don't all seem to realize that they have been eating gluten all their lives. Conversely, many people are so allergic to peanuts that they could die if they eat them, and lots of people have a less severe peanut allergy and need to avoid them, but people haven't jumped on a "peanut free = healthy" bandwagon.  Products only state when they contain peanuts, they don't boast that they are "peanut-free." 

Edited November 23, 2014 by needschocolate

[zxy556575]

I was super annoyed with the discussion about gluten free foods during the chips pitch. Of course they are gluten free. You know what else is? Tostidos. Why? Corn doesn't have gluten. Neither does lettuce (thanks for that sign, produce department) nor, apparently, does my hair conditioner, based in the label. Can we start using our brains with gluten, please?

 

Tortilla chips can be made partially or wholly from wheat flour and can be subject to cross-contamination during manufacture, so the claim didn't register as objectionable with me. I agree about the "No Cholesterol" labels, too, although those seem to have morphed into "Fat Free!" or "No Trans Fats!" these days, especially on some brands of candy, Hey, it's all they got, nutritionally.

[qtpye]

The Go Pro guy was by far the prettiest shark to ever come on the show.  That being said, I feel that he was trying to hard to be the friendly hip young one.  I actually see him practicing his facial expressions into a mirror before coming on to the show.  He might get better if he does more shows...learns to get comfortable and not be so "on" all the time.

[yeswedo]

Please move on from the gluten discussion, thanks.

[JerseyGirl]

I just watched this show and went to Earth Log's website and saw that they have a 3 Log Holiday Special Scents Package:  Pumpkin Spice, Holiday Pine and Vanilla Berry.

 

So it appears they are moving towards "candle" scents.

[cooksdelight]

That's good, but they need to move toward a lower price point. $24.99 for three logs (whether shipped or picked up locally) is a little pricey. But hopefully as they make more and move out into a larger market the price will come down. I enjoyed the guy's presentation and I would love to try some scented logs.

[cooksdelight]

If you stick your nose up close to one that isn't lit, they sort of smell like fresh tar on a highway.

[candall]

The cooking kit would be a good thing to have if you lived somewhere that had severe weather resulting in power outages a lot.

Exactly.  I got trapped in my house for weeks after an ice storm knocked out all power/heat/water and six trees between me and the road, so now I have all sorts of odd things--a gel pack that will clot blood, a Water Bob.  (Tip:  flashlights from Costco, not Dollar Tree.) 

 

The imaginary climate change seems to be getting people stranded more and more often these days.  Those things could be useful for MRE boxes, Red Cross, FEMA, etc.  I thought it was a terrific little item.

[Flyin.Bryan]

Psst... If you want to lose weight, try eating healthy and exercising. Buying a $50 container that holds half a bag of cookies won't help you.

 

Psst...locking up the cookies is so they eat healthier.

[Flyin.Bryan]

Food safe? I dunno. Piece of junk or not, if I'm craving some ice cream and it's on lockdown, I can always go to the danged store and buy more.

 

But going to the store takes a while. The point is to stop you from the moment of weakness that leads you to have "just one more". It puts an obstical in your way so you have enough time to use reason instead of emotion to make your food choices.

Thing is, if someone is really determined to get that cookie, they will.  They'll easily break a $50 product and won't think about it until they've picked the last of the crumbs off of their shirt.

You're confusing overweight people with Cookie Monster.

[zxy556575]

They showed this episode on The People's Couch* last night and the prevailing opinion? Kevin was being a dick but people still didn't grok the Kitchen Safe.

 

 

 

* A Bravo program whereby viewers watch other people watching TV.

[Lola16]

grok?

[designing1]

Lola16, 'grok" is from Robert Heinlein's classic sic-fi novel Stranger in a Strange Land, and essentially means to understand with the very fiber of your being.

 

That said, I know I've seen the food safe on other shows prior to Shark Tank and on one of them, they showed how the top can be pried off in case of emergency, like if your kid locks your keys in there -- or if you really, really want a cookie.

[cooksdelight]

It could be useful for people who are trying to quit or cut down on smoking. I'm surprised that wasn't mentioned.