Picnic time is upon us, and at the 2016 International Home + Housewares Show, we were on the lookout for new gifts and gadgets that would work for picnicking, camping, RVing, etc.  One of our happiest discoveries was from a company called Kikkerland.

Their tagline is “Where creativity runs rampant and even the most utilitarian gadget becomes a delightful discovery!” and that’s spot on.  From their solar powered gadgets to simple refrigerator magnets, from iPhone accessories to shower curtains, and from travel accessories to bath and spa products – everything is bright, whimsical and oh, yeah…useful.

We picked up a trio of Kikkerland products to keep in the car for impromptu getaways.

Portable BBQ Suitcase Red  (SKU: BQ01-RD)

Ever try to grab a BBQ grill at a park on a beautiful spring or summer day? Almost impossible.  Now, for just the two of you, you can take your BBQ grill wherever you travel.  This 12”x8”x3” stainless steel grill folds flat for storage, but hinges open for quick cooking.

The charcoal receiver and the cooking grid all fit inside, but pop out and install in about 30 seconds.

I keep some Kingsford Quick Lite Charcoal in a paper lunch bag and just place the whole thing in the grill and light with one match. I then sit back about 15 minutes, enjoy some wine (more about that later) and wait for the coals to whiten.

The paper bag burns away, and when the coals are ready, I can place two huge hamburgers on the grill or two small steaks.

A handy little bent wire accessory allows you to reposition charcoal briquettes and lift the grill while it’s hot.

After enjoying our meal, there were still enough coals for s’mores.  Fun little product – check it out here – Kikkerland Portable BBQ Suitcase Red.

Stacking Wine Glass Set of 2 (SKU: BA38)

 

After breaking countless, cheap plastic wine glasses over the years, we almost gave up keeping any in the car. They were just too flimsy.  These Stacking Wine Glasses solve the problem.

Made of sturdy plastic, each of these wine glasses has stems that untwist and store right in the glass itself.  Screw them both together and you even get a lanyard top for hanging them up when not in use.

Each of the glasses holds 10 oz. of wine or other cold drinks, and is made of BPA free, food-safe plastic.

Comfortable to hold, yet sturdy enough that they won’t blow over, these are ideal for picnics. Ours are white, but I believe they are also available in black. The glasses are hand washable – not intended for the dishwasher.

Back Scratcher (SKU: BS001-C)

Wrapping up our red, white and blue trio of products from Kikkerland is a convenient little back scratcher. Just over six inches long, it easy extends to over 20” with its four telescoping tubes. Five curved aluminum fingers do an admirable job of soothing even the peskiest itch on your back.

A handy pen-style clip allows you to clip this to a pocket or pouch so it’s always readily available.

The other, just as frequent job for this back scratcher is to use it to retrieve things that have fallen to the floor in the passenger compartment of my car, typically those that have slid off the front seat.  I can’t count all the things that have slid onto the floor when I needed to make a quicker than planned stop.

You can never reach over the floor shift far enough to reach the far corner of the passenger floor, but with the additional 20” reach, you’ve got a much better chance of retrieving your item.

As we mentioned before, Kikkerland has so many unique gifts and gadgets. Hopefully we’ll be reviewing more in the near future.  Watch here for more details or check out their website at https://kikkerland.com/.