Housewares Recognized Among Time Magazine’s 2024 ‘Best Inventions’

Time Magazine has released its 2024 “Time’s Best Inventions” issue, highlighting the most impactful new products and ideas.

To compile the list, Time solicited nominations from its editors and correspondents around the world and through an online application process, paying special attention to growing fields such as health care, AI and green energy. Then, each contender was evaluated on a number of key factors, including originality, efficacy, ambition and impact. The result is a list of 200 inventions and 50 special mention inventions.

Housewares products that made the list include:

Personal Care

Filterbaby Eco-Pro Shower Filter

This shower filter removes 99% of chlorine, chloramine, lead, certain heavy metals and PFAS from water using activated carbon and KDF treatment technology. The new model eliminates the plastic housing most filters have on their refills, cutting plastic waste by 80-90% while maintaining the brand’s high standard of filtration.

Laifen Wave Toothbrush

This toothbrush both oscillates and vibrates and is connected to an app featuring three toggles controlling oscillation range, speed and vibration strength so that users can customize their brushing experience.

Food & Drink

Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer

This air fryer uses a “water atomization system” that sprays the food with tiny particles of water throughout the cooking process to ensure food remains at the optimal level of hydration. The “Precision CombiCook” mode allows for automatic tweaks in temperature at the right time, such as searing a steak at the end.

FinaMill FinaPod GT

The FinaMill grinds not only pepper but sesame, garlic, onion and other flavorings using swappable pods that contain different spices. To grind, users just push a button.

GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker

GE has created an active smoke filtration system that allows users to smoke brisket, ribs and more directly in their kitchen. It has an interior meat probe that allows the consumer to check on it via a smartphone app and utilize the “keep warm” option when needed.

LifeStraw Sip

The Sip is a reusable water filter straw made of stainless steel, which uses a high-flow microfilter membrane to block out bacteria, parasites and microplastics.

The Cumulus Machine

This cold brew coffee machine (pictured top) uses recyclable capsules of coffee concentrate, brewing them in water that its tower maintains at 34°F. Heat is not involved at any point in the process.

ThermoPro Twin TempSpike

This thermometer allows for precision cooking while removing all guesswork. Users stick the probe in the meat at the start of cooking and get alerts via a smartphone app when it is ready. It has a 500-foot Bluetooth range.

Household

Mill Food Recycler

This kitchen appliance uses a dual-grinding system to turn food scraps into dry grounds overnight. The machine looks like a sleek trash can, works quietly and features charcoal filters for odor control. The scraps will look like coffee grounds and smell like dried spices and the grounds can be used to fertilize a home garden or for a fee, can be picked up by Mill.

Petlibro Polar Wet Food Feeder

This automatic wet food feeder uses thermoelectric cooling to keep up to 7.4 ounces of food, in rotating compartments for different feeding times, fresh for up to three days. Users can dispense meals on a schedule or at will from the app.

Whisker Litter-Robot 4

This litter box detects a cat’s entrance and exits, traps and sorts its waste product and then puts it into an odor-sealed compartment for later removal.

Experimental

Graphene Square Cordless Transparent Cooker

This cooker has replaced the heating element with graphene, a thin, highly thermally conductive material made of carbon atoms. This rechargeable battery-powered device cooks any item from meat to cookies with 600 watts, which the company says is two times less power than a conventional cooker.

Outdoors

Altec Lansing HydraBlast 2.0

This compact portable outdoor speaker has a built-in mount, magnets and carabiner that allows users to clip or stick it to their bike, backpack or ATV. It is waterproof, dustproof, sandproof and shockproof.

Parenting

Mila’s Keeper MilKeeper

This plastic-free portable breast milk cooler has an insulated vacuum bottle design and reusable high-density polyethylene ice pack to keep 12 ounces of milk safe on the go for up to 20 hours.

Special Mentions

Woof Pet Pupsicle

The Pupsicle is a natural rubber top with a cavity that can be refilled with treats designed as a safer alternative to rawhides and bones. It is dishwasher-friendly.

Bell Bowls

This clamshell to-go food container has a built-in drink holder that is oil-proof and biodegradable, made with a sugarcane-based material.

Caraway Knife & Utensil Set

This knife and utensil set offers 14 essential kitchen tools. The utensils are wooden, the knives are German steel and the modular storage unit can cut down on clutter.

Our Place Titanium Always Pan Pro

This pan is made with titanium with microscopic grooves to create a non-stick pan without any chemical coating.

Dreame Technology Pocket High-Speed Hair Dryer

This compact hairdryer is lightweight and folds but has the power of a standard hair dryer and comes with attachments to transform it into a curling iron or smoother for straight hair.