Step can steps up with trash'pactor

Kitchen gadgets are usually handy helpers geared toward the preparation of food. But as we all know, there is a darker, murkier side of the kitchen: the trash. An endless procession of trash bags march through our everyday lives: from the box to the can to the bin outside, eventually disappearing off into the sunset and the landfill. With all this activity, it seems a ripe place to dig a little deeper to find some gadgetry.

The TK10 Trash Krusher is a step can that takes things a step further by employing a simple'pacting lid. Make no mistake about it: this'pacting lid is activated and operated by you; this is not a powered trash'pactor. But now that we know what it isn't, what about what it is?The'pacting lid is integrated in the design and is held in place with clips and magnets. When it's time to push down the accumulated garbage, the'pacting device detaches from the lid and users manually push it down. In essence, the lid serves as a more convenient alternative to your foot cleaner for shoes, too.

Additional features include a soft-close lid, a bag locking mechanism and a lid lock to keep the can open for extended usage.The main feature of this kitchen essential is of course the'pacting device, or in real life terms: the trash pusher-downer. Certainly there is some elegance in the overall simplicity of this design, but is it $160 worth of'pacting convenience? Hard to say. One thing though is known: there will always be trash to fill up the can.Some of Kathleen Hill's fondest memories'e from the kitchen table of her childhood home in Berkeley. The scent of warm cinnamon toast or a sip of fresh-squeezed orange juice take her back to a simpler time, an era she can't quite leave behind.