Posts tagged glass
Review: Ozeri Serafino Glasses
1These glass tumblers are made by a company called Ozeri. You may have seen Ozeri feature on lots of UK blogs over the last few weeks as, while they are already established in th USA, they are currently expanding into the UK. They are actually a supplier to the hotel industry, but also design contemporary products for the home which they say have the same durability as their hotel products.
I love functional and clean design and think these glasses look great. The double wall makes them quite unusual to look at – especially with liquid in. The genius is that thanks to the double wall made of durable heat-resistant mouth-blown borosilicate glass, you can put hot or cold drinks in these glasses and still hold the tumbler with your hand – no burnt fingers, shattered glass or even condensation when drinking very cold drinks. Here – tea (which always looks strange through a glass) on the left, cold pink grapefruit barley cordial on the right; totally clear glasses.
The glass itself is surprisingly thin, much thinner than I was expecting from heat-resistant glasses, but the double layer does mean you are drinking from quite a thick edge, a bit like a mug. They still seem quite dainty though but I have knocked mine against other things already (yes, I am that clumsy) and thankfully no chips or cracks. I love the contour created in the glass on the outside layer – it makes the glass easy to hold and makes it look great when there’s something colourful inside.
I mentioned these were functional; you can put them in the dishwasher, microwave and freezer so you can use them for all sorts – I’m thinking individual ice cream desserts perhaps, although I haven’t tried that yet.
They are available in various sizes – these ones hold 12oz which is a can of coke; although bear in mind that they are not as big as they might seem as the inside is smaller than the outside.
I am impressed with these unusual looking glasses, they look great on my table and are nice to drink from.
Ozeri products are available at Amazon.
Disclaimer: Ozeri sent me these glasses so I could feature them here on Splodz Blogz. I I have not been told what to say and have been no less honest as a result of receiving the product for free.
Seeing the Northern Lights
3When we went to Ruka in Finland a couple of weeks ago we knew there was a chance that we might see the Northern Lights.
The Aurora Borealis is a natural light display in the sky particularly in Arctic and Antarctic regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the thermosphere. Named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas, by Pierre Gassendi, Auroras seen near the magnetic pole may be high overhead, but from farther away, they illuminate the northern horizon as a greenish glow or sometimes a faint red, as if the Sun were rising from an unusual direction. (Thanks Wikipedia for the help with the definition!)
They are considered quite a sight, and are featured on many bucket lists (including my own!) – they are a sight to behold.
Ruka sits just below the Arctic Circle and the Northern Lights are visible from there on occasion. The photo above is borrowed from Ruka.fi website and looks across Ruka village from the top of the surrounding hills. Sadly, the conditions weren’t quite right for us and they were not visible from where we were. Not even on Wednesday evening when we took some snowmobiles out on a bit of a safari into the Finnish wilderness.
We didn’t go to Ruka to see the Northern Lights, we went for a winter holiday, but it would have been a nice bonus. We knew there was only a chance but we also knew that it would probably be our best chance. Now, of course, we want to create a new chance. I think we’ve pretty much decided to go back to Ruka for more winter skiing fun sometime, including venturing a bit further away on snow mobiles into the forests.
But what about this? A friend sent me the link to Hotel Kakslauttanen and it just looks amazing. And now I want to sleep in a glass igloo!
The site says:
Glass igloo provides an one of a kind opportunity to admire the northern lights and millions of stars of the crystal clear Lapp sky in a comfortable room temperature. Based on a groundbreaking idea and years of research and development, glass igloos are a marvel of modern technology. Built from a special thermal glass the temperature inside the igloo always stays at a normal level. It also prevents the glass from not getting white frosted, hence keeping the view clear even when the temperature outside drops to under -30°C. Every igloo is equipped with a toilet and luxury beds. On every evening a hot sauna and a refreshing ice hole are waiting for you.
Wow. What an experience that would be. I love the idea of relaxing in a warm bed, looking up at the sky through the glass igloo like ceiling, taking in the wonder of nature. All those stars, and that beautiful green tint. Can you imagine?
They have snow igloos and log cabins too, and run excursions and activities of course, but I think the glass igloo would be the most spectacular place to sleep. Maybe on the planet. I am definitely adding this to my list!
Review: J2O Fridge Pack
05 months ago
I am a BzzAgent and this is a Bzz Review…
I was recently sent on one of the new J2O Fridge Packs to try at home. I am already a fan of J2O, I enjoy the juice drinks very much and, even though they are very sweet, they are something nice to have when I go out. I have been known to buy the packs of bottles from the supermarket to put in the fridge at home, but not very often.
J2O now comes in cans. To begin with I wasn’t really sure what the point of that was. Glass bottles give the drink some sophistication, make it a bit special, and of course look great. But when I thought about it I realised that cans are more every day, and that’s what J2O are trying to do, make this a more every day at home drink.
The cardboard box is designed to go in the fridge with the cans inside, making them easily accessible without having them rolling about the place (a problem I always have when I buy the bottles – they are fine when in that cardboard sleeve, but as soon as you take one out the bottles have to all sit on the shelf taking up space and rolling about). I appreciate fridge packs, they do make the fridge more organised and mean you can reach in a grab a can easily. Each pack comes with six 250ml cans – they are the size of Red Bull cans – which means you get slightly less drink in these (275ml in the bottles); but the price of six cans is about the same as four bottles so you are getting better value here too. I expect cans are cheaper to make than glass bottles, and probably easier to recycle so the move to cans does make sense. Oh and of course with cans you don’t need a bottle opener!
Taste wise, well I have to say I do think the drink tastes a bit different. It’s strange how the container can have an effect on the flavour. It seems thinner somehow, I’m not sure. This is easily solved, though, just pour it into a glass!
At the moment you can get Orange and Passion Fruit and Apple and Raspberry flavours in the Fridge Pack cans in Tesco. I hope they become more widely available as I wouldn’t mind being able to get these more regularly.
Disclaimer: I am a BzzAgent and was asked to take part in the J2O Fridge Pack campaign, which meant I was sent some drinks to try at home in return for telling other people what I think about them. I have not been told what to write and I have been no less honest as a result.
Fentimans Rose Lemonade
01 year ago
Fentimans is a producer of traditional drinks in glass bottles – from Curiosity Cola and Ginger Beer to my favourite drink ever – Victorian Lemonade.
This is their Rose Lemonade. It is available in 750ml bottles and I got mine from Tesco.
I wondered what the addition of rose would be, and it does really enhance the drink. It’s not as strong a lemon flavour as the Victorian Lemonade, but it is fresher, and has a lovely after taste. This more subtle and softer flavour means it is a great accompaniment to a meal (where some of the others are best served as a refreshing drink on their own).
This is botanically brewed but is a soft (non-alcoholic) drink. I think the traditional glass bottles give the drinks a great status, and of course sparkling drinks like these always taste better from glass bottles as the bubbles can’t escape until you take the lid off.
If you’ve never tried a Fentimans drink they you are honestly missing out. They’re even in Spar shops so get yourself a bottle of something now and try it. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
