The Innovative B!POD: A Game-Changer in Food Storage?
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” Einstein once famously said. His words ring in my ears every time I sweep the fridge of mouldy produce and out-of-date foodstuffs into the bin. The level of waste is guilt-inducing, but more so because it’s not the first time I’ve vowed, at the time of purchase, that I would eat all of this stuff the second I returned home.
The staggering amount of food waste in the UK is a pressing issue.
Fresh strawberries, carrots, and cucumbers intended to become matchsticks to scoop hummus, bananas for a takeaway breakfast, and salad leaves to get more greens onto my plate. All casualties of my “good intentions”. I may as well skip the shops altogether and just chuck £10 notes directly into my kitchen’s pedal bin.
Still, there’s some solace in knowing I’m not the only culprit here. Countless data shows that food waste levels are shameful in the UK. Business waste puts it at 9.5m tonnes every year, and even at the amount I wind up chucking, I know that figure can’t be all me.
Clearly, I need to change my shopping habits to stem the river of food waste (not to mention money lost). But there is another way to prevent so much food from going into the bin with a new kitchen gadget. Folks, say hello to B!POD.
B!POD offers innovation to feel excited about.
The company is responsible for DRO!D, a food vacuum that can extend the life of food by up to five times more than usual. The device sucks all the air out of the closed watertight containers, preventing food oxidisation and subsequent mould and rotting, sort of how one uses clothes vacuum bags. The company says DRO!D can also preserve food’s nutritional value and help deepen the strength of marinades.
Is it all hype, or does the spiel check out? I tried out the starter set to see for myself.
B!POD Starter Kit Key Specs
In the box:
- Set of x3 circular, reusable containers (compatible with fridges and freezers), DRO!D vacuum device and charging kit
Capacity and size:
- Small 0.5L, D14cm, H5cm
- Medium 1L, D16cm, H7cm
- Large 1.5L, D18cm, H10cm
Charging: via USB-C
Vacuum time: 30 seconds
Charging time: up to two hours from flat
Run time: up to 20 uninterrupted vacuum suctions
B!POD Product Specifications
- Microwave and dishwasher-friendly
- Made out of silicone, tritan, and ocean-bound PP
- Can be used in temperatures from -20C to +90C
- MoCA certified
- FDA approved
- BPA free
- ISCC Certified
- CE and UKCA-certified
B!POD’s innovative packaging is fully recyclable.
The DRO!D tool, which you might mistake for a pair of hi-tech binoculars in shape and size, comes with its charging base and UK and European plug attachments in a branded box. A quick-start manual is in there too, plus the three lidded containers that come as part of the starter kit. They can be stored matryoshka-style inside each other if you’re not using them, but once you get to grip with the DRO!D, you won’t give these containers a moment’s rest.
Made from ocean-bound plastic, they can store all types of food, from fresh, raw, dry, and cooked, in both solid and liquid form.
Usability
The company has made using the DRO!D a piece of cake (which, incidentally, can also be preserved using the machine). Fill a container with wet or dry ingredients and push the lid on. Line up the Droid over the rubberised valve and press GO.
The machine works at either high or low speed, removing 95 per cent of oxygen molecules, meaning food oxidisation cannot occur. Your food is left in a state of suspension, a kind of hyper-sleep if you want to get sci-fi about it. A countdown on the user screen will let you know when the vacuum is complete.
When you’re ready to crack open the lid and get to the food once more, simply lift the rubber valve first to depressurise.
Does it Work?
As someone who is frequently faced with wilting herbs and mouldy fruit, it thrilled me to know that DRO!D would keep them ripe until I remembered to eat them. Cucumber batons retained their crunch, coriander stayed bright and crisp, and strawberries and raspberries looked the same as when I first put them into the container.
I haven’t tried freezing leftovers or stored batch-cooked meals in them yet, but B!POD assures that the vacuum will work in the same way, with no freezer burn when packed amongst ice (which means no diluting the flavour either).
The device is also great for marinating (handy with BBQ season well and truly here), as the lack of oxygen means flavours penetrate meats and veggies more deeply - up to 80 per cent better, according to the company. Think of it as pressure-prepping.
Price and Where to Buy
B!POD starter set - £271
Available in grey, red, orange, blue, green, and yellow containers.
Extra containers cost £58.50 a set.
Single containers cost from £17 each.
Buy now £271,
Verdict
There’s no doubt about it. B!POD’s DRO!D is a food waste game-changer, stretching the life of your routine shop so you can stick to those good intentions and keep food fresher for longer.
Here’s the kicker: B!POD’s genius doesn’t come cheap. The starter set, which comes with three containers, costs £271, which might make it the priciest set of tupperware ever. But what you’re really coughing up for is the DRO!D. There’s no tech like it on the market. Not only will it save food and money, but it’s fully recyclable too, all made from interlocking parts without screws or glue.
And if you add up all the cash you’ve chucked away over the years binning grotty food, that three-figure sum pales in comparison. When food waste is this high, can you afford not to?
