When even Ikea gets in on the act, you know you’re witnessing a big shift in consumer behavior. And in the Rimforsa design series in its “Kitchen & appliances” department, alongside the knife holders and chopping boards, we now have the Rimforsa tablet stand, in sturdy bamboo, for $15.99. It looks like tablets and ereading solutions have truly arrived in the average kitchen.
“You can choose to put the stand on your countertop, or to hang it on the wall for more space when cooking,” says the Ikea blurb. “The stand is stable enough for both books and tablets. Made from a durable material to endure everyday use.”
With what appears to be a stainless steel hanger on the back, the Rimforsa tablet stand looks like a well-engineered design, as well as a durable and cheap one. But it’s by no means the only alternative. Ikea itself has its cheap Isberget tablet stand, surely just as durable. So what is the best solution for ereading those recipe books in your kitchen?
If you want to go the whole nine yards, there’s the QooQ Tablet, an Android-based design which advertises itself as “the first kitchenproof, multimedia tablet.” As well as an “anti-splash mineral treated screen,” and anti-skid base, the QooQ boasts “a selction of 3,000 exclusive haute cuisine recipes.” All that haute cuisine and high-class design starts at $499.00.
Sony also came out in 2013 with the Xperia Tablet Z: Kitchen Edition with a US starting retail price of $649. This boasted a construction that could “withstand the toughest kitchen environment with its durable glass, carbon-fiber reinforced back panel and water-resistant design.” Apparently the design didn’t … ahem … stick, though, as it doesn’t appear to be in regular stock at Amazon right now.
There’s also a variety of tablet accessories for the kitchen, including the Belkin Kitchen Stand and Wand/Stylus for Tablets and the Orange Chef Sleeve for iPad, or even the Belkin Fridge Mount for iPad. For actual operation of your tablet in the kitchen, I recommend the kind of handsfree solutions already implemented for driving, as detailed here. And for some tips on how to use your tablet in the kitchen, see here. Bon appetit!
