Best Nerdy Gifts: Kitchen Robots!

As a science fiction lover, I've always been fascinated by automata and artificial intelligence. Evil overlords, newly self-aware intelligent lifeforms, loyal guardians of long-dead civilizations; robots are ever-romantic and deeply thought provoking. They remain one of the most charming and beloved pop culture remnants of the modernist era.

Not only do I love robots, I also collect them. Robot socks, robot jewelry, robot t-shirts, robot pencil sharpeners, wind-up robot toys, robot statues, robot art... I can't get enough of them.

Being the robot girl is convenient because my loved ones know they can't go wrong with a robot gift. When people find out you have a collection, you may be surprised at how many want to help add to it. My friends enjoy my identity as the robot collector almost as much as I do. Between the wonderful gifts I've received and the robots I've bought for myself, I've had quite an opportunity to test and assess various items of robot kitsch.

Below you'll find my favorites. They're fun, useful, practical, and whimsical. I guarantee the robot lover in your life will like them (and actually get some use out of them) because I've owned and loved most of them myself!

My robot tea infuser is my absolute favorite robot item. His hands and arms are both movable, allowing him to adjust to fit any size mug. He opens easily and unfolds completely for thorough cleaning. He's even dishwasher safe. The strainer holes are a little big, so very small pieces of tea sometimes escape into my mug, but it's never bothered me. Put him in a gift bag with a tin of loose leaf tea for a classy present (the whole thing shouldn't cost more than $15-$20, depending on the quality of tea).

These salt and pepper shakers are really neat. Instead of passing the salt, wind him up and point him in the right direction. Both salt and pepper are working windup toys. They only hold about half as much salt and pepper as a normal shaker (because the wind-up bits take up some of the inside), but refilling them more often is totally worth it.

These flexible silicon molds are pretty nifty. Use them for ice, to make Jell-o jigglers (or Jell-o shots if you're so inclined), as a chocolate or hard candy mold, and for tons of other stuff. They're oven, dishwasher, and microwave safe. The only drawbacks are that it can be difficult to remove the ice bots without breaking the legs off (take them out slowly and carefully) and that they don't hold very much. If you're getting them as a gift, I recommend buying at least two.

Always a classic. A wine opener is a gift you know will see some serious use. This style is my favorite (but be aware that his arms don't move up and down like a true butterfly corkscrew). It's easy to use and dishwasher safe. Give this alongside a bottle of wine for bonus points.

Oh my gosh, this thing is THE BEST. He disassembles into a fully-functioning set of measuring cups (including 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, and 1/4 cup). Each of the measuring cups are marked with their sizes in relief, so you don't have to worry about the size numbers washing off over time. He's easy to take apart and put back together. He's dishwasher safe, and best of all, sits nicely on the shelf (saving you ever-precious kitchen drawer space).

Not a ton to say here. He's a robot. He's a bottle opener. He tirelessly opens your bottles of beer (or soda) as only a robot can. He's dishwasher safe and can balance on his feet. He'll look cute on a shelf, counter, or fridge top waiting patiently to serve you.

Bonus points for printing out a DIY Rusted Robot label and decorating a beer with it to give alongside the bottle opener.