Skip to main content

Oblend is a modern cauldron poised for crafting the perfect essential oil

Talking household gadgets, ovens and smart refrigerators seem to get all the hype at CES — I mean, did you see LG’s Alexa-equipped fridge? It makes sense, given these appliances are the foundation on which a smart kitchen is built, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only gadgets in your home that could use a 21st-century makeover. Enter the Oblend, a mixer that can make more than just a margarita.

The robust countertop device is the handiwork of Seattle-based Altopa, and is capable of blending essential oils, tinctures, drinks, lotions, and a host of other botanical extracts for use in a variety of health and wellness applications. It was engineered to meet medical device standards, and as such, it benefits from a high level of precision and results in a more consistent product than if you were to blend the ingredients on your own.

Related Videos
Oblend
Oblend
Oblend

In fact, consistency is the very thing Altopa CEO and founder Matt Wilson was looking to achieve when he began concocting the idea of the Oblend in 2016. The inspiration for the device came out of an experience he had with his border collie, who was suffering from frequent seizures as a result of a brain tumor.

“I didn’t have any good options to help him,” Wilson said to Digital Trends at CES 2018. “I ended up using medical marijuana — and it worked, which blew my mind. It wasn’t a perfect solution, though, so I set out to create something that made [the end product] more consistent, more predictable.”

The result was the Oblend, a device built with customization in mind. Housed within the device’s modern, matte-black exterior is space for up to two dozen cartridges, each of which represents a different ingredient or blend of various extracts (rosemary, lemongrass, THC, etc.). Once set up, you can blend these ingredients with the help of an accompanying mobile app, allowing you to fine-tune the strength of each ingredient, as well as the aroma and overall flavor profile. Afterward, you can dispense your blend into a vapor cartridge, a lotion for topical application, or into a culinary oil for making edibles and other delectables.

The best part of it all? You can browse a host of curated blends — each of which is tailored toward specific ailments — or save your newly minted blend in the app, giving you a quick means for re-creating your favorite amalgam later.

Sadly, this kind of convenience doesn’t come cheap, as the Oblend will retail for a cool $949 when it lands this summer. Early adopters can nab the device for half the price during the presale window — just head to the Oblend website and throw your name on the waiting list for more info.

Editors' Recommendations

Matter Launch Day Event brought big news about future updates, compatible products
The Matter logo on a colorful background.

Matter and its accompanying certification program were announced last month, and now we’re getting our first official look at how companies will be using the new connectivity standard in their smart home lineup.

The Matter Launch Event kicked off today in Amsterdam -- and it sounds like manufacturers are eager to get the tech integrated with their products. Over 190 devices are already Matter-certified or in line to get certified. The organization has also expanded to eight authorized locations for testing, which should speed up the process and get Matter into your home at an accelerated pace.

Read more
Ecovacs launching robotic lawnmower, commercial floor-cleaning robots in 2023
The ECOVACS GOAT 1 mowing a lawn.

Ecovacs, a prominent name in the world of home service robots, is expanding its lineup with a robotic lawnmower and commercial floor cleaning robot. The two products are expected to arrive in China next year, although pricing and North American release dates are yet to be determined.

The robot lawnmower, Goat G1, is arguably the more interesting of the two, as it’s designed for both personal and commercial use. This will be the first robotic lawnmower from Ecovacs, although it builds on existing technology to offer a lawn-mowing experience that works much like a robot vacuum. After mapping out your yard with an accompanying smartphone app, the Goat G1 will go about cutting grass with centimeter-level precision, thanks to a 360-degree camera and the ability to scan 25 frames per second to avoid moving obstacles.

Read more
Roku gets into the smart home business with Wyze and Walmart
Roku Smart Home camera feed

Roku officially is in the smart home business. The biggest streaming platform in the U.S. (thanks to its low-cost hardware) today announced a partnership that teams it up with Wyze Labs (maker of low-cost lights and cameras and such) to sell cameras, lights, doorbells and smart outlets, all under the Roku Smart Home name. And it'll all be available at Walmart starting October 17.

The news was partially outed earlier in the week by way of Reddit and some shipping manifests, as noted by Zatz Not Funny.

Read more