Innovative Products: Flexible Al Fresco Cooking and Material Delivery

Cosmopolitan Cooking Table

Outdoor living emerged as a high-demand project the past few years, and outdoor kitchens quickly became a top request. At the same time, housing density and lot sizes continue to challenge outdoor spaces.

In response, outdoor stainless steel kitchen manufacturer Danver created a product to meet both trends: the Cosmopolitan Cooking Table. What appears as a normal, industrial-style table actually functions as a dynamic cooktop.

An Invisacook induction hob is installed beneath the solid stone surface and the control panel pulls out from a drawer, essentially hiding all cooking elements from sight. This allows homeowners to use the table as a prep or dining surface in addition to cooking.

Invisacook units also offer the option for homeowners to control cooking settings via its Tuya phone app. Invisacook’s interior algorithm detects foreign objects on the surface of the induction points, shutting down the transmitter coil and alerting the user.

With usable pans, the induction points will automatically adjust and the unit also features a power boost option for faster cooking speed. It requires a 220v receptacle for four burners and 110v for two burners. It will require an AC input.

The table comes with two or four burners and the option to select from Danver’s 60 available powder-coated colors.

RenoRun

What started as a few industry buddies sitting in hardware store parking lots has turned into a startup now backed by more than $160 million in funding.

RenoRun can be equated to the DoorDash, Uber, or Amazon Prime of the construction industry—at least, that’s the goal. RenoRun delivers building materials on-site to contractors who order through its app. Currently, it’s available in Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Delivery times can be as soon as two hours after placing an order, the company claims.

Canadian-based RenoRun opened in 2017 with the goal to lessen the time contractors spent running to hardware stores for materials. The company says if two team members are sent to the hardware store on one-hour runs, 20 times a month, it equates to a full workweek essentially wasted picking up materials.

Shoppers can order materials such as drywall, paint, sealant, insulation, framing lumber, millwork, plywood, and more. Custom orders can be fulfilled through a special request.

Similar to Amazon Prime and other delivery services, RenoRun offers a subscription service for material discounts beginning at $199 a month. Without the subscription, deliveries can cost anywhere from $40 to $60. Other fees cover features such as walk-in drop offs, early morning deliveries, and 60-day returns. Regardless of a PRO+ subscription, RenoRun provides free coffee at delivery.

A comparison of plywood prices listed on RenoRun to those stocked at Home Depot in April 2022 showed matched pricing.

There are few competitors offering specialized services in the US. Home Depot and Lowe’s offer delivery, but competitor Curri promotes the same benefits of limiting time away from the jobsite. But instead of ordering materials through the app, contractors order drivers. Curri will pick up orders directly from the store you order from. The company’s deliveries are insured up to $25,000, promise same-day delivery, and are available in every state.