When watching a science fiction movie or television show, the technological advancements are easy to see because of the teleport machines, laser guns and intergalactic spaceships.

What we fail to appreciate are the little every day appliances that pull these scenes together. For some reason “Star Trek” would seem strange if instead of using their Replicator to make meals they had to cook in a present day oven.

This week we are going to appreciate the appliances that are bringing our atmosphere closer to that of the science fiction shows we know and love.

One of the worst annoyances of any kitchen is the measuring supplies. You always have to have ten different kinds and they never fit where you want them.

The worst of all of these is the measuring spoon.

Whenever you need a measuring spoon you can’t grab just one, it has to be the entire ring. Then you have this awkward fumbling situation where you are trying to scoop out messy ingredients and trying not to get them on any other spoon.

Fortunately, something has been created to solve this problem: the Polygon measuring spoon. In its original form this spoon looks like a flat rectangle of plastic. But when you fold it at the measurement that you need it becomes a perfect measurement.

If you are using a sticky ingredient and don’t want to dirty your finger or another utensil trying to get it out you simply need to flatten it and scrape it off on the inside of the bowl.

Unfortunately, this is still in the prototyping stage, but hopefully within a few years, the Polygon measuring spoon will makes its way onto the shelves.

Now that you have a perfectly measured out tablespoon of peanut butter, you need something to spread it on. That brings in our next futuristic appliance: the Transparent Toaster.

While this might seem like a useless aesthetic item, it’s exactly what every toast lover needs. With this toaster you can see if your toast is the color that you want it to be. Gone will be the days of wasted bread turned into burnt toast. Now you can always make sure you get the perfect slice every time.

Even though both of these items are still in the works, it’s cool to know that these might eventually be the norm in every household kitchen.

Next time you make a meal, just remember, the future is now, and it is coming for your appliances.