Brando

Brando is an online retailer from Hong Kong that specializes in different types of gadgets, all of which are manufactured in China. Recently, they caught our attention when they announced the release of their USB Chiller And Warmer.

It is an interesting gadget, keeping your drinks cold or hot right at your desktop. Many computer users enjoy having a drink right next to them to keep them going, whether if it's for a long game, or to complete important work. However, no matter how cold or hot they start out as, those drinks eventually settle down to room temperature.

Now, everyone knows that a cold drink should be cold, and a hot drink should be hot. Period. Hence, it irritates me when my cold drink warms up to room temperature. Worse still, any ice that I put in melts and dilutes the drink. This gadget certainly looks pretty darn useful, if you ask me.

However, the price tag does seem a bit steep at USD 24. It really don't look that expensive. So, we thought, why don't we get a closer look at this USB gadget and see if it's really worth that kind of money. Brando very kindly sent us a review unit for our evaluation.

Today, we present the results of our investigation. Is this a must-have gadget for anyone who love a cold or hot drink sitting next to the computer? Or is this yet another toy, with a great concept but cannot deliver on the promise? Let's find out.

Packaging

The USB Chiller And Warmer came in a nondescript white cardboard box. I'm not sure if this is the actual package used for everyone who buys from Brando, but we should assume so until proven otherwise.

Inside the plain white box, we found nothing but the gadget itself and an instruction sheet. It's certainly a very spartan package.

Although there's really no need for instructions on how to use this device, the instruction sheet is a real keeper. It's always good for a sad, dreary days when you need something to perk up your day.

If you do not believe what I say, click on the picture and read.

Okay, we should not be cruel about bad translations. But seriously, if they are looking to sell this internationally, can't they hire someone with a better command of English? It really looks like a direct translation from Mandarin using a dictionary.

In any case, it does provide some useful information about the unit, particularly about its performance. According to this instruction sheet, we can expect the chiller to hit a maximum temperature of 80°C and a minimum temperature of 10°C, based on a room temperature of 25°C.

That certainly sounds pretty good, if you ask me. But I wonder... can this teeny weeny unit really perform that well?