Chef Sleeve for iPad: The iPad 2 meets a raw egg (video)

Longtime readers of TUAW know that I love to cook, and when I'm not whipping something up from scratch I use my iPad to read recipes that I've stored on Dropbox. I've been extremely lucky using my iPad in the kitchen; about the worst thing I've ever done is to smear the screen with greasy fingers and dribble a small amount of wine-infused mushroom pan sauce on it. But I am really worried that one of these days, my luck's going to run out, and that iPad 2 is going to end up with a ladleful of Bison Chili on -- and in -- it.

Some cyberchefs have taken to putting their iPads into gallon zip top bags to protect them, but I've found that the thickness of those bags means that my taps and gestures sometimes don't translate too well to the iPad's touch screen. I recently received an interesting package from Santiago Merea, the CEO of Merea Consulting of Minneapolis. He's the man behind Chef Sleeve, his solution to the problem of using an iPad in the kitchen.

Chef Sleeves are cleverly packaged clear plastic sleeves designed specifically for those situations where you need to use an iPad, but might have fingers covered with a patient's bodily fluids or a cake batter. Although they're not designed to be used to immerse an iPad, they are splash-resistant, so using your iPad in the rain might become a possibility. I decided to put one to the test the best way I knew how: by cracking a raw egg right onto my white iPad 2. Video after the break.

So what makes a Chef Sleeve different from a zip top bag? First, they're much thinner, so it's easier not only to read the iPad but to manipulate the touchscreen as well. Second, they come in much more fun packaging. The triangular box, which can also be used as an iPad stand, is emblazoned with the words "mix, whip, pour, sprinkle, scroll" and includes a fun icon depicting an iPad wearing a chef's toque. Finally, these bags are designed to be reused. If you smear 'em up or get them dirty, you can just wipe them off (wet paper towel works best) and use them again. A box of 25 (US$19.99) should last for quite some time, but in professional kitchens you might want to get a bunch of the 50-packs.

Knowing that you'd want to see a Chef Sleeve in action, I shot some video just to give you a feel for how well they work. Enjoy!