According to The Columbus Dispatch, Chris Hawker has been blessed with publicity on a grand scale. His tear-free onion goggles help stop eyes from tearing up while cutting and onion. With a simple enough approach, Hawker has hit a successful stride as his invention finds its way all over television. It has been mentioned on TV by Diane Sawyer, Paula Deen, Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart. Most recently, the goggles received a unique shout out on the popular TV show, Modern Family.
“It’s the most prominent thing that’s happened for me so far in my career,” said the 36-year-old inventor, a Toledo-area native who studied comparative religion at Ohio State University – and employs 10 people at his Short North company.
Hawker might be speaking modestly: His self-created PowerSquid outlet strip, after all, has sold several million units.
Although the Onion Goggles idea was conceived by the Seattle kitchenware company RSVP International, which owns the patent, his team was tapped to oversee the development, branding and licensing.
A foam coating around the plastic anti-fogging lenses prevents the sulfuric fumes of an onion from affecting the eyes during chopping.
The one-size eyewear fits about 85 percent of women – “the primary buyers of the product,” Hawker said.
Onion Goggles are sold online via sites such as Amazon.com but peddled primarily at independent cookware stores.
Photo from Amazon