Amazon Will Sell A Kitchen Device That Makes Cheetos Dust
Consumers truly cannot get enough Cheetos – scientifically speaking. In 2020, 5.17 million U.S. consumers put away "eight or more bags" by themselves, via Statista. Cheetos are the "Official U.S.A. Snack of the FIFA World Cup 2022," per a press release. The brand even makes a boxed macaroni and cheese so fans can enjoy Cheeto flavor for dinner, too. Frito-Lay is apparently hoping that fans can't get enough of the colorful residue, either. It has been marketing the iconic orange Cheeto dust left behind on fans' fingers pretty hard lately. In March, it dropped the "Hands Free" commercial, which depicts people with Cheetos-dust-coated fingers frustratedly trying to do everyday tasks and inadvertently inventing automatic sliding doors, robot vacuums, self-driving cars, and smartphone FaceID.
Per Frito-Lay, the proper nomenclature for this celebrated culinary phenomenon (Cheeto dust) is "Cheetle." It unveiled the word in January 2020 via a press release announcing a new product: Cheetos brand popcorn "infused with Cheetle." The snack giant officially defines Cheetle as "the orange and red dust symbolic of true Cheetos fandom." Last month, Cheetos unveiled a statue in celebration of Cheetle. (Yes, really.) It's a 17-foot-tall sculpture of a hand holding a single Cheeto, and the fingers are generously coated in Cheeto dust. (It's located in Cheadle, Alberta, too.) So ... Cheetle is kind of a big deal to fans. Now, Cheetle fans, keep rejoicing: Amazon is selling a kitchen device that makes Cheetos dust.
The Cheetos Duster is here for a limited time only
Frito-Lay's legendary snack brand Cheetos is dropping a kitchen appliance made with Cheetle fans in mind. It's basically a Nutribullet for Cheetos, and it's exclusively available through Amazon.
The "Cheetos Duster" is exactly what it sounds like: you dump a bunch of Cheetos into the glass barrel of a small blender and it pulverizes them into Cheeto dust, says Marketing Dive. (It's decorated with orange fingerprint decals too, in case there was any confusion.) Frito-Lay is marketing the device as a novelty appliance for Cheeto-fan home cooks (an under-recognized demographic intersection) with an accompanying collection of Cheetle-inspired video recipes, including a Flamin' Hot turkey leg. (Don't say we didn't warn you.) This isn't the first time the snack brand has tried to cross the divide into the culinary world, either. Back in 2017, Cheetos made a pop-up restaurant in New York City that served three-course meals inspired by Cheetos, per Insider.
When Cheetos popcorn first dropped back in 2020, Brandi Ray, senior director of marketing at Frito-Lay North America, commented, "We've seen the way Cheetos lovers don their red- and orange-dusted fingers like a badge of honor, and we're always looking for ways to help them step up their snacking game," via the press release. Surely, the Cheetos Duster takes this sentiment to a whole nother level. The device hits the market on November 21, but it's only available while supplies last. So, Cheetle fans, get to your places.