kitchenware news - Oser Communications Group
Transcription
kitchenware news - Oser Communications Group
SPECIAL FEATURE: GIFTWARE: BUYERS GUIDE: HOME & KITCHEN STORAGE PET PRODUCTS BAMBOO SEE PAGE 11-18 SEE PAGE 20-21 SEE PAGE 21 K ITCHENWARE NEWS H o u s e w, a r e s R e v i e w S E RV I N G K I T C H E N WA R E VOLUME 19,1NUMBER VoL uMe 9, N uMber1010 OCTOBER 2013 n $7.00 SMALL ELECTRICS n Yogurt Makers PAGE 9 n Kuhn Rikon PAGE 10 HOME DECOR n VIETRI PAGE 12 HOME & KITCHEN STORAGE n Ziploc Vacuum Sealer PAGE 15 RETAILER PROFILE n The Good Life PAGE 17 PRODUCT REVIEW n Chef Pro Super Chopper PAGE 18 GIFTWARE n Designer Pet Products “Made in America” Gains Strength as a Consumer Motivator BY LORRIE BAUMANN CUTLERY PAGE 22 “Made in the USA” is a trend that’s growing in strength as its adopted by the mass market consumer, according to Architec CEO Jenna Sellers Miller, whose company is responding by increasing the number of American-made products it offers. “From the marketing standpoint, the Walmart announcement of $50 billon initiative to buy U.S. is going to drive the market, and we’re going to see a lot of other companies following suit,” she said. Walmart announced in January that the retailer plans to n Whisk Away: Modern Options Increase Efficiency, Alter Traditional Shapes PAGE 23 News..............................................4 Ad Index .......................................23 www.kitchenwarenews.com buy an additional $50 billion in American-made products like sporting goods and high-end appliances over the next 10 years. At the same time, Walmart announced that it will hire 100,000 American military veterans over the next five years. In past years, “Made in America” wasn’t a strong seller, simply because American-made products tended to be more expensive than the same item made in China, but over the past five years, that’s been changing, according to Sellers Miller. U.S. industries’ costs are declining because they’re experiencing Kitchen Minimalism: Scandinavian Design for Small Spaces lower energy costs as a result of abundant natural gas supplies, according to the Institute for Energy Research. At the same time, production costs are rising in China, and a study released in April of this year, the “AlixPartners ManufacturingSourcing Outlook,” projects that the U.S. will achieve cost parity Continued on PAGE 6 Stronger than Titanium, Lighter than Steel, Sharp for Years. Is this Superknife? BY LORRIE BAUMANN GADGET OF THE MONTH H O M E D E C O R A N D G I F T WA R E M A R K E T S Step aside, Sheriff, there’s a new knife in town. VMatter Cutlery has announced the launch of a crowdfunding campaign to bring to market a knife made of a new material that the company claims has the potential to change food preparation forever. The knife is among the first commercial applications of a metal alloy developed at the California Institute of Technology through research funded in part by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This alloy is a metal that has the amorphous structure of a glass rather than the crystalline structure of a normal metal. You can imagine the difference by thinking about the difference between the sharp edge of a piece of broken glass and the sharp edges that you feel on the grains of sand as you walk barefoot along the beach. This metal alloy is more like that piece of broken glass than it’s like those crystalline grains of sand, and the folks at VMatter are claiming that’s how it cuts too. Although the material was first discovered 20 years ago, it has taken its inventors a long time to Continued on PAGE 10 Product Knowledge, Passion and Family Involvement Make The Good Life BY LORRIE BAUMANN For more than 40 years, familyowned and operated The Good Life has been providing everything for the well-equipped kitchen of the chef at heart. Cooking classes with a resident chef, demonstrations in and out of the store and an extended family with a deep knowledge of the products are all instrumental in the store’s long success. The Good Life is located in Naples, Fla., which has a winter tourism season that stretches from mid-October through April that swells the city’s population and has drastic effects on the store’s business during that time. “We’re about six months on and six months off,” says Dave Schwarz, who owns the store along with his wife Deb. “We still do business in the summertime, but it’s nothing like what we do in the winter months.” The Good Life incorporated Continued on PAGE 17 Modern Scandinavian design offers answers for cooks who find themselves in cramped kitchens short on drawer space. This multi-purpose kitchenware combines style with efficiency, reducing the need for extra kitchen tools, but freeing up space for cooks who just can’t resist a few more. These tools and gadgets can be tucked away before guests arrive for dinner, but they’re so beautiful that you’ll want to leave them out. The Magisso Teacup eliminates the need for a teapot on the shelf and strainers in the drawer with its innovative steep-in-the-cup design. Place loose leaf tea in the small strainer end and fill up the cup with hot water. When the tea is ready for drinking, end the steeping process by tilting the cup away from the tea leaves and enjoy. Magisso also offers the Slotted Turner, a tool that transforms from a spatula to a serving utensil. The Sagaform Hold is a delightfully modern, stylish and minimalist way to hold your page in a cook book. Due to its weight and construction, the Sagaform Hold keeps the cook book open without breaking the binding. When it’s not in use, it hangs on the wall. The Funnel and Strainer from Normann Copenhagen, designed by Boje Estermann, are made of durable rubber, allowing them to pop into form for use and nest flatly for storage. True to Scandinavian design, these tools play with bright colors and smooth edges that will brighten up the kitchen when in use and are easy to locate when tucked away. www.kitchenwarenews.com n OCTOBER 2013 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW GENERAL NEWS 3 General News best New Products from the Gourmet Housewares Show BY LORRIE BAUMANN The Modena Cruet from Nycruets won best of show honors at the Summer 2013 Gourmet Housewares Best New Product Awards at NY Now. Modena is one of a line of cruets that dispense both oil and vinegar from one bottle. These cruets are handblown by master from the craftsmen Hungarian city of Nyiregyhaza using both traditional glass-blowing techniques and modern methods relying on Pyrex technology for maximum product life along with beauty and functionality. These cruets are chemical and heat resistant as well as dishwasher safe. The Modena Cruet retails for $59. In the cooking category, Talisman Designs, LLC. took home the award for its Get Real Measuring Spoons. These measuring spoons as well as the matching measuring cups are made of beechwood from a responsibly managed forest that has been etched with images from nature. Both are available in Nature and Woodland Designs. Singing birds, owls and tree branches are etched Thirstystone resources Acquired by Flatware Industry Leader Cambridge Silversmiths Ltd. Thirstystone Resources, a leading manufacturer of coasters and decorative home entertainment products, has been acquired by Pine Brook, N.J.-based flatware and cutlery industry leader, Cambridge Silversmiths. Thirstystone will continue to function independently, from its Gainesville, Texas, headquarters, as a separate division of Cambridge Silversmiths. Cambridge Silversmiths markets more than 250 different flatware designs in every price category, including 18-8, 18-10, and forged products. The company also acts as a licensee for Robert Welch Designs, Farberware, and Fiesta. Cambridge designs, manufactures, and distributes private label programs for clients including Target Stores, Food Network, Bobby Flay, and Joy Mangano. Cambridge is the leading source for major retailers including: Walmart, Crate and Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Neiman Marcus, Bed Bath and Beyond, Restoration Hardware, Federated Department Stores, Target Stores, Costco, Kohl’s, Bloomingdale’s, Dillard’s, J.C. Penney, and Sears. Roger Freeman, founder and owner of Cambridge, said, “I am extremely enthusiastic about this acquisition because Cambridge represents five generations of skill, expertise, and devotion to the craft, and Thirstystone is a proven, innovative industry leader. This means great potential for both companies to expand and benefit from the success we have built independently. I have been looking for the right acquisition for a long time,” he continued. “Thirstystone is a perfect fit for our long term goals. I am confident that it will be a most exciting adventure to build both brands.” Longtime Thirstystone President Laurie Leahy had this to say about the merger: “This acquisition is a wonderful opportunity for our company, providing us with new resources available to us under the Cambridge umbrella which will propel us forward into new markets. Together, we will create collections that will celebrate home entertainment and exciting design, while maintaining both companies’ longterm commitment to quality, customer service and unique product.” Leahy added. “I believe we can take the home entertainment category by storm.” Founded in 1989, Thirstystone Resources has been a consistent industry leader in coasters, and in recent years, has expanded into the home entertainment category with a focus on serveware and barware. Trendright design and partnerships with top art licensing houses across the globe have helped Thirstystone secure business with national household names such as HGTV star David Bromstad and The Food Network, as well as iconic brands like Coca-Cola and Thomas Kinkade, among others. Thirstystone will exhibit in the Cambridge showroom on the 18th floor of Forty One Madison during the upcoming New York Tabletop Show, October 14-18. More about Cambridge The Freeman family has been in the tabletop and accessories business since 1956, when Charles Freeman founded his kitchenware company, Stanley Roberts, Inc. In the 1990s, into the Nature spoons, while peacocks, squirrels and playful hedgehogs are pictured on the Woodland spoons. The spoons come in a set of four in 1-tablespoon, 1-teaspoon, 1/2-teaspoon and 1/4-teaspoon measures and have a suggested retail price of $9. Hand washing is recommended for these. Corkcicle won the award in the dining category for its new Chillsner, designed to chill bottled beer. Chillsner retains the signature icicle shape that has so defined the Corkcicle brand but is made of aluminum and comes in a set of two. The two-pack retails for $29.95. the family sold the business to its partners and Roger Freeman, along with his son Harold Freeman, launched Cambridge Silversmiths LTD. Cambridge creates original designs for all of its product lines, which are manufactured in Indonesia, Korea, Vietnam and China. The entire line of Cambridge products are produced in more than 35 different factories, most of which have done business with Cambridge personnel for more than 30 years. Cambridge’s executive offices are located in Pine Brook, N.J., as is its main warehouse distribution facility. The company also operates offices in Hong Kong and Tianjin, China and additional warehouse and distribution facilities in Los Angeles, California. The New York Merchandise Mart in New York City houses the Cambridge Silversmiths Showroom, which occupies approximately 3,500 square feet. More about Thirstystone Centrally located approximately one hour north of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Thirstystone Resources is best known for its 100 percent natural sandstone coasters. Since its inception, the company has been the industry-leading manufacturer of functionally absorbent, decorative coasters. However, in recent years, Thirstystone has significantly expanded its product line beyond its signature coasters to include trivets, appetizer plates, serveware, barware and private label products in a plethora of substrates, including: sandstone, dolomite, travertine, cork, slate, wood, bamboo and glass. In addition, since most of the value added to the company’s line of coasters and Carsters[TM] car coasters, including all printing and packaging, is done domestically, many of its products can carry the “Made in the USA” distinction. During the last two decades, Thirstystone has become well known for its new product innovation and trend-right artwork Finally, in the kitchen preparation category, Spice Ratchet’s Blossom CHOCO.NUT.CHEESE™ grater received the nod. This grater creates spirals of hard cheeses, chocolate or nuts with just a twist, and sharp edges are encased inside it so that fingers aren’t grated along with the food. The device is BPAfree and can be disassembled for dishwasher cleaning. The Blossom CHOCO.NUT.CHEESE™ Grater retails at $29.99. collections, holding approximately 300 licenses with well-known artists and licensing houses, as well as more than 80 collegiate licenses for its standard product lines. Current licenses include artists David Bromstad, Thomas Kinkade, Tara Reed, Jennifer Garant, Jan Shade Beach, Jill Seale and Kathleen Parr McKenna. Collaborating with customers through art and design to create coordinating tabletop products and accessory collections is also a specialty Thirstystone takes pride in, and for which it is well known. Customized, private label collections have been developed by the talented team at Thirstystone for companies such as Bed Bath and Beyond, Pier 1 Imports, Kohl’s, J.C. Penney, Food Network, Dillard’s, Tommy Bahama, Ducks Unlimited, and many others. Some of the products designed for these companies include coasters, glassware, barware, serving sets, cheeseboards, cheese markers and entertaining gift sets. Thirstystone products are displayed at more than 20 tradeshows each year, including the Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, and Las Vegas Gift Marts, which draw not only domestic buyers, but international buyers as well. In addition, Thirstystone has sales representation for both big box and smaller retailers in every state in the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii. To sum up the new partnership between Cambridge Silversmiths and Thirstystone Resources, all involved agree that the product development, design strength, and distribution of Cambridge Silversmiths, along with Thirstystone’s creative talents, collegiate licenses, and extensive art library make this partnership a true home entertainment powerhouse. In years to come, no one will have a dinner party without Cambridge and Thirstystone! 4 GENERAL NEWS OCTOBER 2013 n www.kitchenwarenews.com Top Industry Decision-Makers to Sit in the Housewares Hot-Seat During Keynote Session at CHeSS 2013 The impact of digital commerce is undeniable. What strategies are housewares execs using to optimize and control business in the vast digital marketplace without undermining a brick-and-mortar foundation? A panel of top industry leaders will address this issue and other hot topics during the keynote session “Housewares Hot-Seat: Tough Questions for the Industry’s Top Decision-Makers” to kick-off the 2013 Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession (CHESS), Oct. 8-9 in Rosemont, Ill. The blue-ribbon panel will open the CHESS conference Oct. 8. Moderated by Peter Giannetti, editor-in-chief of HomeWorld Business, the panel will include Greg Cairo, president, Groupe SEB USA; Evan Dash, CEO, StoreBound; and James Glenn, president/CEO, Household Essentials, LLC. In addition to the digital marketplace, the panel will also discuss “showrooming,” price transparency, digital content and experience development, social media and mobile marketing, consumer data mining, omni-channel participation and direct-toconsumer selling. CHESS, the strategic and networking event for industry leaders, will be held at the InterContinental Chicago O’Hare, Rosemont, Ill. It is designed for chief officers of all IHA member companies and their top decisionmakers and features sessions on digital commerce, viral marketing, retail trends, re-shoring, the Affordable Care Act and more. To register for CHESS or for more information, visit the CHESS website at www.housewares.org/chess or contact Judy Colitz of IHA at [email protected] FMP Adds New Director of business Development Industry veteran Phil Tondelli has joined Franklin Machine Products (FMP) as Director of Business Development. Phil’s foodservice industry experience spans over 25 years and includes sales, marketing, and national account management positions with Edward Don, Prince Castle, Keating, Hatco, Ready Access, and R. F. Technologies. In his new role, Phil will be responsible for developing replacement part programs with leading national chain concepts within the foodservice industry. FMP is a leading manufacturer/distributor of kitchen equipment replacement parts and accessories. ugly Kitchens Compete for Facelift Kitchen Magic, the Northeast’s largest kitchen cabinet refacing and remodeling company launched its new Scary/Ugly Kitchen Photo Contest on Sept. 4, 2013 on its Facebook business profile. The contest allows Facebook Fans to submit photos of their kitchens to the contest in hopes of winning a $13,000 kitchen makeover. The Scary/Ugly Kitchen Photo Contest was launched right in time for the Halloween season, and allows homeowners to submit one photo of their outdated kitchen, along with a description by Oct. 20, 2013. A panel of thirteen expert judges handpicked by Kitchen Magic will then determine the top 26 semi-finalists for the contest. The panel of judges comes from various backgrounds, each judge offering expert advice on remodeling, design and craftsmanship. The top 26 semi-finalists chosen by the panel of judges will then be posted back onto the Scary/Ugly Kitchen Photo Contest application present on Kitchen Magic’s Facebook business profile on Halloween. Kitchen Magic’s Facebook fans will be able to vote on the top 26 semi-finalists, casting one vote per kitchen photo based on which kitchen each Facebook Fan deems most undesirable. Kitchen Magic’s Facebook Fans will determine the top 13 ‘ugliest’ kitchen photos between the dates of Oct. 31, 2013 and Nov. 10, 2013. Theses top 13 finalists will move on to the next round of voting by Kitchen Magic’s panel of judges, and each finalist will receive a $50.00 Visa Gift Card, courtesy of Kitchen Magic. The panel of judges will deliberate on the top 13 finalists and vote upon a winner. On Nov. 13, 2013, the winner of the Scary/Ugly Kitchen Photo Contest will be announced on Kitchen Magic’s Facebook business profile, and the homeowner with the ‘ugliest’ kitchen will receive a $13,000 kitchen makeover with cabinet refacing. To enter the contest, visit Kitchen Magic’s Facebook profile at: www.facebook.com/kitchenmagic. Kitchen Magic was founded in Allentown Pennsylvania in 1979 by Jost and Reine Fleck. Still family owned and operated, the company is now in the second generation, and is the largest specialty refacing and kitchen remodeling company in the Northeast. www.kitchenwarenews.com n OCTOBER 2013 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW roland Products, Inc. begins Distributing Curtis Stone Kitchen Solutions Roland Products, Inc., a leading North American distributor of brands including Fissler premium German cookware and Hurom slow juicers, partnered with Curtis Stone Kitchen Solutions. Roland Products, Inc. has already commenced U.S. distribution of the Curtis Stone Kitchen Solutions brand of bakeware, gadgets and accessories. Curtis Stone Kitchen Solutions features functional and well-designed products which Curtis himself, as the co-owner of the company, helped design and develop. The company launched in 2012 with great momentum and has grown since then. Roland’s knowledge and penetration of the U.S. market will allow the team to further build the brand. “Curtis Stone and I, co-founders of Curtis Stone Kitchen Solutions, are thrilled to have Roland Products, Inc. as the distributors to serve the United States customers more effectively and efficiently and their knowledgeable team will help the Kitchen Solutions collection thrive in the USA. All functions of the Curtis Stone/Foodfight Market Strategist Warns that Keurig’s brand Strength Faces Market uncertainty Expiration of its patents may threaten Keurig’s market position, warns global strategic brand consulting and design firm Landor Associates, which has released the results of an annual study ranking U.S. brands based on successfully sustaining growth in brand strength over a three-year period (2009-2012). Longstanding household brand names Quilted Northern and Dawn, employing a mix of traditional and digital marketing strategies, beat out trendsetting technology brands in Landor’s 2013 Breakaway Brands® Study. The only brand born in GENERAL NEWS 5 About Roland Products, Inc. Established in 1989, Roland Products, Inc. is a North American distributor headquartered in Los Angeles. The company offers distribution for several leading European and Asian houseware brands and is renowned for excellent customer service and marketing. Since its founding, Roland Products, Inc. has continued to introduce the most innovative, health conscious and unique products for the home. Its umbrella of premium brands include Fissler, Hurom, Goodbye Detergent, Bisbell, Fabrikators, Drosselmeyer, and GarlicCard. For more information, please visit www.rolandinc.com. the digital era to make the top ten is Amazon, along with its Kindle subbrand, and Apple fell off the list entirely. The study analyzes data from Young & Rubicam Group’s proprietary BrandAsset® Valuator (BAV ), the world’s largest database of consumer brand perception. Dixie placed at #7 on the list of 10 breakaway brands after expanding its product line beyond paper cups to a super strong line of disposable products called Dixie Ultra. Febreze (#6) launched Febreze Sport and Febreze Sleep Serenity. In addition to the ten breakaway brands, Landor chose five brands for its 2013 "Watch List." Included are last year’s ranked Breakaway Brands Apple and Keurig, in addition to Reynolds Wrap, Microsoft Windows, and Ford Sync. The "Watch List" brands have shown exceptional brand strength in the past years, but now face uncertainty in the long-term. With the expiration of K-Cup patents, Keurig’s leadership in the market is uncertain despite its strong partnerships with Green Mountain, Starbucks, and Dunkin’ Donuts. Its ability to survive amid a sea of me-too competitors will dictate the brand’s long-term potential. USA office, will now be assumed by Roland. For additional information on this line, please contact Roland at [email protected]. The Curtis Stone Kitchen Solutions line of products will be shown at these upcoming trade shows: Dallas Market, Source One Marketing Showroom #1949 June 19-25 Atlanta Market, Roland Products Showroom #8119A July 10-17 NY NOW- Curtis Stone Kitchens Solutions booth #3535 August 18-21 6 GENERAL NEWS Made in u.S.A. (Cont. from Page 1) with China by 2015, although actual cost competitiveness varies by product type as well as other factors. “Prices in China and USA are so close that when we go back to USA, they are able to match those prices,” Sellers Miller said. “Before they could get close, maybe 10 or 15 percent away, but now it’s a direct match. Two things: prices have gone up in China to the point where it’s making American factories really able to compete, but now that it’s gotten so close, it seems to have motivated American manufacturers to buckle down and see what they can do to compete, including greater automation to enhance their productivity.” Architec is only one manufacturer responding to consumer calls for American-made products, Sellers Miller said. “We were wondering in the beginning KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW if this was a flash in the pan. We were seeing ‘eco’ as the real driving force, but as the years go on, we’re starting to see Made in America as the primary driving force,” she said. “Within our industry, we hear a lot of buzz about companies who are doing this as of late, but we’ve been doing it for the past six to 10 years.” Architec started seeing the growing trend five years ago in the orders coming from independent housewares retailers, but the push from the mass market merchants for American-made products has only been coming within the past 18 months, Sellers Miller said. With five brands and product lines for the gourmet channel, which constitutes 20 percent of its business, upscale mass merchants like Sur la Table and Crate and Barrel as well as the bigbox mass merchants like Target and Bed Bath & Beyond, Architec was positioned to observe the trend as it grew. “I would guess that the gourmet stores were hearing it from their customers early on. They were hearing it from their customers, whereas Zak! Designs Promises to unveil a Whole New Collection at Tabletop Each year during the NY Tabletop Market, Zak Designs unveils its newest products for the upcoming spring and summer entertaining season. This year, on October 15-18 at its showroom at 7 West 34th St., Suite 700, it isn’t just a group of products that will be featured, but rather an entire collection that the company promises will allow retailers to make a cohesive statement on their shelves and help consumers bring home a coordinating selection of innovative dinnerware, serveware, and kitchen prep products that all feature the latest global color trends. Zak’s Summer Sizzle collection includes a wide range of products joined together by the Fresh color story that features bold shades of grapefruit, coral, yellow, and kiwi. Included in the collection is a new dinnerware line in special four-packs of plates and bowls. The line will also include special four-packs of tumblers and bowls from the Dot Dot collection in coordinating Fresh colors and a fourpack of the new Lotus Bowls which are shaped like the serene blossoms of the Lotus flower. For the salads, chips, fruits, and n OCTOBER 2013 n www.kitchenwarenews.com the mass merchants don’t have that direct contact with their customers. That’s my guess,” Sellers Miller said. In response to those demands, Architec is launching eight new products in March, and all but one are being made in the USA. These products include a set of cutting board plates for kids, called Cut and Serve Plates. There will also be a new line of cooking tools consisting of six pieces: scoop strainerspoon, turner, whisk, spreader and cooking spoon. The remainder of the new products are a countertop cutting board holder, utility bin, and SWIPE, a squeegee device that allows the user to cut down on paper towel usage. Products will range from $3.99 to $19.99. These new products are important to sustaining Architec’s growth, and the company is planning to be able to tell its customers and retailers in 2015 that more than half of its products are made in the U.S. “We feel that that’s what our customers are looking for. We want to be able to say that we are 51 percent made in the U.S.” Sellers said. It’s not just patriotism; it’s also a matter of controlling costs to keep retail prices as low as possible, she added. “We definitely think that that’s important to our customers as well, and we want to do what is important to our customers.” countless other treats that accompany any summer gettogether, Zak is releasing a set of three standard serve bowls as well as a large and small set of the always-popular Rose Bowls in the Summer Sizzle color story. And for meals on the go, the Summer Sizzle collection also includes a stylish Planet Zak insulated lunch kit as well as several food storage containers and water bottles. To ensure that the Summer Sizzle collection can be used in conjunction with existing Zak lines, the colors in the Fresh Color Story that’s featured on the products in the collection is designed to complement a wide range of Zak’s dinnerware, drinkware, serveware, and on-the-go products. So, regardless of whether people are staying home, or heading out to enjoy the heat of the season, Zak’s Summer Sizzle collection has everything they’ll need to enjoy all their meals under the sun. To see the new Summer Sizzle collection, and the other items that Zak Designs will be showing at the New York Tabletop Market, stop by the showroom at 7 West 34th St., Suite 700 October 1518. Feel free to call or email if you’d like to make an appointment, or if it’s easier, swing by whenever you’re in the area. Lavazza Appoints Two New Directors for North American Market Lavazza Premium Coffees Corporation, in a continued strategic effort to strengthen and broaden the renowned Italian company’s presence in the United States, appoints two Group Directors to the company’s North American headquarters. Lavazza launched the RIVO® Cappuccino & Latte Brewing System in the U.S. in 2012. It is marketed by and in partnership with Keurig® and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Michele J. Abo joins Lavazza as Director of Sales North America, bringing a significant amount of sales executive and general management experience from her previous roles at Chevron, PepsiCo, and Entenmann’s. Ricky Khetarpaul joins as Director of Finance & Administration after eight years of experience at PepsiCo, bringing expertise in roles of increasing responsibility in finance, financial planning, strategy, and business development. “Today, more than ever, our North American presence becomes increasingly vital. We look forward to working with Michele and Ricky to bolster our organizational structure, and foster longterm growth across all channels and markets,” says Ennio Ranaboldo, CEO of Lavazza North America. The announcement comes on the heels of two recent introductions from Lavazza in the U.S. and Canada, including their first-ever ecommerce store launch in September, as well as the fall 2013 debut of a new specialty coffee line for the retail channel. www.kitchenwarenews.com n GENERAL NEWS OCTOBER 2013 7 Gourmet Settings to Supply Soprano Flatware to James beard Foundation Gourmet Settings has been selected by the James Beard Foundation as a JBF House Purveyor. As part of its relationship with the foundation, Gourmet Settings will be its official flatware provider, an honor reserved for companies that create premium ingredients, goods, or services within the culinary industry. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with the James Beard Foundation as we strongly admire their passion for providing scholarships and educational opportunities – it matches our passion for providing the best flatware,” says Hildy Abrams, President of Gourmet Settings. The flatware collection selected by the non-profit foundation is called Soprano. Originally designed 10 years ago for Gourmet Settings, it is defined by fluid lines and wide assortment of pieces. From a fivepiece flatware set to service ware to the essentials for a cocktail hour, Soprano meets every need for a seamless meal. The design, with a wider tail and tapered neck, was created just as much for function as form, after focused research on the varying ways people hold their utensils during meals. Gourmet Settings is extremely committed to innovation as each of its exclusive patterns is researched, modeled, drawn, prototyped and refined before final production. Additionally, the company is steadfast in producing less waste material through an expert manufacturing process. The purveyorship between Gourmet Settings and the James Beard Foundation began in June 2013 and will continue into 2014, and potentially beyond. Started in 1986, the James Beard Foundation is a New Yorkbased national professional organization named in honor of James Beard that serves to promote the culinary arts by honoring chefs, wine professionals, journalists, and cookbook authors at annual award ceremonies and providing scholarships and educational initiatives to cooking hopefuls. About Gourmet Settings: Gourmet Settings products have been featured in prestigious online and print media including The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, Bon Appetit, Modern Bride, and O, The Oprah Magazine. BusinessWeek named the company a gold award winner at the 2007 International Design Excellence Awards for its innovative design strategy for Costco. Flatware from Gourmet Settings is available worldwide through retailers such as Target, Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, Macy’s and many more, as well as online at www.gourmetsettings.com. Soap & Paper Factory Soaps Take Home best of Show from NY Now Soap & Paper Factory’s Deco Collection of hand-stirred soaps won a best of show award in the Personal Care + Wellness category at this year’s NY Now Best New Product Awards. Soap & Paper Factory combines all natural, beautifully scented, handmade products wrapped in exquisite, earth-friendly packages. Products are hand-crafted in New York and are never tested on animals. Recycled materials are used for packaging, and candles are contained in reusable Italian glass. Tervis brings New Products to Tabletop Tervis has announced a number of product introductions that will be seen at this year’s New York Tabletop show. A couple of them are designed to help consumers who will be entertaining at home during the holiday season to make a splash with their drinkware without endangering either guests or glassware with breakage. With a touch of class and a dash of whimsy, Tervis has combined the best of insulated drinkware into its latest new product, the Goblet. The Goblet is available in a series of sophisticated jewel tones as well as selected emblem designs for a good look that also keeps drinks at a consistent temperature. Retail prices start at $20. Hosts and hostesses can make a bold fashion statement and add a little extra sparkle to a party with the new Purple Sequin Initial designs. These are styled with big, bold letters and available matching purple lids. They’ll be available for $11 to $20 in October. For more information or to see these and other new products at New York Tabletop, visit Tervis’ showroom on the eighth floor at 41 Madison. 8 IN THE ISSUE KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW from the n OCTOBER 2013 n www.kitchenwarenews.com K ITCHENWARE NEWS H o u s e w, a r e s R e v i e w S E R V I N G K I T C H E N WA R E publisher PUBLISHER EDITORIAL DIRECTOR editor Lorrie Baumann [email protected] EDITOR Kristina Harris [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jazmine Woodberry [email protected] ASSISTANT EDITOR Hannah Hollins [email protected] GRAPHIC DESIGNER Yasmine Brown [email protected] TRAFFIC MANAGER Jaysun Freightman [email protected] SUBSCRIBER SERVICES 1877 N. Kolb Road Tucson, Arizona 85715 [tel] 520.721.1300 [fax] 520.721.6300 KITCHENWARE/HOUSEWARES ADVERTISING ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Lee M. Oser, Publisher from the Lee M. Oser EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Greetings! It will not have escaped your notice that this issue inaugurates not just a cover redesign for Kitchenware News & Housewares Review but also a marked change in editorial philosophy. We’re making these changes after a good deal of thought about the differing roles of our weekly electronic publication, the Kitchenware Newswire, our website at www.kitchenwarenews.com and this, our print publication. We believe that it’s clear that the Internet has superseded any need for readers to depend on a monthly print publication to inform them about the ebb and flow of personnel changes within the industry. If you want to know who went where a year ago, you’re much more likely to Google a name than to reach for your back issues of Kitchenware News & Housewares Review. If you want to know who went where last week or what product is coming to market next week, the Kitchenware Newswire can shoot that information into your in-box every Wednesday morning. Nor do you depend on our monthly magazine in the same way that you once might have to give you the basic specifications about a product you’ve already run across at a trade show. All that information is online for you, and you don’t even need to know how to spell the name of the product any more. What our monthly print magazine can do very well, though, is to take a step back and give you information that looks beyond the immediate, that gives you ideas that you’ll want to think about for more than the moment that they’re in front of you on a screen. It’s our intention that while the Kitchenware Newswire will continue to tell you what happened last week and what’s happening this week within the kitchenwares industry, Kitchenware News & Housewares Review will begin to tell you more about how and why kitchenware retailing is changing along with what’s happening in the U.S. and in the world. Even last year, it was common for kitchenware retailers to be discussing, more or less despairingly, how a brick and mortar kitchenware store was ever going to compete with the retailing juggernaut that is Amazon, not to mention the many other online-only retailers that have proliferated in cyberspace during the recession. We’re now hearing from many of you that you’ve found ways to compete successfully in what has become a truly global marketplace and even to embrace the Internet as a means of doing that. Publishers of print publications have been asking themselves many of the same kinds of questions even as we watch many, many print publications fall by the wayside and many others abandon every commitment to quality journalism. Even as you have had to find your own ways to compete in an online world, so have we. And what you see in your hands is how we’re going to do it. Our future is in all our hands, and we’re grateful that our readers continue to want us to tell you about it. H O M E D E C O R A N D G I F T WA R E M A R K E T S Lyle Sapp [email protected] [tel] 520.721.1300 Jeff Rosano [email protected] [tel] 520.721.1300 Kitchenware News & Housewares Review is a publication of ELM Communications, a division of Oser Communications Group, Inc. 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715 www.oser.com PRESIDENT Lee M. Oser Periodicals postage paid at Tucson, AZ and additional mail- It feels like I’ve spent most of my life in the kitchen. Whether it was cooking as a child beside my talented mother, who earned the affectionate nickname Betty Crocker from my friends, to now creating meals and baked treats for my husband and three sons, I’ve always had a passion for finding the perfect pan or neatest knife to round out my kitchen collection. I guess the only time I don’t devote to cooking or learning about the newest kitchen gadget I’ve acquired, I spend writing, blogging and editing. So what could be more natural than becoming the editor of Kitchenware News & Housewares Review? I’m very excited to be starting this new adventure with all of you, our readers. Hopefully you’ve already noticed the changes we’ve made to the cover of the magazine. We decided to give it a fresh, more streamlined look as we head into the fall season. Let me know what you think! In this issue, we’ve got a special retailer profile about the family-owned company, The Good Life, a full supplement dedicated to kitchen storage items, and an entire buyer’s guide section dedicated to bamboo, which is becoming quite popular for its versatility, low cost, and eco-friendly nature. Also, be sure to check out what’s happening in cutlery there’s a story about an exciting new metal alloy on the cover, and more knife news on page 10. We’ve even got a fun sneak peak at VIETRI’s new collection in our home décor section. I hope that you are all enjoying the beautiful October weather, and all of the wonderful things that are going on as you prepare your businesses for the start of another holiday season. Have fun with this issue, and I’ll see you in November! ing office. Kitchenware News & Housewares Review (USPS012-625) is published 12 times per year (Jan., Feb., March, April, May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.) by Oser Communications Group, 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ, 85715 520.721.1300. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material or prices quoted in newspaper. Contributors are responsible for proper release of proprietary classified information. ©2013 by Oser Communications Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is expressly prohibited. Back issues, when available, cost $8 each within the past 12 months. Back issue orders must be paid in advance by check. Kitchenware News & Housewares Review is distributed without charge in North America to qualified professionals in the retail and distribution channels of the upscale kitchenware and tabletop trade. For subscriber services, Kristina Harris [email protected] including subscription information, call 520.721.1300. Printed in the USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kitchenware News & Housewares Review, 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715. www.kitchenwarenews.com n OCTOBER 2013 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW SMALL ELECTRICS 9 Small Electrics DIY Yogurt Cuts Cost, Waste BY HANNAH HOLLINS The exploding popularity of Greek yogurt is evident in the grocery aisles. The EURO CUISINE YM260 YOGURT MAKER small electrics market has responded to the yogurt craze with a variety of options that will save consumers money and allow them to use the whey from the Greek yogurt in other recipes. Automatic yogurt makers prepare large batches in a single container or smaller batches in jars that are all housed in the same temperature-controlled unit. With yogurt makers, the DIYinclined user can control the sweetness, fat content, ingredients and thickness. After the yogurt is finished processing, it is possible to make the yogurt extra thick—in the Greek style—by draining it in cheesecloth. CUISINART CYM-100 ELECTRONIC YOGURT MAKER WITH AUTOMATIC COOLING EURO CUISINE DIGITAL YMX650 The Euro Cuisine YM260 Yogurt Maker is an economical large-batch machine; it makes two quarts of yogurt in six to eight hours. The thick walls of the Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker effectively incubate the yogurt, maintaining the necessary temperature throughout the entire batch. The timer located on the side of the unit indicates when the yogurt maker should be unplugged to stop cooking; it does not have an auto-off function. The main advantage of a large-batch machine like the Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker is that no special jars or other extras are needed. Included with the kit is a stainless steel thermometer, individual serving bowl and cheesecloth bag for making cheese. Suggested Retail Price: $69.99. The Cuisinart CYM-100 Electronic Yogurt Maker with Automatic Cooling is another large-batch machine; it makes 50 ounces of yogurt, or six 8-ounce servings per batch. With the CYM-100, the yogurt culturing process is automated and temperatureregulated—the machine starts and stops at the touch of a button, and a built-in cooling system automatically shifts to a preset chilling temperature at the end of the incubation and fermentation cycle. Users can monitor the processing time of their yogurt with the digital time display on the front of the machine. Suggested Retail Price: $129.99 For those who want to make separate small batches of yogurt with different flavors, the Euro Cuisine Digital YMX650 makes seven 6-ounce servings in six to 10 hours. The clear lid encapsulates all of the jars in the digital yogurt maker, allowing the user to view the process. This model is essentially fool-proof, featuring a 15hour blue LED digital timer that beeps when the yogurt is finished as well as an automatic shut-off. The dishwasher-safe glass jars used in the machine also are used for storage-their date-setting lids indicate whether the yogurt is still fresh when it is pulled from the fridge. Suggested Retail Price: $59.99 Euro-Cuisine www.eurocuisine.net Cuisinart www.cuisinart.com Euro-Cuisine www.eurocuisine.net SodaStream Launches New Model SodaStream International Ltd.debuted the SodaStream Play, designed by Yves Behar, during the London Design Festival. SodaStream Play will be available in stores in Spring 2014. Adopting the concept of “play it your way,” the new SodaStream Play will be available in six fresh, strong colors and is the first soda maker in the world that can be colorcustomized to fit the preferred design choice or kitchen interior of the consumer. Behar’s design re-examines the interface, shape and material selection of the SodaStream system, redefining the way it is used. The simple shape of the Play soda maker expresses the efficiency of the system while making a strong design statement in the kitchen. As an innovative new feature, the refined mechanics of the machine allow the high-gloss slider column to automatically return to the original position after being pressed, simplifying the process of carbonation. The matte texture and contrasting color of the column and base add a light-hearted, playful feel, and the carbonating bottle easily locks into place with a single-push motion. The Play will work with either the 60-liter or 130-liter CO2 cylinder, providing even greater user flexibility. Yves Behar explains, “SodaStream has always been about ‘fresh, just in time’ soda and sparkling water. I wanted this new, affordable design to reflect the contemporary idea of creating things yourself. Play is minimal by design and simple to use, while the six bright colors are interchangeable and create personalization for the consumer.” “After a very successful collaboration with Yves on the award-winning Source soda maker, we have decided to partner once again to create Play,” stated Daniel Birnbaum, CEO of SodaStream. ”This new soda maker maintains the design language of the Source family, yet has a clear identity, with a price point that will appeal to a larger segment of the market. Customization is a key part of our product portfolio ethos; the ability to mix-and-match the heads and columns of the Play with different colors reflects the empowering choice we provide consumers to decide how fizzy and how much flavor they desire. We understand that people want a product that is fun yet can fit within the aesthetic of their living space. Play allows you to do just this.” As part of the installation at designjunction during London Design Festival, SodaStream also launched a new carbonating bottle designed by Yves Behar. The new bottle was created to accompany SodaStream Play and Behar’s already iconic SodaStream Source home soda maker, which was launched in 2012. The fresh design, inspired by the single water drop motif, is available in three colors for the base and cap: black, chrome and white. The drop motif also features in the surface pattern of the Source and Play machines, creating a sense of fluidity and modernity. Combining a sculptured design with PEPPERPRO SMART GRIND Grind pepper or salt with the touch of a button with Prodyne’s PEPPERPRO Smart Grind Electric Mill. The mill features a 1-7 select, easy adjust grind dial. The dial is continuously adjustable in an extraordinary range from powdery fine to very coarse. The high-quality, thick walled stainless steel body has an easy-grip contour shape and stylish black silicone push button. The durable ceramic grinder allows it to be used with pepper or salt. LED light illuminates while grinding for perfect portion control. The quiet motor and drive runs on four AA batteries (not included). Suggested Retail Price: $29.99 Prodyne Enterprises 800.822.4776 www.prodyne.com functionality, the clean, monolithic shape of the reusable bottle expresses the special emphasis on sustainability while retaining the minimalistic approach of the Source collection. The new bottle will come in a one-liter as well as a half-liter “to-go” version, for consumers to enjoy both in and out of the home. Mr. Birnbaum notes, “When designing the SodaStream carbonating bottle, we challenged ourselves to create a completely new, BPA-free plastic bottle that actually looks beautiful on both the kitchen counter and dining room table, and maintains the integrity of our sustainability message. The result is an iconic, elegant accessory that is reusable thousands of times to help reduce the waste caused by conventional soda bottles and cans.” 10 CUTLERY KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n OCTOBER 2013 n www.kitchenwarenews.com Cutlery edge of belgravia Edge of Belgravia, founded on Eccleston street in Belgravia, combines über-chic of Belgravia with the avant-garde design of Clarkenwell. The futuristic design, by edgy London designer Christian Bird, won a slice of the 2012 D&AD product design award in competition with Apple’s Ipad2. Zirconium oxide blades The high–tech zirconium oxide blades are second to diamond in hardness, keeping blade sharpness substantially longer than a normal steel knife. With regular use they could keep sharp for years with no sharpening. The light weight makes these beauties easy to use and the unique molecular surface reduces space for bacteria. Supreme cooking power The full ceramic set , either Lime or Onyx, gives supreme cooking power and five unique pieces of futuristic art. A select group of owners includes Master Chef winners, super- chefs and celebrities, top journalists, designers and even the British royal household. Colorful Cutlery Adds a bright Spot The line will be shown at this year’s London Design Festival, an event conceived by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans. Building on London’s existing design activity, their concept was to create an annual event that would promote the city’s creativity, drawing in the country’s greatest thinkers, practitioners, retailers and educators o deliver a celebration of design. Kuhn Rikon’s Colori paring knife is the handy all-purpose knife for all kitchen prep-tasks. Perfect for slicing cheese for your sandwich, peeling an apple or chopping vegetables. The Colori line features nonstick Japanese carbon steel blades for a super sharp edge and longlasting performance. The nonstick coating ensures that foods will release from the Messermeister offers New Line of High-Quality Prep Knives If you are not cutting carrots into cubes for three hours, than there may not be a need for a large cooks knife. Prep knives have become ever increasingly popular with today’s home and traveling chefs. They are excellent for chopping light weight vegetables and fruits and slicing meats and Superknife (Cont. from Page 1) come up with the right application for it. Even though it’s light, strong, elastic, extremely durable and corrosion-resistant, it’s also hard to work with and requires specialized equipment to fabricate it into a shape, according to Blair Dahl, President of VMatter. After 15 years of working with the metal to develop manufacturing methods, one of the engineers working on the project made a prototype knife for his own use. He took that knife home with him, and the partners didn’t think very much more of it until an “aha moment” six years later, when he came into the office one day to announce, “Remember that knife I made? I’ve used it every day, and it’s still sharp.” Cutlery development mode was launched then and there, Dahl said with a chuckle. The knife that’s ready to be launched in the marketplace is made by injectionmolding the molten alloy, much as if it were a plastic being shaped in a mold. Then when it comes out of the mold, it bread for sandwiches. The new colorful Petite Messer knife line by Messermeister includes a light-weight stamped blade with a soft-grip handle, perfect for those who want a higher quality German knife to do the work. They cut perfectly, clean up quickly and pack easily. For some color and fun in your knife case, these are great. The Petite Messer collection includes a 5-inch chef ’s knife, 5-inch Santoku, 5inch utility and a 6-inch offset scalloped knife, in blue,green, orange and red! Retail prices range from $9 for the paring knives to $23 for the items listed here. All are made in Germany. has a mirror-like finish and a very accurate shape. Already sharp, the cutting edge receives final finishing and the blade surface is polished to a softer sheen that looks less like a mirror and more like a conventional steel knife. The top edge and the area where it joins the grip are left with that reflective surface, so it still has a distinctive appearance without being too obviously different from an ordinary knife. The 8-inch chef ’s knife weighs in at 200 grams, while a conventional steel chef ’s knife of German manufacture comes in at about 20 to 250 grams, Dahl said. “Because it can be made so sharp, it’s effortless to cut with, so you don’t need the weight,” he added. The angle on the cutting edge is similar to a European blade, but it’s easily as sharp as one of the thin-profile Japanese knives, according to Dahl. Balance is so superb that it’ll rest on a fingertip, he added. Stronger than titanium, it’s also corrosion-resistant. It transfers no metal residue to food, so it doesn’t leave behind a metallic taste, and the glass-smooth surface of the blade is so dense that bacterial growth is inhibited. “The real magic of the knife is that it’s much more elastic than steel,” Dahl said. “It can take abuse in the kitchen.” The crowdfunding campaign, which is taking place on Indiegogo through October 18, has a financial goal, but the real goal of that effort is to arouse the interest of early-adopters and the real cutlery enthusiasts, as well as to capture the attention of potential retailers, Dahl said. The company is hoping to build enough momentum through the campaign to encourage a large specialty retailer to offer the knives for sale in a pilot test in a percentage of its stores for the holiday season. If that goes well, the retailer would likely place a larger order and offer the knives for sale chainwide. “The idea would be to be in store at the beginning of December, and those tests typically run for 60 days,” Dahl said. It’s expected that a retail test will introduce a VMatter Cutlery Collection that includes a chef ’s knife, a paring knife, a Santoku knife and a slicing knife. Two models of the knives are currently for sale on VMatter’s website. Both are 8inch chef ’s knives. The Professional model comes with a G10 handle in either green or black. “G10 is a material used blade to make each cut easier and neater. The knives come with matching sheaths for storage, camping, picnics and travel. Kuhn Rikon added 17 new SKUs to the line last April, including the playful Cheetah and Zebra, with their animal-print blades, and the Polka Dot collection. Serrated blades are also available in a few color choices, and retail prices range from $10 to $12. extensively by custom knife makers,” Dahl said. “Its appearance has a bit of a carbon weave. It’s very durable, a great material for a grip.” The green handle is a pale jade that’s attracting a lot of excitement from the folks who’ve seen it; so much so that it’s essentially becoming a signature color for the product, he added. That model has a projected retail price of $247. The other model, the Executive, is projected to retail for $397 and comes with a stabilized rare hardwood handle and custom laser engraving. You can see the knife on Indiegogo by visiting the site at Indiegogo.com and typing VMatter into the search box in the upper right of the home screen. Or you can visit the company’s website at www.vmatter.com and link from there. 12 HOME DÉCOR KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n OCTOBER 2013 n www.kitchenwarenews.com Home Décor A Sneak Peak at VIeTrI’s Tabletop Introductions BY LORRIE BAUMANN VIETRI is debuting a new home decor collection this year at the NY Tabletop show along with new pieces for its other collections. Ellen Thompson, Public Relations Manager for VIETRI, offered the readers of Kitchenware News & Housewares Review a sneak peek at the items that are expected to be the stars of the show, and who could turn that down? Let’s start with the new home decor collection, which is called Stellare. There’s a small planter, large planter, umbrella stand, urn and oval planter, all in a classic Italian shape with a soft white glaze. Star and sunburst-design embellishments and buttons are all attached by hand, and the artisan’s thumbprint is imprinted into the clay. “The star and sunburst designs are representative of two of the five traditional emblems of Italy,” Thompson says. For the outdoor living space, VIETRI has added more than 40 new pieces to the Rustic Garden collection. These are in soft neutral colors, and there are plenty of pieces for the homeowner who wants to recreate the entire experience of a Tuscan courtyard as well as a lot of choices for the landscape designer who’s adding an accent to a quiet corner. “We have lots of different shapes and sizes, but a star for me is the Rustic Garden trumpet vases, similar to those found in Renaissance Italian villas,” Thompson says. For the bride’s dining room, there’s a new color for the popular Lastra Italian stoneware dinnerware collection. Aqua is very soft, almost white, so it’s a true neutral with just a hint of color to echo the color of the Italian sea and sky and to complement the food served on it. “Pastels are going to be huge this year in fashion, fabric and paint,” Thompson says. This is a complete dinnerware line, with both an American dinner plate and the smaller European dinner plate that Americans might use for luncheon. Lastra, ‘strap’ in Italian, is handcrafted in Tuscany with a form that’s inspired by the wooden strap that’s used to bind traditional Italian cheese molds. The collection was introduced by VIETRI in 2012, and it has soared to the top of the sales charts, so VIETRI expects this on-trend color to do very well for retailers this spring. To go under the dinnerware on the table, VIETRI also offers a linen collection produced in collaboration with Pardi Linen, an Italian family business since the 1940s. Napkins, placemats, tablecloths, guest towels and kitchen towels are woven from 50 percent cotton-50 percent linen fibers by skilled craftsmen on shuttle power looms. The resulting chevron-print fabrics come in soft, natural shades of blue, green, natural, orange and yellow on a creamy background. They are machine-washable. The Art of Crystal exclusively at Kiyasa Corporation Kiyasa Unveils Its Newest Addition – Val Saint Lambert Boutique luxury trading and sourcing company, Kiyasa Corporation, that specializes in the most exclusive and unique lines of tableware and home décor from around the world unveils their newest addition, Val Saint Lambert. Joining their range of profilic brands, the Belgium crystal glassware manufacturer will be making its debut at New York Tabletop Market at 41 Madison on October 15th – 18th. Kiyasa Corporation will be the official United States representative for the prestigious company. “We’re very excited to be working with Val Saint Lambert,” explains Kiyasa Co- Founder and CMO Yasamin Bahadorzadeh. “We are very selective in regards to the brands that we take on. Being able to work with such a longstanding company known for their artistry and devotion to tradition is truly a pleasure.” Master craftsman in crystal since 1896, Val Saint Lambert is known for their top quality, expertise, passion and artistry. Now in the hands of the Onclin family, they are devoted to keeping their rich heritage alive and to let the purity of crystal shine. Val Saint Lambert still makes all products completely by hand using the traditional blowing technique on the banks of the Meuse in Belgium. Each product is unique, mouth blown, hand cut and finished. K ITCHENWARE NEWS H o u s e w, a r e s R e v i e w S E RV I N G K I T C H E N WA R E H O U S E WA R E S A N D TA B L E T O P M A R K E T S VoL uM e 1 9, N uMber 10 oCTober 2013 home & kitchen S T O R A G E 14 HOME & KITCHEN STORAGE KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n OCTOBER 2013 n www.kitchenwarenews.com organizers Help Solve Kitchen Storage Dilemmas A great collection of gadgets and tools needs an organization system that will keep the drawer in which they’re stored from devolving into chaos and perhaps damaging the more delicate items. The Expandable Utility Drawer Organizer by Totally Bamboo expands from 12 3/4" to 17 1/2" and the rectangular partitions can be used for eating utensils, cooking supplies, or many other items. Another drawer organizer that can help free up space is the Bamboo Spice Rack Drawer Tray by Seville Classics. With its three tiers, a dozen standard-sized (1.62 oz) jars can be stored on their sides. In the cupboards, risers and baskets create more space. The DecoBros Kitchen Organizer Rack slides in to hang under a shelf to create extra space. The Grayline large, Two Shelf Organizer is a great example of a riser used for separating dishes. TWIXIT! SEAL & POUR BAG CLIP The twixit!® Seal & Pour bag clip features a handy pour spout with lid that makes pouring and resealing from a bag easy and quick. Like the twixit! Bag Clip it is designed to tightly close and keep bagged (paper or plastic) contents fresh for months. Reusable for years. Ideal for bagged coffee, cereal, rice, popcorn, flour, sugar, flax seed, or any food that pours from a bag. Handy and easy to use, you will want several for all your bagged foods. The Seal & Pour is freezer, dishwasher, and microwave safe as well as BPA free. Made in Sweden and available in three colors: white, red, and lime. GNAM BREAD BIN FOR ALESSI WRAP-N-MAT Wrap-N-Mat Inc.’s products have always been made in the United States. Production started in Colorado and is now in Kansas, where the tradition of American-made products continues. To ensure freshness, the lining, which keeps air out and freshness in, is made of LDPE (free of lead, phthalates, BPA, and PVC). All products open flat for easy cleaning, and are top-rack dishwasher safe. The full line of products is available in specialty stores and retailers domestically and internationally. Keep your bread and biscuits fresh in the Gnam Bread Bin. Its smooth design and oval shape makes it a perfect fit for kitchen counters. This spacious bin comes in four great colors (white, black, blue and yellow) that are sure to add a wonderful vibe to your kitchen. Alessi www.alessi.com LA SOMMELIÈRE WINE CELLARS La Sommelière introduced a new line of wine cellars which combine elegance and functionality in an effort to meet today’s demanding consumer needs. Cellars will be available as freestanding or built-in units, both featuring varying capacity and innovative elements to meet individual wine storage needs. Depending on the models, customers will have the option to choose from single, dual or multi temperature units with UV-protected glass doors, digital displays, rolling shelves, LED lights and other features. B & M Marketing (Canada) Inc. www.winecellarexpress.com Wrap-N-Mat [tel] 970.229.1943 www.wrapnmat.com FRANMARA ZIP-N-GO NEOPRENE WINE BAG SET EMSA CLIP & CLOSE BY FRIELING Certified “baby food safe” and BPAfree, the 29-SKU Clip & Close™ line is unsurpassed in quality, food safety and convenience features for storing any type of food. Made in Germany to the highest quality standards, these containers with inserts keep food fresh separately and are also perfect for preportioning foods. Emsa by Frieling offers three options: two sizes (6.4" x 4.4" x 2.3" and 7.8" x 5.4" x 2.8") containing two dividing inserts and one size (8.9" x 6.6" x 2.3") with three dividing inserts. Suggested Retail Price $4.50-29.99 Frieling USA www.frieling.com Linden Sweden, Inc. [tel] 952.465.0052 www.lindensweden.com WINE TIME CAPSULE Great for picnics and events. This handy neoprene sleeve snugly holds a 750ml bottle of wine, which includes a zipper closure and carrying handle. The neoprene bag insulates your bottle of wine for hours. The bottom of the bag is gusseted and includes a handy side accessory pocket. The set also includes a Traveler’s Corkscrew & Bottle Opener, which is an easy-to-use opener for wine bottles and beer bottles. Available in all black or black-and-red combination. Measures 10-1/2" high x 4-1/2" diameter. Suggested Retail Price: $5.99 each ClickClack prides itself on making stylish, functional kitchenware that’s user friendly, airtight, durable and highquality. ClickClack Cubes are pleasing to the eye with their sleek, modular design. The Cubes come with clear bodies and white, black or red softtoggle lids. They are designed to stack when in use or nest when not. Cubes come in sets of three. Hot summer nights on the poolside with a bottle of chilled Chardonnay. Wait a minute… no glass bottles allowed! Pour your bottle into the largest vacuum stainless bottle ever made. With its 750 ml capacity it’s just right for keeping your full bottle of wine chilled for as long as you need. Going to a jazz concert at the park after work? Your Wine Time Capsule will keep it perfectly chilled for up to 10 hours. The time capsule is available in sports top or a new clear coat brushed stainless with classic bottle top. Franmara [tel] 800.423.5855 www.franmara.com Innova Products Ltd. [tel] 800.884.4543 www.clickclack.com Highwave Inc. [tel] 800 444.4928 www.highwave.com CLICKCLACK CUBES www.kitchenwarenews.com n OCTOBER 2013 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW Ziploc brand Vacuum Sealer Takes the Gold! BY MIKE MARTINEZ The Ziploc® Brand Vacuum Sealer System product line has won the Housewares Executive Gold Innovation Award for 2013. The innovation award winner is selected by asking leading retailers to name suppliers that have brought noteworthy innovations to the Vacuum Sealers category and the Ziploc Brand Vacuum Sealer System was among those mentioned. The final winners are chosen by Housewares Executive’s research staff and are determined by evaluating the uniqueness of the products, the packaging and/or features that have been brought to the market over the past year. The Ziploc Brand Vacuum Sealer System line was launched in March 2012 by CTi Industries Corporation (under license from S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.). The CTi product development team set out to provide consumers with a Pure Glass Safe-Shell bottle is the Safest Glass bottle on the Market Glass is making a comeback. More and more people are turning to glass and leaving plastic bottles behind. Precidio Design, Inc. was well ahead of the curve when it introduced the Pure Glass bottle. So why the shift toward glass? Well, there are a few reasons. One of the most compelling reasons is the impact of plastic bottles on the environment. Each year plastic bottles produce more than 3 billion pounds of waste. More than 17 million barrels of oil are used in creating those bottles. And perhaps most alarming is that only 20 percent of bottles are actually recycled. Glass bottles allow for reuse, which greatly reduces the amount of waste created. And unlike plastic, glass can be recycled indefinitely without losing its integrity. Another reason why more people are choosing glass is that glass is the best material we have to create drinking products. Glass is inert, nontoxic, easy to clean, easy to maintain and easy to recycle. product that gives them a great value when buying a vacuum sealer product while meeting the consumer’s quality expectations that come with the Ziploc Brand. “We couldn’t be happier with the results. Our product line out shines the competition, and the consumers are quickly showing us that they are interested in purchasing our products.” says John Schwan, CTi’s CEO and Chairman of the Board. “In fact, the Ziploc Brand Vacuum Sealer System is positioned to become a leader in vacuum food storage.” Glass is made from sustainable raw materials. It offers unparalleled purity and preserves any beverage’s true taste. It keeps drinks colder, hotter and fresher longer. One reason that people stopped using glass initially was the concern for safety. Glass bottles break, and when they break they cause a mess, create shards and may even cause injury. The Pure Glass bottle can now address this concern. What makes the Pure Glass bottle unique is its patented Safe-Shell coating. This revolutionary coating, developed by Walt Himelstein, an Environmental Chemist, protects the users from glass shards and liquid messes. The Pure HOME & KITCHEN STORAGE 15 CTi has been experiencing strong sales growth since launching the Ziploc Brand Vacuum Sealer product line. The Ziploc Brand Vacuum Sealer System can be found at retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, and others. CTi President, Steve Merrick says, “Watch this fall for our new advertising campaigns. We are launching new DRTV spots, print media advertising and additional coupon programs, all with the full support of the Ziploc brand team!” Check out the new website at www.ctiindustries.com/ziploc. Glass bottle is made from impact resistant glass, but if the glass ever should break the coating keeps all the shards and liquid contained. It forms a seal around the entire bottle keeping contents away from human touch. The bottle can then be thrown into a recycling bin, as it is 100 percent recyclable. With Pure Glass bottles, glass is now mobile. Pure Glass bottles can travel to the gym and yoga studios. They can be used at work and throughout the day. With Pure Glass bottles, there is no reason to not to have the best hydration experience possible. 16 HOME & KITCHEN STORAGE KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n OCTOBER 2013 n www.kitchenwarenews.com COOKWARE STANDS IN STYLE Enclume’s 8-tier cookware stand has risen to the top of its venerable line of premier pot racks. Versatility is the key as consumers seek flexible kitchen locations for storage and display of their cookware. This stand is a classy extension of antique French baking racks – with tripod legs tapering upward, embracing the gentle curves of eight shelves. Constructed of hot-rolled steel, the stand is completed in the soft gray of Enclume’s signature hammered steel finish. The 8-tier stand is available in fullyassembled or knock down versions – the latter offering substantial freight savings along with the joy of a 45-minute assembly. Other cookware stands are available in 3,4,5,6 and 7-tier models. The trend is vertical, so let your cookware stand become your tower of cooking! Enclume Design Products Inc. [tel] 877.362.5863 www.enclume.com THE SPEEDYPLUS INSTANT MARINATER FROM JACCARD The SpeedyPlus Instant Marinater from Jaccard is a multi-functional, complete grilling and marinade preparation system. It is a complete food preparation tool that instantly marinates, stores and transports the meat to and from the oven or grill. The SpeedyPlus provides commercial level vacuum pressure which causes marinades to penetrate deeply and completely into the meat in as little as five minutes. The patent pending 10" x 14" design sports a 4.5 liter volume which can accommodate up to 14 boneless chicken breasts. The marinating chamber’s locking tabs secure pre-cooked juices within the container, eliminating cross contamination potential. The uniquely designed “platter” cover tray integrated into the marinade chamber cover provides an ideal surface for transporting cooked foods from the grill back into the kitchen. It easily disassembles for quick and effortless cleaning and it is dishwasher safe. Suggested Reail Price: $30 Jaccard www.jaccard.com SOUDA STRUT SHELVING SYSTEM Modern minimalism meets classic architectural construction in the Strut Shelving System. Inspired by the Manhattan Bridge and construction techniques of early aircraft carriers, the modular system is functional and flexible making it ideal for commercial and residential spaces alike. Offered in both powder coated and plated options, the polished simplicity and adaptability of the system is sure to support any interior effortlessly. Available for pre-order soon. Souda [tel] 718.576.3544 www.soudasouda.com SNAPWARE TOTAL SOLUTION FOR KITCHEN STORAGE BlenderBottle® GoStak, a system of interlocking jars, is the company’s first product designed to carry snacks, powdered supplements, pills, and more, on the go. Made of durable, stain-and odor-resistant Eastman Tritan®, the BlenderBottle GoStak complements a healthy lifestyle. The unique Twist n’ Lock™ system secures the jars together with a quick twist, while a secure seal allows for worry-free portability. Designed to work with BlenderBottle SportMixer and Classic products, the GoStak fits inside the bottles for compact traveling. The inclusion of a removable carrying handle with the GoStak Starter Pak makes it easy to clip the GoStak to your bag or purse and take anywhere. Currently available in four different sizes. Like all BlenderBottle products, the GoStak is BPA-free and is dishwasher safe. The BlenderBottle GoStak is available in a variety of colors and sizes. The Snapware® Total Solution™ line of leak-proof food keepers offers exactly what its name implies: innovative, surefire solutions that literally make food storage a snap. This line offers both stainproof, Pyrex® glass storage containers or BPA-free plastic containers in six different-sizes with airtight, leak-proof plastic lids. There are small- and mediumsized lids for three shapes of containers: square, round and rectangular. The lids fit interchangeably on the 6 glass and 12 plastic vessels of various capacities, from one to almost sixteen cups. The Snapware Total Solution container and lid storage features and time-saving benefits: Six lid sizes, which reduces clutter and frustration from timeconsuming lid-hunting in the cupboard. The lid types are specially color-coded to match their respective containers. Additionally, the lids stack and nest to save space while keeping the cabinet and fridge organized. The Snapware Total Solution latch-locking lids make an audible "snap" when properly closed and airtight sealed, ensuring that food can be transported leak-free. When the container is empty, the glass and plastic containers and lids are dishwasher safe. The two-shot, molded-gasket design on the lids eliminates the hard-to-clean grooves found on many airtight lids. BlenderBottle www.blenderbottle.com Snapware www.worldkitchen.com/snapware BLENDERBOTTLE GOSTAK HYBRID THERMAL TUMBLER Outlast the elements with the insulated Reduce™ Hybrid Thermal Tumbler, ready to keep beverages hot or cold for up to eight hours. This reusable 16ounce thermal tumbler is an ecofriendly and economical alternative to buying bottled beverages or highmargin drinks out and about. The Hybrid Thermal Tumbler uses Reduce Fire & Ice vacuum insulation to keep beverages hot or cold. Sturdy yet lightweight, it has a double-wall stainless steel interior with a BPA-free plastic exterior and lid. Each tumbler comes with two lids. The lid designed for cold beverages has a large treaded twist spout, making it easy to hydrate quickly. The twist-off spout is connected to the lid, so it can never be separated or lost. The coffeestyle lid features a smaller opening that slides open and shut, making it easier to sip hot liquids without spilling. Suggested Retail Price: $14.99. Reduce by Base Brands www.reduceeveryday.com MR. LID PATENTED FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS Introducing Mr. Lid, the attached patented lid design storage container so you never lose the lid again. Simplify your kitchen with the food storage system that saves you time and space. Mr. Lid containers are BPA-Free, easily stackable, microwave and dishwasher safe. Use it for food storage, to organize your office supplies, to keep your pets food fresh, or to make arts and crafts easy for your kids. Mr. Lid is available in multiple sizes, from 4-oz. half cup containers all the way up to full gallon containers. Made in the U.S.A. Harvest Direct [tel] 800.733.2106 www.harvestdirect.com www.kitchenwarenews.com n OCTOBER 2013 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW RETAILER PROFILE 17 Retailer Profile The Good Life (Cont. from Page 1) in 1981 and opened in its present 4,100 square foot location in November of 2007 after moving from a smaller location. The original store carried just cookware and bakeware, but over the years, The Good Life evolved to carry just about everything that has to do with cooking, dining and entertainment. “We still consider this a new store. We’re still working out the bugs, rearranging, but we like this store a lot,” Schwarz says. The additional square footage of its current location made it possible for The Good Life to add a bigger kitchen for demonstrations and classes, which ramped up the cooking school operation that had begun in the original store. Most of the classes are taught by resident Chef Kristina San Filippo, who was recruited from the local branch of Sur Le Table, and her skills in cooking healthful food with local ingredients are keys to the school’s success, Schwarz says. “A lot of the students have taken classes in a lot of other places. They’re welltraveled. She’s really in tune with staying healthy, and the students that she draws are also very interested in healthy cooking and eating,” he says. “All the produce is local, unless you just can’t get it here. It’s all locally grown and fresh and the highest quality.” The cooking school offers a wide range of scheduled classes, which are packaged and advertised a month to six weeks in advance. Prices for the classes range from $50 up to about $75 for a two-hour class with up to 14 students, although occasionally a guest chef is invited to teach, and in those cases, the chef ’s celebrity will bring a premium. “We do all our classes after hours, when the store is closed,” Schwarz says. Menu and recipes for the regular classes are designed by San Filippo, and the freedom that The Good Life offers her to teach classes that align with her own culinary interests was instrumental in luring her away from Sur Le Table, Schwarz says. Children’s classes are offered occasionally for ages 12 and up. “My oldest granddaughter Emily has done kids’ baking classes. She’s very good. My daughter-inlaw is also very good at teaching the kids,” Schwarz says. In addition to the regular program of cooking classes open to the public, The Good Life also offers private classes and demonstrations for groups. The demonstrations are often held off-site for groups, such as women’s clubs, that may be larger than the 14 or so who can fit comfortably into the store’s classroom kitchen. A typical demonstration will be about the latest gadgets on the market, and it’s usually Dave himself who arrives to show the group what’s new and exciting from his inventory of “every kind of gadget you can think of.” That wide range of merchandise is a big part of what draws customers into his store when they might go instead to WilliamsSonoma or Sur Le Table, which also have local stores. “While they may carry two or three different types of vegetable peelers, The Good Life will carry 10 and in a wide price range,” Schwarz says. “We try to have good quality and give them a good price range.” Some of the store’s particularly popular products recently have been the Original Cheese Knife, the Recipe Rock by Architec Housewares, Emile Henry baking stones and Lekue silicone products, especially the Lekue citrus misters. All you have to do to sell that citrus mister is demonstrate it, Schwarz says. “We sell just about everything we demo,” he adds. Cookware is by Swiss Diamond, and Riedel wine glasses and knives by Wenger, Wusthof, Shun and Kyocera are offered as well as several brands of Swiss-made stamped knives. A lot of young chefs come into the store for their knives, Schwarz says. “If money’s no object, you can go ahead and fill up your knife block with everything they make, but with three or four good knives, you should be able to do just about everything,” Schwarz says. He advises customers who are just beginning to build their knife collections to start with a couple of paring knives, a chef ’s knife or a Santoku and a nice long slicer. Get a slicer that’s longer than the diameter of the biggest roast you’ll ever carve, he says. “That way, if you’re cutting a roast, you have blade on each side.... Maybe later on, you’ll add a boning knife and a bread knife.” Great customer service also helps explain how The Good Life holds its own against the national chains. Twenty five or 30 years ago, there were more kitchen store in Naples than anywhere else in Florida, but over the years, most of them have vanished. Competition over pricing isn’t the reason for that; it’s a matter of knowing the products and being able to explain to customers why they’re really worth the prices, Schwarz says. “Everybody here, if you have a question about one of our products, can answer a question about what’s here and whether you’d be happy with it,” he says. “If you walk into the store and you’re looking for a knife or bakeware or cookware, I need to be able to tell you what the differences are in what I carry and why it’s good.” 18 PRODUCT REVIEW KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n OCTOBER 2013 n www.kitchenwarenews.com Product Reviews SousVide Supreme brings Celebrated Cooking Technique to the Masses BY LUCAS WITMAN Few culinary techniques are as trendy right now as sous vide cookery. Peruse the menu at almost any fine dining restaurant in the country, and you are almost certain to find meats, vegetables and even eggs that have been prepared using this method. Celebrated chefs such as Joël Robuchon, Thomas Keller and Ferran Adrià have endowed sous vide cooking with an almost mythic air of haute cuisine through their impassioned support of the technique. However, since its inception, this technique has been reserved primarily for professionals, as the equipment used to conduct it (often repurposed laboratory thermal immersion circulators) is expensive and difficult to obtain. This is changing today, however, as kitchenwares company SousVide Supreme is finally bringing sous vide cooking to the masses. Sous vide cooking is a particular method of slowly poaching foods at a steady, relatively low temperature. Foods are sealed in airtight plastic bags (often vacuumsealed), where they are submerged in a water bath. Sous vide meats in particular retain a succulence that is often lost through conventional cooking methods.In addition, cooking tougher cuts of meat at a low temperature for a long time tenderizes them. As an admitted connoisseur of kitchen gadgets and appliances, learning about the existence of SousVide Supreme’s home kitchen sous vide cooking equipment immediately piqued my interest. I was curious to find out if I could in fact use this appliance to recreate sous vide dishes from some of my favorite restaurants. Upon receiving the equipment, I immediately knew what item I wanted to cook first in my SousVide Supreme. At a favorite local Italian restaurant, the chef has re-imagined the traditional baconand-eggs pasta dish, spaghetti carbonara, by putting something he calls a “perfect egg” on top. When the dish hits the table, one mixes the delicately poached egg into the pasta, and it forms the sauce for the dish. It did not take much coaxing from the chef to get his recipe for the perfect egg: He sous vide an egg in its shell for 45 minutes at exactly 145°. The SousVide Supreme could not be easier to use. One simply fills the large metal water oven (there are fill level markings inscribed on it) and inputs the desired temperature and, if desired, cooking time. The machine quickly heats the water to the specific cooking temperature, where it is kept perfectly steady. An alarm sounds when the desired cooking time has been reached. Simply remove the cooked food from the water bath and enjoy. My first attempt at creating a “perfect egg” was an immediate success. The low and slow cooking method creates a smooth, luxurious, delicately poached egg that practically disappeared into my pasta dish. One could also use the SousVide Supreme The Chef Pro Super Chopper BY KRISTINA HARRIS The Chef Pro Super Chopper isn’t your normal small-foods dicing machine. The area given to the motor is about the same size as my blender, something I noticed as I hefted it out of the box. Plus, the whole device is easy to grip, thanks to well-placed divots on the sides. I appreciated that, especially when imagining wet, busy, or distracted hands as I tried to both negotiate my chopper and do two other things at once in my kitchen. My first impression was that the colors felt sort of retro, which is quite trendy right now. The bright yellow pressure bar, the off-white body, the clear plastic chopping area it all combines very well. First, I played with the product, trying to get a feel for how it works and how easy it is to use. I found that the blade comes off with just the push of a button situated safely on top, and then the plastic bowl where the food is chopped lifts right up. I like that the chopping bowl is a rigid plastic: it’s easier to fit in the dishwasher, not breakable, and easy to get chopped ingredients out of. The rigid plastic top took me a few tries to fit on before I figured out that there was a special divot on one side. Locking into place may take an extra half-second, to be sure it’s done right, but once you get the feel, it becomes easy and natural. The first time I turned on the Chef Pro Super Chopper was for a test run with nothing inside. I was shocked and pleased: it was quiet, yet powerful! Most small choppers I’ve owned have been loud and rather clanky. Not the Chopper. I attribute this to the large, blender-like motor it sits on. I was making pork chops, so I pulled out an onion and some garlic. Normally garlic doesn’t do well in any chopper I’ve to create delicious poached eggs for eggs benedict or for use as a topper in a hearty soup. I doubt I will ever again poach an egg in the traditional manner. In addition to the water oven itself, SousVide Supreme offers an extensive line of cooking equipment that completes the sous vide cooking experience. A zip sealer enables one to carefully seal plastic bags for submersion, while a vacuum sealer does the same thing, simultaneously removing all air from the bag. SousVide Supreme also offers an array of cooking pouches, sous vide seasonings, cookbooks and other accessories. Already satisfied with my perfect egg, I then decided to use the equipment to cook some vacuum packed vegetables. Using the SousVide Supreme Vacuum Sealer and Vacuum Seal Pouches is practically foolproof. I filled a bag with chopped carrots and winter squash, added a couple pats of butter and some seasoned salt and positioned the top of the bag in the Vacuum Sealer. One simply clicks down on a latch, holding the bag in place, and presses a button. The machine then removes all the air from the bag and seals it tight. In a matter of seconds, my bag was ready to be placed in the SousVide Supreme water oven. ever tried. The Chef Pro minced up my garlic in less than 20 seconds, with no large pieces left. I was impressed. Scraping the soft plastic bowl out felt a bit odd, because it has a lot of ridges, but a small spatula tool included in the box fits between the ridges perfectly, and makes the work much easier. Next, I tried the onions. They were chopped quickly, but I wanted a paste, and had one in less than a minute. It was a well-wrought paste, with no large chunks anywhere. I spread the minced garlic and onion paste on my pork chops, threw them in the crock pot, rinsed my Chef Pro Chopper, set it in the dish drainer, and called it a morning. All-in-all, the Chef Pro Super Chopper exceeded my expectations for a smaller-sized food chopper. It’s quiet, fast, and powerful and easy to clean. Basically the best of everything someone would want in a kitchenware product. When doing sous vide cooking, one needs to be patient. Cooking my vegetables in the SousVide Supreme took two hours. I know that I could have boiled the vegetables in less than a quarter of the time. However, the results were worth the wait. The vegetables came out perfectly tender and cooked completely evenly. And by cooking them in a vacuum-sealed pouch, they were infused with the flavors of the butter and spices with which they were cooked. It was truly a home run. The SousVide Supreme is destined to become a staple in my kitchen. And with the holidays coming up, I am excited to have a new gift to present to the many foodies in my life who, like me, think they already have everything they could need in their kitchens. Chances are, they don’t have this. www.kitchenwarenews.com n OCTOBER 2013 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW NEW PRODUCTS 19 New Products Zoku Ice ball: Cooler and easier Way to Serve Drinks on the rocks The new patent-pending Zoku® Ice Ball lets you savor your favorite iced drinks on the rocks without diluting the flavor. There is a simple pleasure in adding one 2.5-inch diameter sphere of ice to your beverage instead of multiple ice cubes, especially because it melts at a very slow, even rate in your glass. Whether it’s whiskey, a margarita or pink lemonade, the ice ball creates a more fulfilling taste experience. Beautifully designed in red and white, the Zoku Ice Ball is unsurpassed for its ease of use. Just fill with water through the hole on the top of the food-safe silicone mold, and then place in the freezer. Once it’s frozen, just pull the halves apart to reveal the perfectly formed ice sphere. There is no need to rinse it under water first. When you push on the bottom of the flexible mold, the ice ball pops up, ready for beverage service. The pop-up Fun Shapes and Autumn Colors Welcome Home Brands has added the new Fall Festive Collection to its bestselling line of oven-safe paper bakeware. Featuring fun stripes and polka dots in warm autumn colors, this oven-safe and freezer-safe paper bakeware makes home baking more convenient and enjoyable. Adding a festive look to home-baked pumpkin bread, chocolate cake or red velvet cupcakes for parties, birthdays, baby showers 4 Stir Inc. Introduces Innovative Sifting Spoon Revolutionary sifting spoon, designed for cooks, bakers and chefs, which was unveiled by 4 STIR, Inc. at the 2013 International Housewares Association Show in Chicago in March, and the Consumer Products Show in New York in June 2013. Called “The SPIFTER," the hand-held sifting spoon gives cooks control when decorating their food using sugars, spices and herbs. It gives perfect, clean, precise placement every time, with no mess and no waste. Three interchangeable sifting bowls vary in grade for versatility. The mesh bowls and long handle were functionally designed for reaching into spice containers. The most unique feature is the tapping edge, which gives the cook control over quantity and ease of use. “We invented The SPIFTER out of sheer frustration at the inability to control how much spice comes out of the containers and one too many dishes being ruined,” said 4STIR President Diane D’Andrea. The SPIF TER won an Innovation Finalist Award in the Kitchen Tools & Cutlery category during the IHA Show in Chicago – one of only 65 products honored out of 30,000 new products. The SPIFTER was also a nominee for the 2013 Chicago Innovation Award. and more, these colorful paper bakeware molds feature rich hues of tangerine, dark green, dark blue and honey dot. The collection’s classic, warm and inviting colors also make it perfect for baking throughout the year. Paper bakeware is a great alternative to metal bakeware, allowing the home baker to bake, serve, store and give, all in the same form. The disposable paper pans are action makes it fun to use. Demonstrating the attention to detail for which Zoku is known, the hole at the top is specially designed to make it easy to fill with just the right amount. If you accidentally overfill it, you can tip it over to release the excess water only, without disturbing the liquid needed for the full ice sphere. A silicone band in the middle of the closed unit makes it more comfortable to use when frozen. The Ice Ball also adds visual appeal to a beverage, making it cool in more ways than one. The Zoku Ice Ball comes in a stackable set of two. Taking up minimal space in the freezer, each unit is just 2.75 inches tall and 3.6 inches diameter. The Ice Ball is BPA and phthalate free. The patentpending Zoku Ice Ball will have a suggested retail price of $16.95 for a set of two. It will be available for shipment in November 2013. For more information, visit www.zokuhome.com. convenient to use: simply pour in the batter, bake and serve. Welcome Home Brands paper bakeware can be placed directly in the oven, and because the baked good is served in the same mold it is baked in, clean-up is a breeze. Putting a twist on the traditional cupcake mold, the Fall Festive Collection features the new Cube Baking Cup (1.6 by 1.6 by 1.6 inches), a fun new petite shape that holds fewer ounces than a traditional cupcake mold. Perfect for small portions of cupcakes or spice breads, this new size is available in Tangerine with Stripes, Dark Green with Stripes, Honey Dot with Polka Dots and Dark Blue Dot with Polka Dots. It has a suggested retail price of $6.99 for a 12-piece set. The Paper Bakeware line won "Best of the Best - Bronze" at the prestigious 2012 Housewares Design Awards and was a finalist in the 2012 International Housewares Association Innovation Awards in the Cookware & Bakeware category. It also won an Innovation Honor in Product Design at the 2011 ICON Honors at AmericasMart Atlanta. For more information, contact Welcome Home Brands at 914-696-0010 or [email protected], or visit www.welcomehomebrands.com. 20 BUYERS GUIDE KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n OCTOBER 2013 n www.kitchenwarenews.com BUYERS GUIDE Core Bamboo bamboo Core Bamboo is the proud manufacturer of the world’s finest bamboo products. All of its products are made by an experienced team of hard working artisans in a safe and responsible work environment. Its extensive collection includes bowls and servers, trays, utensils and gadgets, entertainment pieces, kitchenware, storage items, cutting boards and more. For 2013, Core Bamboo is proud to offer an array of new products from its entertainment collection. One of the top sellers this season from Core Bamboo’s new line are its Modern Paddle Boards. Designed with the professional host/hostess in mind, each board is developed to help the entertainer present his or her food with elegance and grace, all while providing all the functions that bamboo offers. Use these boards to effortlessly prepare your favorite delicacies and then serve them directly on the board to your guests. All of these products are made from 100 percent organically grown bamboo and are available in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit your personal needs and style. Core Bamboo [tel] 646.845.6000 www.corebamboo.com Butcher Block Cutting Board Oil & Butcher Block Conditioner Howard Products’ butcher block and cutting board oil and butcher block conditioner will help you get more use out of your cutting boards and butcher blocks. Made of food-grade mineral oil and enriched with Vitamin E, the high-quality butcher block and cutting board oil is great for use on cutting boards, butcher blocks and wooden utensils. The butcher block conditioner has added natural waxes, and is safe to use after every wash, preventing your wooden kitchen items from drying or cracking and keeping them beautiful yet still functional. They are both excellent add-on items to any wooden kitchen utensil, bowl or cutting board purchase. Howard Products [tel] 800.266.9545 www.howardproducts.com Bambooee The folks who created Bambooee hope to help change our paper addiction. Bambooee is a reusable cloth made from sustainably grown bamboo. One roll of Bambooee is equal to up to 286 rolls of regular paper towels. Depending on how much a family uses, that can replace up to 5.5 years of paper towel use. Introduced in March at the 2012 Expo West in Anaheim, Bambooee won the “Best of the West” award, and is made from a certified organic bamboo source. Bambooee [tel] 800.873.3856 www.theoriginalshammy.com Oceanstar Wine Rack Made with 100 percent bamboo, the Oceanstar stackable bamboo wine rack is not only strong and durable, but versatile as well. It is designed to be stacked, creating the two-tier look, placed side by side, or separately in different areas. Each tier comes with two wave-like bars and two bars that hold the wine bottles in place. The narrower wave bar holds the top lid portion of the bottle while the wider wave bar holds the bottom portion of the bottle. It is fun and easy to assemble, with no tools or hardware necessary as the wave bars and blocks will interlock. The Oceanstar stackable bamboo wine rack combines green materials, functionality, versatility, and contemporary style to enhance the home environment for consumers. The 2-Tier Stackable Bamboo Wine Rack comes in natural finish color and standard retail carton packaging. Suggested Retail Price:$109.99 Oceanstar www.oceanstardesign.com Totally Bamboo Dish Racks The newest member of the Totally Bamboo line is the Slimline dish rack. This rack combines the natural beauty of bamboo with black powder coated steel for a contemporary look that is built to last. As an added bonus, the Slimline folds flat for easy storage when not in use. The Eco Dish Rack offers gracefully curved lines that will provide a touch of elegance to any kitchen counter. With three separate racks, the Eco provides plenty of room for drying dishes with no electricity needed. There is also a large capacity matching utensil holder, available separately. The Dish Rack and Compact Dish Rack are designed with clean simple lines and are available in two different sizes. The Dish Rack has three drying racks and measures a generous 19" x 18" x 10", making it perfect for those busy kitchens with space to spare. For those smaller kitchens where space is at a premium, there is the Compact Dish Rack that measures 13 3/4" x 13" x 10". Also available separately is a utensil holder that fits both the standard and compact racks. Totally Bamboo [tel] 760.471.6600 www.totallybamboo.com Chic Teak Chic Teak is introducing a range of robust bamboo parasols, ideal for use with its teak furniture in both commercial and domestic gardens. Chic Teak are designed to withstand the worst weather and compliment its range of teak square, round and rectangular dining tables. The bamboo parasols are made from a single-piece pole for extra strength and durability. Their double pulley and rope system ensures easy raising and lowering of the parasol, even on the the largest models. The Levante range also incorporates a turned bamboo hub and runner with stainless steel brackets, a bamboo finial, and an elegant practical hour glass shaped pin made from bamboo and stainless steel. The canopies themselves are made from tough wearing polyester or a fade resistant Spuncrylic (depending on color choice). Chic Teak www.chic-teak.co.uk www.kitchenwarenews.com n OCTOBER 2013 BUYERS GUIDE 21 BUYERS GUIDE bamboo Totally Bamboo Laser Line of Cutting Boards Introducing the art of cooking, or more aptly: the art of cooking tools. Totally Bamboo’s new product line, “Art for the Kitchen,” has married the natural beauty of warm bamboo with the hi-tech art of laser to create a mesmerizing and intricate new line. The laser line of bamboo cutting boards combines the concept of kitchen art with the function of cutting boards. Whether it’s the Tree of Life, etched with hundreds of exotic and endangered animals, or the Wine Cut’n Serve, shaped like a wine bottle and etched with the names of wine varieties, Totally Bamboo has undeniably created true kitchen art. Totally Bamboo [tel] 760.471.6600 www.totallybamboo.com MÜkitchen’s Bamboo Dishcloths MÜkitchen’s 12" x 12" bamboo dishcloths are made of 100 percent bamboo fiber, are naturally bacteria resistant, ultra absorbent and quick drying with every day durability. They are strong, ultra soft and finished with a hanging loop for convenience. They are available in the following vibrant beautiful colors: natural, espresso, Pacific, moss, pomegranate, indigo, lemon, ocean, celery and eggplant. MÜkitchen www.mukitchen.com TruGourmet By TruBamboo TruGourmet is an eco-friendly enterprise specializing in the design and manufacture of contemporary premium kitchen products made with the eco-friendly beauty of renewable natural materials and the latest green technologies. Superior quality artisan construction is expressed through the use of rich detailing and hand finishing for best in class fit, finish and function. Designer Pablo Baquero creates innovative solutions to enhance the gourmet cooking experience. Our designer collections express an elegantly modern style in functional kitchen décor. TruBamboo www.shoptrubamboo.com State Inspired Bamboo Cutting Boards Begun just few short years ago in a 250 square foot shop, Woodbob.com Woodworking, based in Chetek, Wisconson, has been met with success in a short time. Proud to announce the launch of their latest line – state inspired bamboo cutting boards – co-founders Robert and Richard Wendt are excited about the product’s potential. Also offering personalized engravings or a custom shaped cutting board of the customer’s choosing, the brothers Wendt are poised to make their Etsy store top of mind come Christmas. The new line of state cutting boards come in three sizes. Suggested Retail Price: $35-58 (maple or bamboo) Woodbob www.woodbob.com 22 GIFTWARE KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n OCTOBER 2013 n www.kitchenwarenews.com Giftware Gifts to Honor relationships between People and Pets BY LORRIE BAUMANN The right gift for a devoted pet owner can also open up conversations that help those owners through grief at the loss of a pet or celebrate the joy of an emotional connection with a beloved animal, says designer Elaine Seamans, owner of AtChoo, which offers an entire line of pet products designed to accomplish just those intentions. Her products express the love she felt for a pet who died almost two decades ago but who is still remembered. “I had the company before my dog passed, but I didn’t really have a focus,” she says. “When she passed, I put everything into the line in honor of her, and that’s when it took off. When you do something that you’re passionate about, people respond.” Some of the items in her collection are intended to be presented to the pets themselves; there are pet tags engraved with sayings whose emotional content ranges from the deeply poignant to humorous observations of behaviors that distinguish an individual pet from other animals. Other items in the collection are intended for the humans in the relationship, some to celebrate the love of a living pet and some to provide a means of opening a difficult conversation about the loss of a pet. There are, for instance, stationery items for memorial announcements and memorial jewelry. “They’re all quiet ways to let people know that this is important to me,” Seamans says. Retail prices range from $15 to $220. The pet tags are at the $15 end, with fine jewelry items at the upper end. ”See the line at www.atchoo.com. Pearhead Inc. offers kits with frames to hold a photo and a pawprint for a beloved canine Primula Adds Asian-Inspired Teapot to Collection Primula® expands its extensive tea pot collection with the elegant new Blue Floral Cast Iron Teapot. With a low horizontal silhouette, inspired by the heritage of Asian design, it features a graceful pattern of round blossoms that create a textured surface, adding both visual and tactile appeal. It has a 1.25 quart (40 ounce) capacity to steep multiple cups of tea. Completely lead free, this cast iron pot has a quality feel and creates an ideal environment for steeping. It comes with a removable stainless steel loose tea infuser basket and can work with either loose tea or teabags. The Blue Floral Cast Iron Tea Pot comes optimism About Holiday Season Drives Sales at Tendence The international Tendence consumergoods fair closed on August 27 after a four-day show that drew very good approval ratings from both exhibitors and visitors, according to Messe Frankfurt GmbH, the show’s producers. During the four days of the fair, exhibitors from 55 countries presented their latest products for the autumn and winter season and offered an initial preview of the coming spring in the fields of ‘Living’ and ‘Giving.’ “Tendence remains one of Europe’s most important order platforms in the second half of the year. Despite the difficult economic situation in Europe, we have succeeded in repositioning Tendence in the interests of our exhibitors and visitors. The new concept has produced its first positive results. The overall rating given to the fair is significantly better than last year’s,” said Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt GmbH. As was expected in view of the economic trend in the sector, there was a decline in the number of visitors from last year’s show. During the four days of the fair, one less than last year, a total of 38,000 visitors passed through the doors. Last year’s fiveday event was attended by 45,477 visitors. The top 10 nations on the visitor side were Switzerland, Austria, The Netherlands, France, Italy, Belgium, China, Spain, Poland and Great Britain. Altogether, 20 percent companion. The frame designed to hang on the wall is 11”x 14” while the desktop version has two 8”x10” frames hinged together to hold the picture on one side and a pawprint on the other. The frames retail for $34.95. The company also offers a memory box kit to hold a picture and pawprint on the outside, with a space for mementos inside. Occasionally used as an urn, the box retails for $39.95. The company’s online store is at www.pearhead.com. Jen Curry, the owner and designer of Kitty Jones, a small studio based in New York City, takes a different approach to producing gifts for pet owners, particularly the owners of cats. For her, it’s all about offering a product that will entertain the family cat while enhancing the look of its owner’s dwelling. Her handmade cat toys are based on classic items that we already know that cats enjoy, but they’re made from fabrics that Curry hand-prints with nontoxic water-based inks on organic cotton canvas. The catnip mice are filled with highquality catnip that’s grown under clean conditions in Massachusetts. “Great care is taken to make them current in terms of trends in interior design. You’re bringing something into your house that’s going to contribute to the aesthetic that you enjoy in your house, and your cat is going to enjoy it too,” Curry says. “What we’re doing is contributing to your style as well as entertaining your cat.” Kitty Jones products are being sold at stores across North America and online at www.kittyjones.com, and retail prices range from $8 for a felted wool ball to $120 for a cat tepee. with a 25-gram sample of Primula’s Premium Loose Leaf Green Tea, making this an ideal gift for the tea lovers. It has a suggested retail price of $44.99, and is available for immediate shipment. Primula® offers a variety of beverage-related products that make ordinary moments extraordinary. For more information, visit www.primulaproducts.com. of visitors came from outside Germany. The exhibit hall was also smaller this year, declining from 130,600 square meters last year to 98,000 square meters this year, as the show’s sponsors cut back on the number of Asian companies allowed to exhibit. That brought fewer exhibitors in from China, Hong Kong and India. Buyers flocked to the show’s Giving section, which offered giftware in four product segments – Gifts Unlimited, Young & Trendy, Personal Accessories and Carat. Categories included original emotional and trendy gifts, souvenirs, stationery, gourmet gifts, costume and fine jewelry, watches, arts and crafts, bags, belts, scarves and shawls. “Given the very difficult first half year for the sector, the course of business at Tendence was positive. Overall expectations have been exceeded. A decent consumer-goods fair for the second half of the year, such as Tendence, is extremely important for the sector,” said Stephan Koziol, Chairman of the European Lifestyle Association. Buyers at the show expressed optimism about the European economy’s ability to support a good holiday buying season. “All in all, 2013 has been a successful year for us and Tendence represented a perfect start to a really good Christmas season. Although the autumn fair is more of a national event than Ambiente in the spring, we were able to welcome many new customers not only from Germany but also from other countries, including many from East Europe,” said Peter Schönhofen, CEO of Kare Design. The next Tendence will be held from August 30 to September 2, 2014. The next Ecostyle, colocated with Tendence, will be held concurrently with Tendence in Frankfurt am Main from August 30 to September 2, 2014. www.kitchenwarenews.com n OCTOBER 2013 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW GADGET OF THE MONTH 23 Gadget of the Month Whisk Away: Modern options Increase efficiency, Alter Traditional Shapes For those who prefer to whisk by hand rather than pay a stand mixer to automate the process, efficiency is paramount. After minutes of beating a balloon whisk in a large bowl of egg whites, a person begins to wonder if there is a better way to form those foamy peaks. The solution to efficiency lies in the construction of the whisk – traditional and modern whisk profiles alike have been redesigned to make each stroke of the chef ’s wrist maximally effective in aerating a liquid or egg mix. Culinary purists see the traditional whisk shape as the optimal tool for all whisking, as it has been the timeless standard. Balloon and French whisk shapes are popular sellers, but they have not been spared from modern updates. Kitchen equipment retailers such as Williams-Sonoma have updated the handles of traditional whisks to make them more ergonomic. With a better grip, the chef will be able to more powerfully whisk a mix in fewer strokes. The traditional balloon whisk and French whisk shapes are best suited for use in large spaces, such as a big bowl. When whisking in smaller spaces that are unaccommodating to a traditional whisk, a chef can turn to a modern shape that is not constrained by old silhouettes. Whisks such as WMF’s Profi Plus mini ball whisk and WMF’s twirl whisk are galactic in form, but updated in function and efficiency. These new designs make whisking, as well as cleanup, easier and quicker. Ball whisks have silicone or stainless steel weights at the end of each wire, making each stroke efficient by folding more air into the food being beaten. The weighted wires bend freely, allowing them to fit into virtually any shape or size container. No matter which task a chef wishes to accomplish, design innovations and a variety of materials have made the whisk capable of efficiently handing a myriad of kitchen needs. TRADESHOW CALENDAR NOVEM BER 2013 5-8 Smoky Mountain Gift Show Gatlinburg Convention Center Gatlinburg, TN, 678.285.EXPO (3976) www.urban-expo.com ADVERTISER INDEX Cook Pro..................................................................4 Core Bamboo........................................................21 CTi Industries.......................................................24 Enclume Design......................................................7 Franmara ................................................................15 Howard Naturals..................................................20 Kavalier Glassworks ...............................................6 LSArts ....................................................................11 Oceanstar Design Group......................................5 Prodyne ..................................................................11 Talisman Designs....................................................4 The Alison Group..................................................7 Tribest.....................................................................19 Totally Bamboo.......................................................2 Weston....................................................................11