Hot Holiday Housewares 2010

I recently attended the International Housewares Association (IHA) sponsored Hot Holiday Housewares show in New York and saw some very interesting products – some were new or prototypes and others had been introduced within the last year. The focus, of course, was gift ideas for the holidays. Holidays? It is the beginning of summer! I know, but the retail world is done with summer and looking toward the next season(s).

This small summary is not an exhaustive coverage of items available or of all the vendors; it is simply a list of the products that stuck in my mind from vendors I was able to speak with that day. Let’s face it, I am way too chatty to cover everything.

Let’s start with the most memorable product, the Wine Diaper. Some people may think the product name is odd, but I kinda like it and hope they don’t change the name. Regardless of your feelings about the name, it is a product that represents thoughtful design. The purpose of the Wine Diaper is to protect bottles of wine, water, liquor or any beverage really, while packed in your checked luggage. We all know by now that you can’t fly these days with carry-on bottles containing more than 3oz of liquid which means all wine must be checked. And you probably know someone who has had a bottle break inside their luggage ruining their clothes. Wine Diaper to the rescue! You simply place the bottle in the reusable, resealable bag and pack it in your checked luggage. If the bottle should crack or break, the bag absorbs the liquid and protects the contents of your luggage. It can absorb all the liquid contained in a 750ml bottle. If the bottle doesn’t break, the most likely scenario, then you can reuse the bag another time. They sell 3-Pack of Wine Diapers for $15 or a 10-Pack for $40.

And speaking of thoughtful designs, there is a small company, Zoku, that offers a device for making quick chilling “popsicles”. This is also a product that would be great to buy now and not wait for holiday gift time. Now before you poo-poo the idea of “popsicles” or frozen pops, understand that you can make any number of creative flavorful treats using this innovative product. The concept is similar to the basic ice cream maker. You keep a tray in the freezer and when you’re ready to make your dessert, pour the mixture in the molds and wait 7-9 minutes. Then using a special tool, loosen the pops, place the drip guard on and enjoy your icy treat. You can make three sets of pops before you need to refreeze the base. Additionally, the company makes storage units for keeping pops safely in the freezer. They also make tools for enhanced frozen pop creativity. You can use fruit, juice, yogurt, ice cream or any combination of tasty treats that will freeze solid. The tool set allows for some very creative presentations. This isn’t your mother’s popsicle tray. This is a well considered, innovative product which allows you to create any number of cooling treats without using yet another electric appliance.

And speaking of energy saving devices, the next product that caught my eye was the mypressi. It is a hand held espresso maker that actually has the proper pressure to make espresso without using electricity. The pressure is created using cream charger cartridges. The internal workings are designed to channel the nitrous oxide to the coffee at the proper 135 psi (or 9 bars). The cup holds 21 grams of ground coffee and produces 2 – 1 oz cups of espresso. Each cartridge will make approximately 8 single (1 oz) or 4 double shots. It is the first hand held machine I have found that creates proper pressure and a good tasting espresso. Cost per shot for a charger cartridge is $0.13 and for coffee per 21 grams, maybe $0.14, so your per shot costs…$0.27. Not bad. The retail price is $149. This space and energy saving device produces a good crema and rich tasting, high quality espresso. In other words, a proper espresso.

Espresso at the office

Kyocera, makers of great ceramic knives, has introduced a manual ceramic coffee grinder. I found it easy to use, very versatile and effective. It allows for adjustable coarseness, from press grind to espresso. The glass catch bowl holds 100 grams, or about a quarter of a cup of ground coffee, and is dishwasher safe. The grind produced is very consistent, even and won’t splatter from static electricity. The only rpm’s produced are whatever your arm can produce. Because it uses manual power, it will not create unwanted and unnecessary heat on the ground coffee, ensuring maximum flavor. Another benefit: as it is ceramic, it won’t rust or corrode, so it will last a long time and performance will remain at near peak for many, many years. Combine this with the mypressi and you have a very green, ultra-low energy espresso combination. In my article on power outage cooking, I mentioned how we need to think about emergency situations which deprive us of our precious electricity and just generally be less dependent on electricity. It is good for the environment and our wallets. This coffee grinder moves us further along in this effort. Even if reducing energy use isn’t your thing, you will be pleased with the ability of this grinder. It should be available in stores June/July 2010 for $49.95.

I saw two relatively new knife offerings. One from Ergo, designed, endorsed and branded with Guy Fieri, is called the Knuckle Sandwich series. The Guy Fieri line is a redesigned version of the Pro-Series. The idea is ergonomic handles and German style knife blades. The knives had a good hand feel and excellent balance. Regardless of your opinion of celebrity endorsed products, these knives seem very well made. They are set at 20 – 21% pitch angle, a typical modern blade angle. The 2 piece welded blade is high carbon German stainless steel (X50CrMoV15) with a 56 Rockwell hardness rating. They also have a unique handle end which is flat and cross hatched and can be used as a garlic smasher or in fact for any small food item that needs a good whack. Presently there is an 8″ Chef, 5.5″ Santoku, 5.5″ Offset Utility and 4″ Paring knife. They may be adding a 7″ Santoku to this line soon.

The second knife introduction is from Fissler. Fissler is most famously known for its fine pressure cookers and general use cookware. These knives are brand new and will be available soon. There are two styles: an ergonomic western style knife and a Japanese style knife. Both lines appear to have a good hand feel and thick solid blades. I will be interested to see how robust the lines become.

DeLonghi has introduced a mid-priced super coffee center in the style of the widely available Jura Capresso. It looks like, operates like and generally feels like Jura coffee centers. The DeLonghi machine is priced at $999.95 which is a good value for this type of machine. There are some differences however. One is that, unlike the Jura line, the coffee selection buttons come with preset water amounts. The Jura machines allow the user to select the amount of water for each coffee. This may or may not be an issue for you. The DeLonghi machine is designed for easier cleaning at home. Jura machines need to be sent in to clean some of its elements. Like Jura, there are water filters, cleaning messages and other helpful notifications. Unlike the Jura, the bean compartment has a gasket around the lid to provide improved insulation of the coffee beans. Both have drip trays and coffee ground collection bins that tell you to empty the grounds based on a cup counter. The DeLonghi machine has a very sleak, attractive look and a reasonable footprint. It also has a frothing wand on the left side that looks like a traditional frothing wand and in this model, no frothomatic or “dial-a-froth”. I will be curious to run it through its paces when it is released.

I looked at several of thermometers by Maverick. The one that caught my eye was their highly sensitive thermocouple based digital thermometer. The Pro-Temp Commercial Thermometer PT-100. It, like the similar thermometers, can give you an accurate reading in 3-6 seconds. These models are accurate to 1 degree C, as opposed to the 4-6 degree variations of regular thermometers. This model has a range of -40F to 450F. I love the size and hand feel. The temperature read out area is big and very easy to read against a blue background. The price point is $89 or $99 dollars.

I saw an interesting product from Fagor, a 6 qt. Electric Multi-Cooker, newly designed for 2010. It is a versatile three-in-one item – a pressure cooker, rice steamer and slow cooker. The product is electric powered and produces 11psi of pressure while in pressure cooker mode, while an easy twist of a lever allows the machine to be a rice or vegetable steamer. Using the front buttons, you can set it to become a standard slow cooker. There is even a browning feature which allows you to sear meat prior to cooking it slowly for several hours (searing locks in the juices and flavor). It certainly saves on storage space and provides a versatile tool for the kitchen. Given the versatility, it has a good value price of $119.99. The electric pressure alone is $99, so for $20 more you get a lot more.

Bodum is producing some really nice designs on what are conceptually basic appliances. After the success of the Bistro toasters, Bodum has carried this style into other appliances, including electric kettles. The vibrant colors and improved designs of the Ibis and Bistro water kettles make them stand out. They have clear and easy to read water level indicators; additionally the Bistro models have cup markings. This simple design element benefits the user in the area of energy savings. If you boil only the water you need, you use less energy and save time. In both models, the heating element has been placed under the bottom of the kettle carafe, reducing calcification that would otherwise appear on the heating coil. There is a washable anti-scale screen mounted inside the pour spout to aerate the water. The screen can be easily removed for cleaning or allowing an open spout for other needs. The Ibis kettle comes in its 57 oz. oval shape. The Bistro line is made in two sizes – 1.0 liter/34 oz. and 1.5 liters/51 oz..

You might be familiar with Gel Pro Chef’s mats which provide a comfortable cushion for the feet in kitchens with tile, stone or hardwood flooring. There is a new player on the scene: WellnessMats. They are essentially the same product, with a few key differences. First, the cushion is provided by polyurethane – actually a proprietary Advanced Polyurethane Technology. This gives the mat a more buoyant and airy feel under your feet and will last longer than gels. I can say from experience that the WellnessMat does have a nicer feel. Second, it has single-piece construction and based on this design will overcome a limitation of the gel mats – curling of the outer edges. The WellnessMats are thicker, yet won’t cause tripping. The Wellness Mats come with a 7 year warranty and come in 5 different colors. The first WellnessMats had no patterns on top, only smooth surface. This made them easier to care for and clean. New for later this year are Motif collection designs. The new relief patterns will give the mats a new elegant look but are not so deeply grooved as to make them difficult to clean. The prices are similar to high end gel mats, but I think if you try them all, you will prefer the WellnessMat.

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