IHHS 2012 Preview – Hamilton Beach

Every January, the good people at the International Housewares Association (IHA) hold a preview event for the press in New York City. This event serves as an appetizer to get us excited about the feast that is coming soon. For bloggers like me, it is a great opportunity to cover more products, making reporting from the main International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago a bit easier. This preview enables me to see what is new and improved now, freeing me up to see other companies in March. This year there were around 65 companies displaying their wares. These companies represent those who are showing new products or are new to the IHA show family.

Over the next few weeks, I will post information about the products from the companies I was able to visit with in New York. I will highlight one company in each post so that focus can be given to what is new for this year. Without further ado, what follows is a summary of the new offerings from Hamilton Beach.

Founded in 1910, Hamilton Beach is an venerable American company whose most famous brands – Hamilton Beach®, Eclectrics®, Proctor Silex® and TrueAir® – are found in households across North America.

GrillStation 5 Burner Outdoor Gas Grill

The first product that caught my eye as I approached their display was a new gas grill. The grill looks like a lot of other gas grills available on the market but it has some unique features. It produces 58,000 BTUs over 5 burners, has a nice size cooking area of 598 square inches & a drop-down grill surface which provides protection against the wind when the lid is open. It also has a side burner for sauce pans and skillets, plus porcelain-coated, cast iron cooking grates which ensure that heat is transferred to the food and can produce the sought after grill marks.

One of the most unique features is the pull-out smoking tray that sits directly over its own adjustable burner. As you may know, gas grills often have trouble generating proper heat to create smoke from wood chips. It seems the clever designers at Hamilton Beach have addressed this issue nicely. The grill will be offered first through Sears stores and will have a retail price of around $530. It should be available in February 2012.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Citrus Juicer

The next product for this year is something called Alex’s Lemonade Stand Citrus Juicer. The electric citrus juicer has a 34 oz. collection pitcher with measurement markings on the side to indicate how much juice has been produced. It includes 2 nesting reamers for large and small citrus fruit, a pulp control dial and cord storage. It also has a full-color, kid-friendly book with recipes and tips for hosting a lemonade stand.

The idea for the product is based on Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. This organization emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of volunteers across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 Charity, has raised more than $50 million toward fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 200 research projects nationally.

For each Citrus Juicer sold, Hamilton Beach Brands will donate $1 to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for childhood cancer research.

If you have considered buying or replacing an electric citrus juicer, this product will not only perform well but comes with the satisfaction of knowing you are helping fight cancer. It is slated to be available in April 2012 and will retail for $19.99.

OpenEase Automatic Jar Opener

Another interesting product is the OpenEase™ Automatic Jar Opener. This opener is great for those with limited hand strength as it automatically twists off difficult-to-open jar lids with the push of a button. Studies indicate that an estimated 50 million people have hand mobility issues due to arthritis and other afflictions, this product would help these people be more independent in the kitchen. But even if you don’t have strength issues, who among us hasn’t come up against a stubborn, impossible to open jar?

The OpenEase™ Jar Opener is easy to use, simply place the device on top of the jar and press the engage button. The opener clamps down on the jar and twists the lid open. You then remove the jar opener & lid from the jar and press the release button to free the lid. It is uses two AA batteries and has enough power to open a wide variety of jars. It should be available in June of 2012 and will have a targeted price of $29.99.

Smoothie Smart™ Blender

The final product on display was the Smoothie Smart™ Blender. Not surprisingly, the number one use for a household blender is creating smoothies and this new blender is designed with this purpose in mind.

Once you load the smoothie ingredients into the blender you push the designated button and the smoothie program begins first in pulse mode to crush ice and chop up the fruit, then it automatically switches to a steady low speed to mix, and finally ramps up to high, shutting off automatically in 45 seconds.

It also has other features that improve upon the old designs. There is a modified carafe with indentations on the inside of the jar to pull the mixture down into the blades for more thorough blending, eliminating the need to stop and stir. It is powerful at 700 watts of peak power – and has blades that will make short work of ice or frozen fruit. It comes with a 3-year warranty and will retail for around $39.99, which means you are getting a lot of machine for a relatively small amount of money. The blender is expected to be commercially available in February 2012.

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