International Home and Housewares Show 2010 – Day 3

I knew almost as soon as I arrived in the Electrics Hall, I hadn’t allowed enough time to give a full coverage of the culinary products. I won’t make that mistake next time. Nevertheless, I will give my summary of the fun machines I was able to see. I apologize for the lack of photos from the show floor, I had a brain freeze and never pulled out the camera in between note taking sessions.

The first victim, err company, I saw was Jura Capresso, makers of fine coffee machines. For the most part there were no new coffee machines (I had already worked with the C9 model), but I did see two other items that I liked. There was a neat electric cup warmer. It has two pull out rows stacked on top of each other, which made for a sleek, easy to accommodate footprint. Each row holds up to 4 cups and the machine kept them perfectly warm and ready for espresso or cappuccino. Yes, it is a bit of an extravagance but if you already own one of the Jura Coffee Centers, it should be a very manageable accessory.

The other new item from Jura was a stand alone electric frother. You pour the milk into a coated aluminum pitcher and set it on the base. The frothing is driven by a magnetic drive under the pitcher, not connecting cogs. It was very efficient and quiet. The foam produced was really nice. The machine can froth cold, medium and hot liquids, depending on the type of drink you want to make. There was room underneath to store the extra frothing “blades” when not in use; the storage area was handy feature that would help someone like me from losing the small frothers.

Next stop was DeLonghi. DeLonghi has a redesigned coffee machine called the Latissima, which uses Nespresso coffee pods. The new model, the Latissima Premium, has many improved user functions, including simpler labeling of the coffee types one can make with the machine. In the earlier model, it was frustrating not to know when the water container was empty or the pod collection bin needed to be emptied. This has gratefully been remedied in the Premium model; two new light indicators tell the user when action needs to be taken on the water or pod bin. An auto shut-off function was also added to help save energy. Beyond that, there were some aesthetic changes in the exterior which make it a more attractive unit overall. It is good to see consumer feedback was taken into consideration.

And speaking of Nespresso, well, not much new to report. After 2009′s wildly successful introduction of the Citiz machines, Nespresso is trying to build on that solid foundation. However, there will be limited release models of the Citiz models called Signature. These will feature two stylish designs, one with a colorful Parisian scheme and the other done in a New York style. They are the standard Citiz machines with custom, tricked out paint jobs. Depending on the success of the launch, Nespresso will determine whether other Signature lines will be released. Nespresso has initiated a detailed educational campaign to help consumers understand the exacting processes used to bring quality coffee to each cup. On the recycling front, the trial program for the return of used pods is underway in New York.

From Chef’s Choice, I saw a nicely designed electric “Smart Kettle” which allows the user to set the temperature of the water, from temperatures low enough for the most delicate white and green teas to a full rolling boil. Also got a look at the Hybrid Sharpener. The hybrid function consists of the ability to use the electric motor to sharpen your knives while also using a manual slot for honing and maintenance. Both elements should be used only with Western Style knives.

Zojirushi, the Japanese electric manufacturer, has introduced a new high end rice cooker. The latest model combines induction heating, a function introduced in 2009, with a slower vacuum pressure cooking component. The machine automatically sets the pressure level based on the type of rice being cooked. I can attest to the fact that the rice cooked in these machines is sublime. It is moist, perfectly cooked, with a delicate texture and wonderful flavor, even without seasoning. What I would have liked to see was a side by side comparison of the pressure induction made rice and rice cooked in a simple pot or value rice steamer. This would have given us a chance to really see the difference. I guess I will have to do that experiment on my own in the future.

Passing by the Waring Pro booth, I got my first look at their 3.5 Hp professional quality blender. This machine competes directly with the VitaMix brand. For less money, it seemed to produce very similar results as the VitaMix, at least in the limited test runs I saw.

And finally, I met with the folks from Technivorm, makers of the Mocca Master coffee machine. We had a good talk and I was able to see the machine in action and sample the results. While I won’t go into detail here, it is a quick smooth functioning machine that definitely makes a good, hot cup of coffee.

In the end, I found the show to be a culinary geeks heaven and hell. Heaven in that there were so many fun things to see and hell in that there was so little time to give proper attention to all the innovative manufacturers and inventors.

Thanks again to all the staff who make all the show enjoyable for the attendees and to all the manufacturers who took the time to talk with me and tolerate my pressing, probing questions.

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