Progressive International
The new Tower Slicer and Wedger from Progressive International helps prepare everyday foods quickly without a knife. It comes with two v-shaped blades—for wedges or slices. Oranges, potatoes, even eggs can be cut with the Tower Slicer and Wedger. The food is placed on top of the blade, located on the top of the box, and then the cook puts the top over it and pushes down. The wedges or slices then neatly fall into the box. Retailing for $29.99, it just became available and comes with a cleaning tool. When not in use, the Tower Slicer and Wedger can be compactly stored away. progressiveintl.com

Pacific Cornetta
Pacific Cornetta is getting soft with its new travel mug line called Sof-t. A pliable plastic cover gives the mug a comfortable feel, perfect for on-the-go drinking. The cover can also be customized with embossed and debossed logos and patterns. The mug is made of stainless steel. “We wanted to create something new and exciting for our customers,” said Alex Liu, president. “I think the Sof-t is just what people have been waiting for.” Sof-t mugs are also dishwasher safe and BPA free. The plastic exterior and the stainless steel lining can be separated for easy recycling. “Although the Sof-t will have a very long life, we want consumers to be able to dispose of it with minimum impact to the environment,” Liu said. “That is why we chose these materials and this type of simplistic construction.” pacificcornetta.com

CSB Commodities
Officials at CSB Commodities believe they have the ultimate vehicle for opening clamshell packages. The Delray Beach, Fla.-based company has introduced The Zipit, the world’s only battery-operated clamshell package opener. The product is designed to easily open clamshell packages for such items as toys, consumer electronics, computer peripherals, cosmetic packages and office supplies. The product, which has a suggested retail price of $19.95, also has a protective cover. According to Bob Schmeizer, president of CSB, The Zipit rollout is being supported by national television advertising on many cable channels. It will be featured on the QVC network in October. “This product solves a tremendous problem,” Schmeizer said. “It will create incremental sales for retailers plus it offers very good margins. We are very excited about it.” csbcommodities.com

Dexter-Russell
Known for its professional cutlery since 1818, Dexter-Russell has now crossed over to the consumer side. With its new DuoGlide knives, consumers can now use the same, made-in-the-U.S. knives chefs have used for years. In addition, the DuoGlide knives are ideal for those who suffer from arthritis, and the line has an ease-of-use commendation from the Arthritis Foundation. “This is the first time we’ve made a product for arthritis sufferers,” said Kevin Clark, vice president of sales. With these knives, due to their wider handles which are also soft and tacky, “you have more leverage when cutting,” Clark said. The knife is designed so that the user’s hand is directly over the food for more control and less effort. The line initially has four knives: a five-inch utility knife (retailing for $34.95), a 7.5-inch bread/slicer ($39.95), a paring knife ($19.95) and, here, an eight-inch all-purpose chef’s knife ($49.95), which also comes with a knife/edge guard. dexterduoglide.com