By David Gill
The rest of the economy may have shifted into reverse, but vendors of coffeemakers believe that there is an opportunity to push forward in this category.
Some of the vendors believe that during the weak economy, the correct strategy is to emphasize the high end.
“Last year, we went through a rebranding to focus on the higher-end sector, and in this direction we are unveiling products that will focus on the high end,” said Francesco DeFlaviis, marketing director of De’Longhi USA.
De’Longhi will be displaying a special-edition grouping of espresso makers from its Artista series, which will be offered at auction on eBay later this year as part of a campaign to raise funds for Oxfam International, the charity dedicated to fighting poverty and related injustices throughout the world. The espresso makers feature designs from seven up-and-coming international designers etched into the face plates. Also on tap from De’Longhi will be a fully automatic espresso maker and four new coffee grinders.
So important is the upper end of the market that it has even governed the location of the Housewares-Show booths for some vendors.
“We chose a booth close to the GOHO stage (the show’s gourmet-products section) to stress how we can complement a wide range of foods, meals and other products,” said John McCann, president of Saeco USA. In previous shows, Saeco’s booth was in the Lakeside center along with other small-electrics exhibitors.
The company will use the show as a sounding board, more than as a showcase for new products. “We are looking to gain opinions on some new concepts and ideas, which we hope to launch in the back half of the year,” McCann said, “so the show should give us the chance to communicate ideas, tweak products so we can eventually finalize our assortment mix and product channels at the Gourmet Show or the European appliance show later this year.”
The hope among all coffeemaker vendors is that the Housewares Show will continue to fuel the growth of this product segment.
“Coffee is still a hot category,” said Steve Fox, director of consumer products for BSH Home Appliances, the parent company of the Bosch brand. “Single-serve coffeemakers were one of the products [in the small electrics market] that did well last year.”
A single-serve coffeemaker can be found this week at the booth of Krups, which is returning to the Housewares Show after an absence of three years. The company’s Nescafe Dolce Gusto by Krups single-cup coffeemaker is designed with a 15-bar pressure system, comparable to coffeehouse machines, and with a patented custom-control lever that allows the user to customize each coffee drink to his or her preferred strength.
Krups will also unveil the Precision Coffee Maker and the Thermal Coffee Maker. Each of these new products provide an easy-access control panel that faces the user, an oversized shower head for improved extraction, what Krups describes as “intuitive” controls, aroma selection for small batches and automatic shutoff. The company has also extended its line of automatic coffee centers with the Silver model and the Titanium with Auto-Cappuccino Kit—both of which offer fully automatic grinding, tamping and brewing of both coffee and espresso. The machines are 15 to 50 percent smaller than other automatic coffee machines, making them an easier fit in a kitchen, the company said.
Technological innovation is the keynote for two new products from Jura-Capresso. The company’s Cool Control is a new appliance that can be connected to any of its automatic coffee centers, and uses the frothXpress system, which acts as a mini-refrigerator to keep milk on tap for frothing and steaming. The Capresso 4-Cup Espresso/Cappuccino Machine is designed with a steam-boiler system with advanced features that can make two to four cappuccinos or lattes in less than five minutes.
Two espresso makers are being presented at the IMUSA booth. One, simply called the Espresso Maker, features a removable water tank, steam control and swivel, a steam wand for thick milk froth and a warming area on top to pre-heat cups. The second, the 1.2L Espresso Maker, includes a pre-brew function and a steam-hot water selector, and makes as many as five cups.
On the non-espresso side, Medelco is expanding its One All patented brand of replacement carafes with the GL312 Millennium Style Universal Replacement Carafe. It’s the first in the line that is designed to act as a replacement for both higher-end coffeemakers and those from the mass brands. “With this edition ... we fit over 90 percent of coffeemakers in use today, with just five different replacements,” said Elaine Robinson, president of Medelco.
Toastess is unveiling a coffeemaker as an addition to its Delfino brand of upscale kitchen electrics. The Programmable Coffee Maker includes a removable water tank with graduated cup markings, a 24-hour programmable timer, a keep-warm plate with automatic shutoff and a Pause & Serve anti-drip feature for a quick first cup.
Ronco, the company founded by TV pitchman Ron Popeil and relaunched last year after an acquisition by Vertex Capital and Larry Nusbaum, chairman and chief executive officer, is bringing the Coffeetime Brew System to the show as part of its celebration of Ronco’s 50th anniversary. The new brewer features cold-filtered technology that promises to deliver “Starbucks-style drinks to your home for pennies a cup,” according to a company statement.