By David Gill
Manufacturers of small electric kitchen appliances have been put on notice that the American consumer is cocooning at home and wants products to help make home cooking a more rewarding experience.
The introductions at this week’s International Home & Housewares Show are elevating innovation and technology to new levels. They feature more sophisticated controls to make food preparation more convenient and efficient, and sleeker, more attractive designs to better fit the decor in today’s kitchens.
Cuisinart
The company is seeking to take food preparation to a new level. The Cuisinart Prep 9 9-Cup Brushed Stainless Finish Food Processor offers a compact size that allows it to fit comfortably on any countertop. The large work bowl—a patented, 9-cup Lexan bowl—enables the user to create an entire meal from scratch. Also part of the food processor is a trademarked Supreme feed tube, which slices whole fruits and vegetables.
The company is touting the Cuisinart PowerEdge Blender, a trademarked product, as its most powerful blender to date. It features 700 watts, pre-programmed smoothie and ice-crush functions and a soups & sauces setting. The blender also includes a trademarked Power6 Turbo-Edge blade design, which enhances vortex performance, crushes ice and purees and mixes with maximum efficiency.
De’Longhi USA
This week’s introductions are geared toward increasing the company’s footprint in cooking products. The Indoor Grill & Smokeless Broiler is designed with a semi-embedded heating element; a 14-by-10-inch grill surface that is made with non-stick, die-cast aluminum; a removable drip tray; oil-drip cup; and an optional flat griddle plate. The Slow Cooker has a white ceramic pot with a capacity of 5 quarts and has high, low and keep-warm functions.
De’Longhi’s new Juice Extractor is powered with an induction motor with illuminated, one-touch control, and features a whole-fruit capacity tube; a patented pulp collector; removable, dishwasher-safe parts; and an interlock safety system. The Gelato Maker is self-refrigerating with an ecological refrigerant and includes a 1.5-pint removable bowl, a transparent lid with hermetic closure, a special mixing paddle and a recipe book with 50 recipes. The bowl, lid and paddle are all removable and dishwasher-safe.
Emerson
The company is introducing more than 50 products at the show. New product features include redesigns using color, clean lines and innovative features. Introductions include coffeemakers, slow cookers, toaster ovens and an electric wine bottle opener.
Fagor America
The Electric Multi-Cooker—an all-in-one pressure cooker, slow cooker and rice cooker—takes its place among the company’s product offerings this week. It’s made of stainless steel and packs a capacity of 6 quarts. The pressure-cooker function prepares meals in 70 percent less time than other products, thus saving energy while maintaining the food’s natural flavors. The rice-cooking program prepares all kinds of rice and steaming rice recipes at the touch of a button. The slow cooker offers flexible programming of up to nine-and-a-half hours.
Fagor is also presenting the Futuro brand, a line of pressure cookers. These cookers save on the time used toward traditional cooking methods, and are made of 18/10 stainless steel. Features include short side handles that help save on space, an easy-clean auto pressure release valve that reduces food particle buildup, a visual pressure indicator, an automatic pressure-release system and a self-locking mechanism. They are available in 4-, 6-, 10-quart and six-piece sets.
The company is also launching a portable induction cooktop, which cooks 50 percent faster than gas or electric cooktops. This product joins Fagor’s collection of European luxury appliances.
Fissler USA
Germany is the source of the company’s highlighted introductions for this week. The CookStar Induction Pro is the product of German designers and incorporates German technology—including a 1,500-watt motor, automatic pan detection, overheating protection, touch-sensitive buttons, a whisper-quiet fan and a three-year warranty. It is also compatible with all Fissler USA pots and pans, which have the patented CookStar all-stove base. Another feature is the product’s minimalist design, with a flat, frameless surface that allows for one-wipe cleanup. The CookStar Induction Pro also offers a 120-minute timer and a digital display that shows temperature, power level or cooking time.
Hearthware Home
The company’s patented Nuwave Pro line welcomes a new infrared oven that puts the accent on design. The new SKU features an updated look and a new configuration, with red accents on a white body for enhanced visual appeal. It also comes with an extender ring that expands the capacity for larger dishes, a reversible 1.25-inch cooking rack and a 12-inch enamel liner pan. The line works with a patented, three-way cooking system that combines infrared, conduction and convection heat to speed up the cooking process. Its 1,500-watt sheath heater is designed to keep meats and poultry moist on the inside and crispy outside.
IMUSA
The Hispanic-American market is the target for the company’s roster of product debuts this week, all under the New Generation label. The collection includes a rice cooker with a removable, non-stick cooking bowl and a heavy-duty tempered glass lid for easy viewing, which automatically keeps rice warm for hours. Also part of the new grouping is the Cuban Sandwich Press, a panini maker with a four-slice, 76-inch cooking plate, brushed stainless-steel housing, four adjustable heights, non-stick cooking surfaces, die-cast metal arms, and a “power-one” and “ready” indicator light. The electric pressure cooker features a non-stick interior, high-low cooking pressure settings and non-pressure settings for slow cooking, steaming, browning and warming.
KitchenAid
This year marks the 90th anniversary for the company’s iconic Stand Mixer, first launched in 1919. To mark the occasion, KitchenAid is unveiling a special-edition Stand Mixer that is colored in candy-apple red, and that includes a 5-quart glass bowl with measurement markings. The company is also launching a series of cooking appliances and dishwashers to expand its presence in the kitchen.
Sodastream
The company is extending the category of beverage products with its line of home soda makers. The line includes the Fountain Jet, with two BPA-free 1-liter bottles; and the Pure, made of stainless steel with gray or white accents, also with two BPA-free one-liter bottles. These models come with carbon-dioxide carbonators and mixes in 25 flavors, including diet cola, root beer, ginger ale, tonic water, diet pink grapefruit and cranberry-raspberry.
Taste La Difference
The French cookware and tabletop collection is extending its line—which is produced jointly by French manufacturers Appolia, Marlux and Nogent—to include small kitchen electrics. The trademarked Soft Grill is a refinement of the traditional American barbecue, and has a feature that lifts food 61 millimeters (about 2.4 inches), which allow for more even cooking that won’t flame, burn, stick or touch the grill. It also has two handles that allow for carrying the food directly from the barbecue to the table. The trademarked Ceramic Plancha char-grills meat, fish, vegetables and even fruit, retaining the food’s juices and tenderness without burning or attaching to the non-stick surface. It can also be used as a griddle.
Toastess
A new brand, Multipot, joins the company’s lineup of cooking products. The brand encompasses a group of slow cookers designed with functional controls placed on top of the cookers. It also comes in a smaller footprint, making it suitable for consumers who are both energy- and space-conscious.
Viking
The company is shining its spotlight on its new professional-grade hand mixer, which will be available in two different models—manual-switch and digital-switch. Among the new product’s features and benefits are two sets of heavy gauge beaters, cord storage and a 250-watt motor. It’s agency-certified for home use and comes with a three-year, full warranty.
Vita-Mix
The company is upgrading its CIA Professional Series for the first time since the collection launched in 2007. The container on the new blender is made of Eastman Tritan, a trademarked copolyester and as durable as polycarbonate but has no BPA, according to a Vita-Mix statement. The material improves sound dampening and resists chemicals found in cleaning compounds, which improves the durability of the whole piece. Also new is a now-drip spout. The upgraded blender also has a two-peak-horsepower motor for greater efficiency and performance, and for the added ability to process heavier mixtures from peanut butter to ice cream. In addition, the new version has a lid-locking design on the container, making it easier to remove the lid; and a twist-off plug, also made of Eastman Tritan and making it easier to add ingredients while the machine is running.
Waring
Two new products keynote the brand’s approach to this week’s show. The Waring Pro Professional Popcorn Maker is powered by a 300-watt motor and yields up to eight cups of popped corn. It features a removable pivoting kettle for easy cleaning, and has a heat lamp that keeps popped corn warm. It also comes with a motorized stirring mechanism that makes popping more efficient and eliminates scorching.
Also new is the Waring Pro Professional Yogurt Maker, also trademarked. This is a compact countertop electric unit with eight stackable plastic jars and lids—six 8-ounce jars and two 16-ounce jars. It permits users to customize their ingredients, allowing them to make yogurt in whatever flavor they desire. Functional features include a 19-hour blue LED timer.