Kitcheware News • November 2021

THE PANTRY:

PHOTO FEATURE:

FEATURED PRODUCTS:

Al Dente Pasta

Entertaining at Home

The French Farm

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SEE PAGES 18 & 19

SEE PAGE 16

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Vol. 27 • Issue 6 November 2021 • $7.00

Ginger’s BreadBoys Builds on Home Baking, Nostalgia Trends

Advertiser Index . . . . . . . . . . .22

BY A.J. FLICK

To no one’s surprise, home baking is expected to continue trending, especially heading into the winter baking season.

The recent spike in home baking came out of necessity or boredom during pandemic supply shortages and lockdowns. However, the baking pans and cookie sheets aren’t going into storage anytime soon, according to Food Navigator.

Cont. on page 13 PHOTO CREDIT VILLEROY & BOCH

Home Entertaining Seems Likely This Season

20th Century Design Inspires Kohler Lighting Collections

Vitamix Launches New Attachment Accessories

SEE PAGE 6

SEE PAGE 10

SEE PAGE 14

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KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW • NOVEMBER 2021 • www.kitchenwarenews.com

from the

PUBLISHER

editor Cooking memories. By the time you read this, we’ll be in the midst of the winter baking season. And as we’ve all heard, baking became one of the biggest trends during pandemic lockdowns. While my parents raised my siblings and me (two girls and a boy) to think beyond our gender when thinking about our futures, my sister and I still got our share of toys you might consider girly – such as the Kenner Easy-Bake Oven, which we loved. I didn’t give our old toy much thought until I was working for a news bureau in Washington, D.C., and wrote about a new Smithsonian exhibit, which stopped me in my tracks. I still remember how I started my article: “My Kenner Easy-Bake Oven is in the Smithsonian.” No, it wasn’t our old oven, but the same model (minus the batter spills and crumbs).

By my teens, I loved to bake cakes and cookies in a real oven. I made hot cross buns for Easter and fruitcakes for Christmas. I always loved fruitcakes – although I’ll grant you, they aren’t all great. I favored the lighter fruitcakes over the molasses-laden kind. It’s been years since I’ve done that kind of baking, but the memories were awakened by Robert Lambert, whose gourmet fruitcakes are shipped out all over the country this time of year. He uses his grandmother’s original recipe, with his own touches and you can tell how much he loves making fruitcakes the way he talks about them.

“There are fine Brazil nuts, local pecans and whole blanched toasted almonds,” he told me. “Walnuts are blanched before toasting to reduce their bitterness. Grandma’s glacéed cherries and pineapple are still here, but candying my own rare and exotic citrus peels to use

Kimberly Oser VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Anthony Socci

utterly transforms this oft-maligned tradition.”

Robert’s fruitcakes are included in our cover story about baking, as are Ginger’s BreadBoys, kits for gingerbread cookies that even include the cookie cutter. Virginia Bramante (Ginger is a family nickname) told me her kits were selling like, well, hotcakes during the pandemic, but she’s seen a slowdown this year, almost as if retailers are overly cautious about stocking too much product as the pandemic continues and the holiday gifting season approaches. I spoke to the charming Celia Sims, who loves making Ginger’s BreadBoys and cooking memories with her granddaughter. The cookies are made with quality ingredients and taste way better than store-bought gingerbread cookies. Virginia got the idea of sharing her love of gingerbread cookies from her own childhood memories.

When my nephew Andrew was about 6, my sister gifted the two of us a Kenner Easy-Bake Oven, remembering the fun she and I had. The first time we used it, Andy told me that I should mix the cakes and he could pour them and slide them into the oven. “How’d you get to be so good at this?” he asked me. I shrugged. “I guess because my mom taught me,” I said. Andy stepped back. “YOU have a mommy?” he asked incredulously. That’s the day Andy learned who his grandparents were. Cooking memories. There’s no set recipe. KN

anthony_s@oser.com PRODUCTION MANAGER/ART DIRECTOR Yasmine Brown SENIOR EDITOR AJ Flick aj_f@oser.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jeanie Catron jeanie_c@oser.com CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER Susan Stein customerservice@oser.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Tara Neal CIRCULATION MANAGER

— AJ Flick Senior Editor

Jamie Green jamie_g@oser.com ADVERTISING SALES Alisha Dicochea EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Heather Albrecht heather_a@oser.com

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home Entertaining

KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW • NOVEMBER 2021 • www.kitchenwarenews.com

s e e m s l ik e l y t h is s eas o n — wit h p r e c a t io n s

BY A.J. FLICK

to the culinary offerings at a holiday gathering. This year, designer Kym Gold has launched a holiday collection to her new luxury home brand, Style Union Home. The collection focuses on organic and elegant kitchen pieces from serving platters and bowls to utensils designed for the most precious of epicurean cargo. Each modernistic piece is handmade in SUH’s downtown East Los Angeles atelier by local potters in elegantly textured clays.

The Patricia Platter is an organically shaped and handled platter that makes transporting a smoked turkey from the barbecue to the table a grande presentation or a perfect perch for the buche de noel. The Gail Pour could be STYLE UNION HOME called a gravy boat, but the bird-shaped epicurean pour also could be the conduit for cranberry conduits, herby au jus or even citrus champagne to flourish the frisee.

ENTRYWAYS As Gold says, standing on principle is important, especially when dessert is involved. The Francis cake dish can make a stand for a fancy croquembouche, pile of gingerbread cookies or a babka – you pick. The thrown top plate features a hand-pinched rim and wide bell-shaped center foot.

SUH’s ceramic cake server is designed for the most precious of epicurean cargo. Hatched by master potters in one, uniform piece of strong compressed clay, this conversation piece complements the Francis cake stand. The beveled edges slip effortlessly under pumpkin pie, a caramelized onion tarte or a New Year’s independent artist. Entryways’ seasonal mats range from morning frittata, too. whimsical gnomes to cozy patterns to classic holiday And, with the health and welfare of greetings.

Not only does Entryways take pride in the artists’ family and friends at the utmost during these times, hosts should keep in mind creations, but the mats are crafted of coconut coir and that parties should have options for those painted with long-lasting, eco-friendly dyes. who don’t drink alcohol.

With natural shoe-scraping qualities that help keep Laura Taylor launched a non-alcoholic dirt at the door, woven coir is a longtime favorite for quality doormat construction. The mats are easily shaken, beverage company after concocting a homemade mocktail with fresh swept or vacuumed clean. vegetables, fruit and ginger ale. She toted Presentation is everything – especially when it comes Ready for the party season? Will there be a party season?

Whatever happens in the next few weeks, at least the chances are good that some form of in-person gatherings will replace last year’s remote soirees.

With many yearning for the days when we hosted gatherings in our homes with family and friends, and with the holiday season on the horizon, thoughts naturally turn to who to invite, what to serve and what else do we need to do to make sure people have fun and it’s safe?

In a poll from VCF Designer Looks and OnePoll that contacted 2,000 Americans, 60 percent of hosts were planning to be chef, server and bartender at gatherings, to avoid inviting strangers into their homes and reducing risk of illness.

At the height of the pandemic, one-third said they weren’t beyond taking guests’ temperatures before letting them enter. Many offered greeting lists in case someone gets COVID-19, so they can trace who they came into contact with at the party.

At least it’s more likely than not to get invited to a home party in person this year, rather than last year’s video gatherings. Most people polled said they planned to maintain social distancing at parties.

Guests will get a festive vibe from the start when they step up to a holiday-themed doormat created by an

it to the party in a 1-liter bottle so she could toast while others popped the corks on bubbly.

“It was a special moment for me,” she said. “Oh, my gosh, this feels amazing! One simple drink was a game changer for me. I came home and jumped on the computer to see what was going on in the marketplace.”

Meet Mingle Sparkling Mocktails, a line that has five flavored nonalcoholic drinks: Blood Orange Elderflower, Cranberry Cosmo, Blackberry Hibiscus Bellini, Moscow Mule and Cucumber Melon Mojito. The company’s mission envisions a world in which celebrating is about the people you are with and not what’s in your drink.

For home parties, Taylor recommends setting out ice buckets (or coolers, such as at a barbecue) with various beverages and options for those not imbibing. Sometimes, with water as the only non-alcoholic option, guests don’t feel comfortable mingling with those drinking alcoholic drinks, she said.

For the holidays, she recommends setting out bowls with garnishes such as fresh berries, citrus such as lime wheels and herbs such as thyme and rosemary that can add fun to mocktails and cocktails.

“It’s so much fun and takes little effort to make a nice presentation.”

Again, with the holiday season approaching, Taylor noted that Mingle’s gift collections are popular as corporate presents. KN

MINGLE MOCKTAILS

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KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW • NOVEMBER 2021 • www.kitchenwarenews.com

RISE

of

plastics in 'All Things Bakelite'

REVIEW BY A.J. FLICK

The award-winning documentary, “All Things Bakelite: All Things Plastic,” begins with a dapper man asking people in New York City if they knew what Bakelite is. Bacon that’s light? A doughnut? Something that if you give it to seagulls makes them explode in the air?

Executive Producer Hugh Karraker grew up knowing full well what Bakelite is – the first synthetic compound invented that has been used as dinnerware, jewelry and automotive parts – millions of things. But what Karraker also knew full well was who invented Bakelite: Leo Hendrik Baekeland, the “father of modern plastics” – Karraker’s great-grandfather.

Karraker thought it was about time more people knew about Bakelite, the man who invented it and the history of plastic and where it’s brought the world.

Karraker and filmmaker John Maher have created an hourlong documentary that has won numerous awards at film festivals (you can see it on iTunes, GoogleTV, YouTube, VUDU and appletv+).

Leo Baekeland was born in Belgium and was fascinated by chemistry at an early age, wondering what made fireworks explode into dazzling colors. He admired Benjamin Franklin.

As a prank, he put nitrate into the holy water at church.

At 17, he studied to be a chemist under a professor he respected so much that Leo married his mentor’s daughter.

Groomed to be a chemistry professor himself, Baekeland would have none of it. He felt out of place in Europe. He had his eyes on America, where things were happening such as telephones, electric lights and skyscrapers. Dreamers were welcome in America, he thought.

His first job in New York City was as a staff chemist for a company that made photographic supplies. Baekeland quit after two years to start his own business, but the economic panic of 1893 led to a depression. Jobs were scarce and his savings were running out. That summer he was broke and suffered appendicitis.

On his sickbed, he vowed to not spread himself so thin and focus on one thing, his love of photography. Little did he know that would lead to his discovery of Velox printing paper, which revolutionized photography and improved printing results because it could be done under the controlled conditions of artificial light.

George Eastman saw the value in Velox. Baekeland sold Velox to Eastman, netting himself enough money to buy a house and outbuilding he turned into a chemical laboratory.

The most valuable thing that came out of that business deal was that Baekeland now had the freedom to invent something else.

When Baekeland saw that insulated wires were burning because the insulation failed, he saw not only an academic interest in creating a stable synthetic resin, but a commercial interest as well.

Here, the documentary goes into a thorough – and entertaining – explanation of the chemical properties of Bakelite, with chemical reactions likened to conga lines and

such. The gist of it is, many chemists were trying to mix the same things Baekeland was – phenol and formaldehyde – and coming up with the foamy, unstable mess Baekeland was.

But it was Baekeland who had the idea to use heat and pressure to create a resin that could be dried, ground up into powder, put into a mold under heat and pressure to create a product – Bakelite was born.

One expert compared Bakelite’s creation to a symphony in which every note has to be perfect, every pause coming at the precise time and the conductor knowing when to stop the music.

Before long, Bakelite was produced by the millions of pounds. It was durable. It was resistant to heat, water and chemicals.

Bakelite changed the way products looked. From the 1920s to the 1950s, there were Bakelite toys, telephones, tableware, toasters, TVs, clocks, cameras, bracelets, pipes and billiard balls.

Bakelite was put into varnishes and paints to coat products.

Baekeland was beset by patent infringers, but he was smart enough to write his patent not only to cover how he used it, but how others might as well. He ended up absorbing the competitors into his company.

As good as Baekeland was at chemistry and business, he also enjoyed the good life that his fortune brought him. He had many friends (and famous ones, including Edison) and family, but he also was a loner who bought a boat, called it Ion, and often sailed as his refuge.

His wife, Céline, was the opposite.

She loved to socialize and entertain.

But his journals showed how much he appreciated her.

“At the American Chemical Society meeting when he announced the invention of Bakelite,” Karraker said, “he said his greatest discovery was his wife, Céline.”

As Katarina Posch, Pratt Institute professor, says in the documentary, “Good design is always of its time because it makes people dream.”

And Bakelite came along at an excellent time.

“Bakelite was introduced as a consumer product material at the same time the industrial design profession was developing,” Jeffrey Meikle, author of “American Plastic” says.

Streamline design, born out of American art deco design in the 1930s with its shiny surfaces and clear forms, wouldn’t have come along without Bakelite, Posch says.

Streamline design aligned with Hollywood era glamor.

“It was an open-ended playfield for American designers.”

Industrialists weren’t the only ones drawn to Bakelite.

“Bakelite is a miracle,” artist Jorge Caicedo says. “I would say it’s like love at first sight. Bakelite has a life of its own.

You can feel it. And you touch it. It’s a projection of your mind and your hand. You begin to see what is inside. You begin to search for shapes. It has a volume. Feeling the touch of Bakelite is warm and smooth. It’s delicious.”

As Caicedo speaks, his many creations – colorful and whimsical – fade in and out of view.

By 1939, Baekeland tired of business and sold Bakelite. He died five years later at age 80.

He would never know that plastic wasn’t the wonderland it set out to be. Now, plastic has turned into landfill disasters.

“It’s more a sign of our human failings, not plastic’s failings,” says research chemist Burk Wagner.

“Plastic is a perfect example of the doubleedged sword,” author Meikle says. “The promise of plastic has always been that we can mold, make or create anything we can envision. On the other hand, we have the issue of toxicity, solid waste – all of these things that we also can’t deal with.”

“It’s probably a good thing that Leo Baekeland could not foresee the misuse of plastic today,” Karraker says. “Bakelite is not biodegradable.

It’ll be with us forever.”

“There is hope,” Jeannette Garcia, IBM Research staff chemist, says.

IBM is working on a recyclable polymer.

“I do think the new plastics are the great grandchildren of Bakelite,” Garcia says. “Friendlier plastics are definitely coming if we continue to do the research we’re doing now.”

“The future of industrial design lies in synthetic materials,” says Posch. “Plastic is the material of dreams.”

The documentary concludes with the experts being stumped when asked what the “heart” of Bakelite is. You’ll have to see it to hear what they said. KN

THE PAROHN COLLECTION

THE HAUKSBEE COLLECTION

THE ARENDELA COLLECTION

THE VORLEIGH COLLECTION

early 20th Century

DESIGN Taking a cue from such icons of early 20th century design, Kohler Lighting has added four collections for residential and commercial interiors that include chandeliers, sconces, ceiling mounts and pendants.

The Hauksbee, Vorleigh, Parohn and Arendela collections pay homage to one of the most celebrated periods within 20th century design, weaving in the romance and imaginative craft of the era while incorporating individual flair and creative touches for a look that is fresh and of the moment.

Complementing the forms is a distinctive range of finishes in a fashionable palette – many developed to perfectly color-match Kohler and Kallista fixtures and faucets – with some selected specifically for bathroom applications. Decorative elements employing a mix of mediums can also be found throughout the four collections.

The Hauksbee Collection reinterprets the rustic lighting of turn-of-the century industrial farms and factories. From its humble beginnings lighting the industrial spaces of the 1920s and 1930s, these utilitarian designs brought forth a creativity based in necessity that inspired the collection.

Smooth glass and cool metal combined with mixed metal-finish options and vintage details set the stage for the series.

Decorative elements include a domed metal shade with a cage detail and a ribbed glass shade that pay homage to turn-of-

the-century holophane glass shades. The shades are surrounded with a metal band in a choice of a matching or contrasting metal finish with complementing metal fixtures to suspend and further enhance the collective beauty of the designs.

The largest of the four collections, Hauksbee has four sconces that feature the domed metal shade with curved support: a single-light sconce, two-light sconce, three-light sconce and four-light sconce. A second sconce design offered in one- to three-light versions is also offered with a ribbed glass shade.

Rounding out the collection is a threelight pendant, three-light chandelier, threelight linear chandelier and three-light semi-flush mount – all featuring the domed glass shade design. Hauksbee is available in a versatile mix of finishes ranging from singular bathroom choices featuring the ribbed glass shade in polished chrome, polished nickel, brushed nickel, brushed brass and matte black to domed metal shade combinations in (listed in order of fixture, shade, and trim): brushed gold, white and brushed gold; black, brushed gold and black; and polished chrome, white and polished chrome.

The Vorleigh Collection takes its cues from streamline moderne, which was made popular in the 1930s and transformed living spaces from railroad cars and buses to toasters and telephones. The collection also reflects elements of a vintage French art deco table lamp from a private

collection that incorporated the use of metals within the design and sports a pivoting shade.

Vorleigh presents an elegant silhouette with domed metal shades and sleek, narrow supports. In a nod to the original French deco design, some of the lighting features pivoting and rotating shades to create the perfect ambience or the ability to adjust the shades’ position for an altogether different look.

The collection features a single sconce, two-light sconce, three-light sconce, fourlight chandelier, eight-light chandelier and an eight-light linear chandelier. The Vorleigh designs are available in polished chrome, polished nickel, gunmetal, polished brass and moderne brushed brass finishes.

Drawing reference to the principles of Bauhaus design and the importance of symmetry and scale, the Parohn Collection presents a lighting series of distinction. There is a sense of high style that runs throughout the collection that will translate to a range of interiors with rich finishes and decorative touches as timeless as the Parohn designs.

The collection has a single and twolight sconce, single pendant light, twolight flush mount and four- and eight-light chandeliers. Each is topped with a customdesigned, hand-woven conical linen shade trimmed in metal. The light fixtures are appointed with hand cast metal spheres placed at deliberate touchpoints, drawing the eye to the simple beauty of the graceful,

minimalist forms.

The Parohn Collection is available in polished chrome, polished nickel, gunmetal, polished brass and moderne brushed brass finishes.

Completing the new collections is Arendela, inspired by the works of 1960s designer Vistosi and the exquisite glassworks rendered through the art of briolette gemstone cutting. Arendela reflects that rarified style of sophistication with jewel-like, multi-faceted shades and cast metal works spanning from a strikingly singular sconce to show-stopping multilight designs for unforgettable settings.

The beauty of the faceted shades juxtaposed against the rich metal finishes give Arendela a timelessness that will complement modern and traditional interiors. The briolette faceted glass shade is slightly curved, its faceted and dappled surface cut to capture and reflect light.

Metal frames designed to cradle, surround and connect the shades are engineered to achieve optimum dimensional quality and exact placement of each light and corresponding glass shade. The collection features a single light sconce, two-light sconce, three-light sconce, four-light sconce, three-light semiflush mount, three-light full flush mount, six-light chandelier, 10-light chandelier and eight-light linear chandelier.

Arendela is available in polished chrome, polished nickel, brushed nickel and moderne brushed brass finishes. KN

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KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW • NOVEMBER 2021 • www.kitchenwarenews.com

SharkNinja’s NeverStick Name OK, Claims Not, BBB Division Says The National Advertising Division of BBB National Programs recently determined that the name NeverStick, used for SharkNinja Operating LLC’s non-stick cookware, isn’t false or misleading when it’s used as a brand name standing alone.

However, NAD said SharkNinja should stop claims, direct or implied, that its Foodi NeverStick cookware “never sticks,” such as “the NeverStick cookware that NEVER sticks, chips or flakes” and “grab the cookware that never sticks.”

NAD also advised SharkNinja to stop claiming NeverStick has a “lifetime guarantee.”

The determinations arise from a challenge lodged by Sunbeam Products Inc. SharkNinja markets and sells its nonstick cookware under the brand Foodi NeverStick. Non-stick cookware contains

a layer of non-stick coating – typically Teflon or ceramic – that helps prevent food from sticking to cookware, which reduces or even eliminates the need to

apply oil or butter before cooking.

NAD determined that when viewed in context, claims that NeverStick cookware “never sticks” reasonably convey an unsupported superiority message that,

unlike traditional non-stick cookware that rapidly loses its non-stick properties, NeverStick cookware has a greater level of resistance against sticking, chipping and flaking. After reviewing evidence offered by SharkNinja, as well as Sunbeam’s rebuttal evidence, NAD found that although SharkNinja may be able to substantiate a monadic claim about its cookware, it lacked sufficient evidence to support its superiority message.

As a result, NAD recommended that SharkNinja discontinue claims that NeverStick cookware “never sticks.”

However, NAD said the name NeverStick, when used as a brand name standing alone, was not false or misleading, so long as the context in which the product name is used doesn’t otherwise reinforce misleading overall superiority messages.

NAD also recommended that SharkNinja discontinue claims that

NeverStick has a “lifetime guarantee.”

NAD determined that a reasonable takeaway is that the product’s useful life is far longer than the five years for which it is guaranteed and that the context of the advertising conveys the message that the “lifetime guarantee” will allow consumers to act on the guarantee if the pan fails to perform for as long as or longer than typical non-stick pans.

NAD noted that the disclaimer, “When used as directed. Lifetime based on 5 years of use,” does little to qualify and directly contradicts the main message that NeverStick cookware is guaranteed for a longer period of time than traditional nonstick cookware.

In its advertiser statement, SharkNinja stated that it “agrees to comply with NAD’s decision.” SharkNinja said “it disagrees with NAD’s criticisms of its product testing but will take NAD’s decision and recommendations into consideration for future advertising.” KN

Gift for Life, Clarion Events Team Up to Support Hunger Relief Gift for Life and Clarion Events Gift & Souvenir Portfolio have teamed up to extend the successful “Feed the Hungry. Feel the Good” fundraising campaign across four Clarion Events managed trade shows: Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show, Ocean City Resort Gift Expo, Smoky Mountain Gift Show and Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show. All funds raised will benefit World Central Kitchen’s programs addressing crisis-related hunger relief.

During the summer 2021 markets, Gift

for Life initiatives raised more than $80,000 for World Central Kitchen. Clarion Events’ extension of the “Feed the Hungry. Feel the Good” campaign is expected to raise another $20,000 for hunger relief in 2021.

Clarion has kicked off donations, contributing the first $1,500, with each show having an individual $5,000 fundraising goal. “Feel the Hungry. Feel the Good” will be promoted to exhibitors and attendees at each buying event, and all donors will be entered to win a free

one-night hotel stay at the 2022 edition of each of the four events.

This is Clarion Events’ second partnership with Gift for Life, the gift and home industry’s sole charitable organization. In 2018, Clarion Events teamed up with Gift for Life for a World AIDS Day event during the Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show.

“We are so encouraged that manageable donations can make such a difference. For example, a $50 donation provides five

meals for those that need them,” said Lisa Berry, vice president of gift & souvenir at Clarion Events.

The campaign began at September's Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show.

Fundraising will continue at the Ocean City Resort Gift Expo, Nov. 1-3, in Maryland; Smoky Mountain Gift Show, Nov. 10-13, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee; and Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show, Dec. 5-8, at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in South Carolina. KN

IMC’s Las Vegas, Atlanta Markets Raise Nearly $80K for World Central Kitchen Gift for Life, the gift, stationery and home decor industries’ leading charitable organization, announced that the Las Vegas edition of its “Feed the Hungry. Feel the Good.” fundraising campaign yielded nearly $28,000 for World Central Kitchen, an organization that distributes individually packaged, fresh meals in communities that need support during times of crisis.

The campaign, which ran in connection with this summer’s Las Vegas Market (Aug. 22-26), raised a total of $27,997 for World Central Kitchen. In addition to a $10,000 matching donation from International Market Centers, individual donations, ranging from $50 to more than $2,600, were received from Alexander Eck, Beatriz Ball, Corksicle, Design Works

Collective, eNewton, Fine Lines, Global Views, Karma Gifts, Just Got 2 Have It! and Maileg, Monica Loving and others.

“Food insecurity continues to be a critical issue for our nation, in a year marked by the pandemic as well as fires and hurricanes,” said Cole Daugherty, chair of the Gift for Life board. “We are grateful for the industry’s generosity – whether from individuals or organizations – for World Central Kitchen and its efforts to aid individuals in need.”

During this summer’s Atlanta Market ( July 13-19), Gift for Life’s fundraiser brought nearly $50,000 for World Central Kitchen. The campaign raised a total of $48,403 with individual donations ranging from $50 to $1000 and large gifts from J Douglas, Loloi Rugs and Worlds Away,

plus a $10,000 matching grant from International Market Centers.

“Nearly $50,000 translates to almost 5,000 meals and 30 restaurants supported,” said Cole Daugherty, chair of the Gift for Life board.

After the success of Gift for Life’s Summer 2021 “Feed the Hungry. Feel the Good.” campaign – which collectively raised more than $79,000 through fundraising connected with the Atlanta Market, Las Vegas Market and Retail Excellence Awards – the Gift for Life board voted to continue the “Feed the Hungry. Feel the Good” campaign into and through the Winter/Spring 2022 market cycle. Details about specific initiatives will be announced in the coming weeks.

Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond.

Gift for Life was founded by Peter Schauben of Appleman Schauben in 1992 in response to the tragic loss of industry lives to AIDS. Since that time, Gift for Life has raised nearly $6 million for AIDS research, education, treatment and care through nationwide at-market events, cause marketing programs and direct donations. With COVID-19 temporarily causing cancelation of in-person events at industry markets, Gift for Life has pivoted toward online digital events for the balance of 2021, with a specific emphasis on COVID-related hunger relief. KN

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www.kitchenwarenews.com • NOVEMBER 2021 • KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW

Home Organization Products Continue as Popular Purchases, Research Shows There are those who wouldn’t be surprised if the “Hoarders” crew showed up to help them organize their house and then there are those who keep everything in its place.

For the latter group, analysts at the Freedonia Group think they know who you are: Probably female in the 25 to 44 age range in a household with children younger than 18.

Almost everyone uses some kind of home organization products, from the basic bins, shelves, and hanging units common throughout most U.S. households to more elaborate installations such as custom-built modular units for closets, pantries, or garages.

A recent Freedonia Group Survey conducted found that 38 percent of U.S. consumers bought home organization products in the past 12 months, with purchasing habits varying across demographic groups. For example: • Women were slightly more likely to have bought home organization products.

• People in the 25 to 44 age range, which includes many first-time and trade-up homebuyers, were most likely to have bought home organization products. That likelihood drops off significantly among those over 55.

• Households with children under 18

were far more likely to have bought home organization products than households that did not. This trend also aligns with the middle-age groups who are also more likely to be buying their first home or a home to fit their growing family.

As would be expected during the COVID19 pandemic, the top reasons for buying home organization products in the past year was to improve a home office space or set up a new one. Similarly, setting up home study space for telecommuting students also was a primary reason for purchases.

Still, evergreen reasons unrelated to the pandemic – such as replacing or upgrading

an existing piece – accounted for a large number of purchases. Additionally, a sizable share of respondents needed the item for home remodeling projects. Closet and garage organization were popular DIY projects during the pandemic, while increased grocery sales correlated with growth in pantry storage needs.

Sales of home organization products are forecast to grow 2.1 percent per year from an elevated 2020 level through 2025, reaching $13.5 billion, according to the Freedonia Group analysis.

As for those who aren’t organized, “Hoarders” is there. KN

GINGER’S BREADBOYS

things to do is make gingerbread cookies.

Several years ago, she learned that she had a mutual friend with Virginia Bramante, creator of Ginger’s BreadBoys, a kit that contains everything from the mix to the cookie cutter.

“Oh, it’s perfect!” Sims said.

“It has everything you need except basic butter. She went to a lot of trouble to make sure that her product was user friendly. It’s easy to do and it’s fun to do.”

Sims and her granddaughter discovered by accident that upside down, the unfrosted BreadBoys look like reindeer heads, so now they decorate reindeers and boys.

Best of all, Sims said, the finished product is not only pleasing, but delicious.

“Oh, gosh, they’re incredible!” she said. “The ginger flavor is not overpowering.”

Bramante (her family nickname is Ginger) spent years perfecting her gingerbread cookies long before the idea of creating Ginger’s BreadBoys.

“Ginger’s BreadBoys comes from an honest place,” said Bramante, who lives in Washington, D.C., but is from North Carolina. “It took me years to get it perfected. I went through many trials and tribulations.”

Bramante began making gingerbread cookies and sharing them with friends in cookie exchanges in pursuit of recreating a childhood memory, when she entered a bakery and was overjoyed to see a cookie with her name in it.

“When you’re 2, 3, 4, your name takes on great importance,” she said. “If something had your name on it, it was all yours within the family.”

Gingerbread was a taste that took her time to actually enjoy, though. And creating a delicious gingerbread cookie was just as time consuming – as is the process of making gingerbread cookies. Eventually, the idea of creating a gingerbread mix and assembling a kit that made it easy to make

the cookies took hold.

“I wanted it to be seamless,” she said. “I wanted it to taste good. There were many pitfalls. It was too crumbly, too hard to roll out, too much flour in there or it burns, it’s too crispy.”

Once she perfected the recipe, she set about creating the kits.

“I did all the work for you,” she said. “I put it all in a box and it’s a fun activity. And when you break it all down, it works out to a dollar a cookie.

Try going to Starbucks and getting a cookie for a dollar.”

Sims said the price (the kits range from $24.95 for a basic kit to $74.95 for the deluxe) isn’t too much.

“No, gracious,” she said.

“Your children, grandchildren, neighborhood kids can enjoy making them.

For 2- or 3year-olds, you get the dough ready, cut ‘em out and they can stick on the candy. Then you eat the cookies!

Everybody loves them.”

As with everything else, the pandemic has affected Bramante’s business.

“I have to say, last year was better,” she said. “Mine is a very, very young company.

This is our fourth selling season.”

Bramante sees Ginger’s BreadBoys as a business she will continue after she retires

from her career as a project manager.

“I’m taking things slow,” she said. “I want to do things right.”

Last year, Bramante got a sizable order from a company buying corporate gifts.

“October, November, December, it was crazy crazy,” she recalled keeping up with inventory.

This year, she had many inquiries at trade shows, but orders didn’t flood in.

“Crickets,” she said.

“I think people are not making those kinds of decisions because of the pandemic,” she said. “They’re not planning ahead, spending the money until they absolutely see what’s going on.

“But I have every confidence that in November, December, we’ll get the orders from the gift stores,” she said.

Bramante prides herself on making a product that is as homegrown as possible, buying from U.S. vendors even if it’s tempting pricewise to look overseas for materials.

This year, she introduced a gluten-free cookie mix.

Bramante relies on return customers and word of mouth to promote Ginger’s BreadBoys.

“As anybody who has a small business would, I’m not trying to go into debt,” she said. “Trade shows are not cheap. So I’m trying to grow it organically.”

Bramante also sells charming BreadBoys themed kitchen linens, a face mask, aprons, pan grabbers, flour sack towels and the custom cookie cutter. Just don’t expect to see any other kind of cookie mix.

“I know this one thing,” she said. “I don’t know sugar cookies. I don’t know any other type of baking. I know this. I have thought through everything. This is what I know.

That’s the point. I want to share this product with everybody. It’s my product for the world.” KN

Continued from page 1 Home baking is still a popular activity and is expected to enjoy elevated sales through 2026, according to new market data published by Food Navigator.

The corresponding consumer demand for health and wellness products is helping to drive the home baking trend, the data show.

Baking is second nature to Celia Sims of North Carolina.

“As a matter of fact, putting together a loaf of bread is my therapy,” she said. “I love being in the kitchen.”

PHOTO CREDIT CELIA SIMS

Many a morning, Sims questions her husband on what he wants for dinner and he wonders why she’s thinking about dinner so early in the day, she said.

“Well, I’m planning my day,” she tells him. “I need to know where I’m going.”

Her granddaughter is another reason she likes being in the kitchen because cooking is often a shared experience.

“I’ll pick her up after school and she’ll ask, ‘Are we cooking something today?’

Those are some of the memories I have of my grandmother and my mother. I hope I’m setting a pattern for her.”

This time of year, one of their favorite

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KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW • NOVEMBER 2021 • www.kitchenwarenews.com

Vitamix Launches New Attachment Accessories After a successful launch of the Vitamix Food Processor Attachment and Immersion Blender in 2020, the company has added a line of accessories, which expand the products’ applications and provide more ways for home chefs to enjoy whole-food cooking.

The 10 new accessories, priced from $19.95 to $49.95, will save time and enhance the user’s culinary skills. Vegetables can be chopped, finely sliced, cut and julienned in seconds. Other foods can be whisked and blended with ultimate power. The accessory line also offers sleek storage options to keep kitchen cabinets tidy and simplify on-the-go cooking.

Immersion Blender accessories include a whisk, storage case, blending jar, mini-chopper and Immersion Station, which holds the blender in one place in a simple countertop display.

The Food Processor accessories include a compact lid, enabling storage under cabinets; reversible fine-shred and ultra-thin slice disc; julienne disc; veggie stick disc; and Stack and Store disc case.

All accessories are on the market now, except for the Immersion Blender mini-chopper, which will be added later this year. KN

Celebrity Chef Ayesha Curry Launches Cookware, Kitchenware Collections

Ayesha Curry, best-selling cookbook author, restaurateur, chef, TV host and producer, recently celebrated the launch of her own line of cookware and kitchenware products.

The new cookware, cast iron, bakeware, kitchen tools and pantryware products join the successful Ayesha Curry kitchen lifestyle brand offered by Meyer Corp.

“I’m really excited about the new designs and refreshed Bay Area-inspired color palette of my new kitchen products and hope that they help spark interest in spending more time making delicious meals,” said Curry, who lives in San Francisco. “From the very beginning, my goal in creating my kitchenware line has been to encourage the habit of gathering at the dinner table, which is so important for strengthening relationships with friends and family, and providing kids with the best foundation to learn, grow, and be healthy.”

Ayesha collaborated closely with Meyer to develop her eponymous line of quality cookware and kitchenware, making sure every product created is stylish, simple and fun to use and affordable.

The 2021 Ayesha Curry cookware and kitchenware products landed this fall at retail stores nationwide and online.

Curry is a renowned restaurateur, chef, two-time best-selling author, philanthropist, television host and producer. Featured on the prestigious 30 Under 30 List by Forbes magazine, Curry is a sought-after expert in food and lifestyle, with more than 10 million avid social media followers and subscribers.

Meyer, one of the largest cookware companies in the United States, also sells products by Anolon, Circulon, Farberware, KitchenAid, Rachael Ray, Hestan, Ruffoni, BonJour and LocknLock. KN

Warefor Settles Into Global Headquarters

Warefor, a new company that connects manufacturers of home products to targeted retailer buyers and consumers, held an inauguration of its global headquarters in the greater Houston area in Brookshire, Texas, in September.

The new 163,000-square-foot facility houses the company’s two divisions: Warefor Solutions, covering product development, design services, sales, marketing and fulfillment; and Warefor Logistics, offering logistics and warehousing services.

Designed to support major business enterprises, the facility includes more than 153,000 square feet for a distribution center with 33 loading docks and more than 9,200 square feet for a corporate office that includes administration, sales and marketing, product development, an art development and design team and a full professional photo studio.

The new headquarters, 32045 US Highway 90 Business, Brookshire, Texas 77423, has convenient access to Highway 90 and Interstate 10.

Warefor connects manufacturers of home products to retail buyers and consumers within target markets. The company offers turnkey solutions to the entire supply chain and customized ready-to-ship domestic inventory of high-quality home products.

“Our new headquarters embodies the professionalism, global industry knowhow and expansive strategic thinking that are core values of Warefor,” said Antonio Galafassi, Warefor founder and CEO. The Warefor management team also includes CFO Vinicius Babot, formerly of KPMG accounting, who brings years of financial experience in the United States, along with a team of professionals in the areas of manufacturing, logistics, distribution, sales, product development, design and marketing solutions in the housewares industry. KN

U.S. Home Decor Market Primed to Reach $283B by 2025

The U.S. home decor market, which was valued at $190.96 billion in 2020, is predicted to reach $283 billion by the end of 2026, according to a report from ResearchAndMarkets.

Increasing numbers of individual home buyers and an expanding real estate industry are expected to drive the industry, the report says.

The market also is expected to get a boost from growing environmental awareness among consumers toward eco-friendly home decor products, in addition to demand for trending and unique furniture that can provide lucrative growth opportunities in the industry.

Home decor is the art of designing the internal and external part of a house, making them functionally useful for residents. Home decor items include floor covering, textiles, carpet and area rugs, bedroom and kitchen furniture, lamp and lighting pots, candles, artifacts, etc. The United States is mostly an urbanized society with high disposable income, which gives the home decor industry a bright future.

In recent decades, home decor products were traditionally sold from specialty stores and supermarkets. But in the last few years, especially after COVID, e-commerce stores have started to generate good sales. The use of devices such as smartphones and tablets with easy payment options has also fueled the market growth of online home decor products.

Digital marketing and social media have started to play a much bigger role compared to magazines and television advertisements. Social media influences consumer purchasing decisions. Thanks to generation Z and millennials, many consumers also buy home decor products through social media.

The U.S. home decor market is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of 6.78 percent from 2020 to 2026.

Due to the pandemic, international trade was put on hold, which resulted in a shortage of raw materials, the supply chain was disrupted and a majority of manufacturing facilities halted operations. The demand for home decor declined during the first phase of the lockdown.

A separate report from Technavio Research predicts that the online home decor market will grow by $52.95 billion from 2021 to 2025 with a compound annual growth rate of 9 percent.

Global Lighting Fixtures, Luminaries Market Set to Reach $112.9B by 2027

The global lighting fixtures and luminaries market, which is estimated at $79.2 billion in 2020, is projected to reach $112.9 billion by 2027 with a compound annual growth rate of 5.2 percent from 2020 to 2027, according to a report by ResearchAndMarkets.

Non-portable products are expected to record a 5.5 percent compound annual growth rate and reach $85.2 billion by the end of 2027, the report states. After an early analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and the subsequent economic crisis, growth in the portable segment is now expected to have a 3.8 percent compound annual growth rate over the next seven-year period.

The report estimates the U.S. market at $15.3 billion in 2020.

China is forecast to reach a projected market size of $23.7 billion by 2027 with a compound annual growth rate of 6.7 percent from 2020 to 2027, according to the report.

In the global parts and accessories segment, the United States, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 4.2 percent compound annual growth rate estimated for this segment.

These regional markets, accounting for a combined market size of $8.1 billion in 2020, will reach a projected size of $10.8 billion by the close of the analysis period.

SUPPLEMENT TO NOVEMBER 2021

featured products

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EXCELSTEEL 4-CUP EGG POACHER FROM COOK PRO

Take the strain out of poaching the perfect egg for breakfast with Excelsteel’s bestseller, four-cup professional, all-in-one 7.5-inch stainless steel egg poacher.

Designed with a vented lid and non-stick egg cups, this egg poacher is easy to clean and use every time. Built with an encapsulated base, riveted silicone covered handle and rust-resistant stainless steel. Impress your friends and family with a wonderfully cooked weekend brunch. Included is a free silicone spatula to get started the day it arrives. Dishwasher friendly and induction ready.

Cook Pro Inc. 951.686.8282 www.cook-pro.com

JEAN DUBOST 24-PIECE SET FROM THE FRENCH FARM

The Jean Dubost brand was established in 1920

by Pierre Dubost, a second-generation professional cutler. Started as a small business, manufacturing knives solely intended for professionals, the company has grown tremendously over the years. Today, Jean Dubost manufactures a wide range of cutlery, flatware, kitchenware and gifts that are marketed to professional and amateur cooks around the world.

The company’s flagship product, the Laguiole knife, still carries the mark of its ancestors: a bee engraved on all Laguiole products. It was originally part of Napoleon Bonaparte’s imperial seal. The knife’s blade is forged from high-grade stainless steel and put through 25 stages of cutting, polishing and sharpening.

The classic Laguiole 24-piece set by Jean Dubost exists in a variety of colors and is now available in crisp white. This Everyday Flatware has a gauge of 1.5 mm, is dishwasher safe and will last a lifetime. With their white handles, these forks, knives and spoons are great for everyday use and are sleek enough to be used during special occasions.

The French Farm 713.660.0577 www.thefrenchfarm.com//brands/jean-dubost

PAESANA & BEYOND MEAT PLANT-BASED BOLOGNESE SAUCES

With a storied commitment to fresh gourmet ingredients, Paesana simmers with generations of Italian cooking. Now Paesana is bringing that kitchen tradition into the future with an all-new product for retailers.

Introducing Paesana’s Plant-Based Bolognese Sauces made with Beyond Meat. Available in Hearty or Spicy, this fresh take on an Italian classic satisfies consumers who crave a robust pasta sauce, but who also want to make a positive impact on the environment.

With 4 grams of protein per serving and no cholesterol, soy, gluten, hormones or GMOs, it’s a delicious, guilt-free and eye-catching addition to any retail setting’s red sauce display.

The product also features a newly designed clear/transparent label with a sleek look that still maintains the instantly recognizable Paesana logo.

Gain consumer confidence and be first to market this new and unique product – a premium pasta sauce that, like all Paesana tomato-based sauces, is made with 100 percent imported Italian tomatoes.

Paesana 631.845.1717 www.paesana.com

KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW • NOVEMBER 2021 • www.kitchenwarenews.com

TEFLON PLATINUM PLUS NONSTICK

Teflon™ nonstick coating systems last longer than pans with ceramic or silicone coatings and are dishwasher and metal utensil safe. Chemours ensures durability by providing a nonstick coating that is not only abrasion and scratch resistant, but also helps protect against adhesion and corrosion. It’s this balance of properties that keeps these nonstick coatings performing like new, year after year, so there’s little erosion to the wallet. That's because high-quality Teflon coatings have been perfected over 50 years. Teflon nonstick coatings are the finest nonstick, with a variety of products to meet the variety of cooking needs. All Teflon products are quality tested to live up to the Teflon brand promise: easier cooking and cleanup, time after time. Teflon Platinum Plus nonstick is the most scratch- and abrasion-resistant Teflon branded nonstick finish to date.

The Chemours Company 866.205.1664 www.chemours.com

LAS VEGAS MARKET GIFT & HOME MARKET

Las Vegas Market is a comprehensive furniture, gift and home décor buying destination, offering an exclusive West Coast-influenced, cross-category product experience unlike any other. More than 4,300 gift (design, handmade/artisanal, tabletop, gourmet, housewares), furniture (upholstery, case goods, accent), bedding, lighting, rugs and home décor lines are showcased on an easy-toshop, convenient campus at Las Vegas Market, allowing retailers and designers to build their businesses with exciting new introductions, proven bestsellers and longtime customer favorites.

During Las Vegas Market, buyers also build important relationships with manufacturers and suppliers, creating business-to-business connections that begin as person-toperson interactions. These relationships become valued partnerships that transition into both onsite and online sourcing beyond market dates – creating expedient, year-round access to the latest products and quick strategic solutions to trending consumer demands.

Make plans now for Las Vegas Market, Jan. 23-27, 2022.

Las Vegas Market 702.599.9621 www.lasvegasmarket.com

PARCHMENT PAPER CHEESE LEAVES FROM SISSON

Inspired by the French tradition of turning to nature for decoration, these unique, food-grade, parchment paper designs can be used under cheese, fresh fruit, home-baked breads or as coasters under glasses and bottles.

They are fanciful enough to be used in a table decoration, written on, used as place markers, or in any way or place your imagination may lead. The natural, unbleached Kraft paper package makes for an attractive and eco-friendly product.

These parchment leaves have been sold in the North American markets under both the Sisson Imports and EuroQuest brand names for more than 33 years. Sisson Distribution is now the sole provider of parchment cheese leaves in the United States. Both the leaves and packaging are printed in the USA.

Sisson Distribution LLC 941.214.5373 www.sissondistribution.com

www.kitchenwarenews.com • NOVEMBER 2021 • KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW

DAVE’S GOURMET SAUCES

The future of sauce is here. From the company with 17 sofi awards come these delicious sauces using premium ingredients combined in creative ways. These sauces meet the desires of modern consumers, have become great sellers for some retailers and probably could do well for you. too.

Hearty Marinara is organic with no added sugar and a new amazing recipe that clings to your pasta and makes you think of that great Italian restaurant meal. Aged White Cheddar Alfredo is the result of eight years of trial and error and you will taste why. Dave’s Gourmet has had trouble keeping this hot seller in stock.

You could swear that Vegan Bolognese has meat in it, as it feels and tastes just like a great meat sauce but is totally plant based.

Dave’s Gourmet 800.758.0372 www.davesgourmet.com

MOCCAMASTER KBGV SELECT

The Moccamaster KBGV Select makes it easy to brew a delicious half or full carafe of coffee; it is the only coffee brewer approved by the European Coffee Brewing Centre to brew a half carafe to its rigorous standards. The brewer’s selector switch allows you to choose the amount you prefer, automatically adjusting both the saturation time and hotplate temperature. It quickly brews 16 to 40 ounces in about four to six minutes, producing aromatic coffee that’s full of flavor. The hotplate’s independent heating element ensures that the coffee is held at the optimal temperature, never burning it, and automatically turns off after 100 minutes. This glass carafe brewer is available in an assortment of colors and finishes.

Since 1968, Moccamaster coffee brewers have set the global benchmark for the athome coffee brewing experience. All Moccamaster models are certified by the European Coffee Brewing Centre and the Specialty Coffee Association to meet their rigorous brewing standards. Built to last a lifetime, every brewer comes with a five-year warranty and can be repaired for life. All brewers ship from the USA. No minimum order requirements.

Moccamaster USA 800.662.2200 www.moccamaster.com

PRODYNE BAR-B-BOARD

Conquering the grill is effortless with Prodyne’s ingenious Bar-B-Board™, a multi-use food preparation and carry system designed to give grill masters and everyday cooks an efficient tool to prepare, season, carry and serve favorite barbecue dishes.

Bar-B-Board consolidates multiple cooking tasks into a convenient grilling and everyday cooking workstation. The bottom carry tray design allows for seasoning and marinating a variety of meats and seafoods. The large top-mounted cutting board provides a prep workspace directly above the carry tray, preserving counter space. The shaped design of the cutting board incorporates side exits that allow users to easily slide prepped foods or unwanted debris into the tray below.

When slicing cooked meats, the uniquely designed cutting board catches juices in the bottom tray.

This year Prodyne celebrates its 50-year anniversary year manufacturing “Dynamic Designs for Good Living.” To see Prodyne’s full line of quality kitchenware, serveware and barware, visit www.prodyne.com and download the online catalog.

Prodyne 800.822.4776 www.prodyne.com

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CSS CLOSEOUT, EXCESS INVENTORIES

CSS Inc. wants closeout and otherwise excess inventories: discontinued, irregular or short dated product, as well as buybacks, package changes, production overruns and canceled orders.

CSS processes returns, too.

With warehouses in New Jersey and Nevada – CSS is ready for anything.

Contact Keith Dezenhall at keith@cssincusa.com or 973.364.1118 Ext. 142.

Let CSS know if you’re in a position to do some business.

CSS Inc. www.cssincusa.com

FRANMARA OVAL WINE COOLERS

Great for wine, champagne or other beverages, oval wine coolers from Franmara are 100 percent BPA free in durable acrylic with easy-to-carry handles. They are available in two sizes and colors.

These two contemporary buckets are created with a modern profile and intriguing curves, making for a memorable presentation. Keep up to two bottles of your finest wines chilled and ready for service with the 9077. Keep up to four bottles ready with the 9079. Both are available in black or white.

Perfect for wineries, restaurants and catered events.

9077 is a hefty two-bottle with a thick wall: 5.1 mm (0.20") Weight: just under 2 lbs.

7-7/8" H, 7-7/8" W, 10-5/8" across top. Retails for $23.99.

9079 is a heavy-duty, four-bottle bucket with strong 5.8 mm (0.23") thick sidewalls.

Weight: just under 3 lbs. 10-1/8" H, 10-1/8" W, 14" long across top. Retails for $48.99.

All available at www.franmara.com or call for your free catalog.

Franmara 800.423.5855 www.franmara.com

NEGG EGG PEELER & DEVILED EGG SEASONING MIXES

The best-selling Negg® Egg Peeler now has the perfect complement. Look no further than the Negg® Deviled Egg Seasoning Mixes.

Honored to be named the SFA’s 2021 sofi™ Award for Best New Product in the Spice/Seasoning category, Negg Deviled Egg Seasonings make perfect deviled eggs in no time – and every time. They can also be added to spice up egg, tuna, chicken salads and sauces or used as a dry rub on meats and fish. The Negg Deviled Egg Seasoning Mixes are available in four flavors: Classic, Cajun, Curry and Smoky Ham. Negg® Deviled Egg Seasonings are available in single-flavor case packs of 27. Negg Egg Peelers are available in single-color case packs of 12. All Negg® Egg Products.

Negg 203.594.7781 www.neggmaker.com

KIKUICHI 33-LAYER DAMASCUS SERIES

New for 2021, Kikuichi’s new 33-layer Damascus S33 series is everything your customer is looking for in a Japanese knife. These knives are surgical in their ability to make prep work a breeze. The VG10 edge is razor sharp, and it lasts and lasts.

With a full range from paring to 240mm chef’s knife, this line covers all the bases. The true Damascus layering is stunning to look at and will become a showpiece in any kitchen.

Kikuichi www.kikuichi.net

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KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW • NOVEMBER 2021 • www.kitchenwarenews.com

entertaining at home Buzzee Wraps

If you’re throwing a party, you don’t want to waste leftovers or create more waste for a landfill, right?

Since the launch of Buzzee Wraps, nearly 1.4 million single-use plastic wraps and bags have been eliminated. Using Buzzee Wraps helps preserve the planet while preserving food.

Buzzee Wraps are an all-natural alternative to plastic wraps and bags. Preserve leftover produce, baked goods, nuts and much more. Simply wrap and then seal with the warmth of your hands. The wraps can be used up to 200 times.

Each Buzzee Wrap is handcrafted with natural tropical beeswax, organic printed cotton fabric (GOTS certified), organic virgin coconut oil and Himalayan pine tree resin. For more information, go to www.buzzeewraps.com.

Salt Point Margarita

Salt Point Canned Cocktails offers a new ready-to-drink canned Margarita cocktail for tequila lovers with an allnatural, great tasting recipe. Made with Blanco tequila using the finest Weber Blue agave mixed with housemade triple sec, agave syrup, lime and just the right amount of carbonation, the result is a fresh and bright tasting Margarita with sweet aromatics, 10 percent alcohol by volume and no artificial preservatives.

One can is equal to two ready-to-drink cocktails that can be enjoyed straight from the can or poured over ice, making it convenient for outdoor or indoor activities, with no mixing necessary. Now, there is no longer a need to buy premium tequila, triple sec and limes at an approximate cost of $80 and look for a place to store the sticky mess.

The ready-to-drink sector is now bigger in volume than the total spirits category in the U.S., and is expected to overtake wine this year, according to the June 2021 IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.

The ultra-premium and eye-catching design is blazoned with a whimsical mermaid reminiscent of seaport characters and stories, as with all Salt Point packaging.

Margarita joins the successful Salt Point lineup of canned cocktails including Moscow Mule, Greyhound and Gin Highball.

All Salt Point cocktails retail for $4.99 per can or $17.99 per 4-pack in 11 states including California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Nevada, Arizona, Montana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Connecticut and newly available direct to consumers online. For more information, go to www.saltpoint.co.

Loulou Lollipop Tableware

Little eaters from 4 months to about 5 years old will find mealtime fun with Loulou Lollipop’s cute silicone tableware.

Perfect for a springtime party or everyday meals. Parents will appreciate how strong the tableware is, not to mention thoughtful details and ergonomic designs.

Designed for little hands with great ambitions, the collection includes plates, bowls, cutlery and more in seven adorable animal friends all made with premium buttery soft and safe food-grade silicone and quality materials. The nontoxic silicone is sustainable – made from sand, an abundant natural resource. Once suctioned to a surface, Lollipop’s plates and bowls offer one of the strongest suctions on the market. They can stick to any surface, including those with slight texture. Durable and unbreakable, they can stand up to everyday use. The plates, bowls and mats are dishwasher and microwave safe (except utensils). For more information, go to www.louloulollipop.ca.

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www.kitchenwarenews.com • NOVEMBER 2021 • KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW

Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn Holiday Offerings

Holiday gatherings will pop with the delicious seasonal flavors from Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn.

Holiday Market Bags come in a set of four with an MSRP of $11.50 each: Butter Almond Toffee, new to the market bags, decadent, gluten-free toffee popcorn made with real butter and fresh, caramelized almonds; Reindeer Crunch, the gluten-free original Salted Caramel popcorn with caramelized walnuts, pecans and cashews, all drizzled with craft dark chocolate; Gingerbread (contains gluten), molasses candied popcorn drizzled with craft white chocolate, sprinkled with sliced almonds and chunks of locally made molasses cookies and gluten-free Chocolate Peppermint, lightly flavored peppermint popcorn drizzled with craft dark and white chocolate, then sprinkled with allnatural crushed peppermint candies.

Then there are the Holiday Cylinders with an MSRP of $22.50 each: Butter Almond Toffee, Reindeer Crunch and Cinnamon Bourbon Pecan, the famous Salted Caramel gluten-free popcorn made with Troy & Sons whiskey and caramelized southern pecans.

No reindeer were harmed in the making of this popcorn.

Hand-crafted in small batches in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, Poppy sources high-quality, simple, natural ingredients (including non-GMO corn) from as close to home as possible. For more information, go to www.poppyhandcraftedpopcorn.com.

MyDrinkBomb Straws for a Cause

Add a little sparkle to your drink. MyDrinkBomb’s handcrafted studded cocktail straws are made in the USA – embedded Swarovski crystal polished aluminum straws with velvet carrying case and cleaning brush. These ECOfriendly, portable, reusable straws have glass stones baked into a polished aluminum steel straw with an interchangeable silicone tip. The straws are handmade from 100 percent pure polished aluminum and are FDA approved.

Best of all, 20 percent of each $26 straw goes to the charity of your choice.

For more information, go to www.mydrinkbomb.com.

Les vergers Boiron Fruit Purées

The Beatles 2021 Advent Calendar from Hero Collector

We love this yeah, yeah, yeah. Take a trip down Penny Lane and enjoy the countdown to Christmas this year with The Beatles Advent Calendar from Hero Collector. Designed to evoke some of The Beatles’ most iconic artwork, this luxury box Advent calendar is presented in pop-art style with an eye-catching rainbow Beatles design.

Packed full of 24 high-quality festive gifts and accessories for true Beatlemaniacs, all exclusive for this year’s Advent calendar, fans can discover a tea infuser shaped like the famous Yellow Submarine, a set of coasters with iconic Beatles 45 sleeve art and a brilliant Beatles bauble for hanging from your tree – as well as lots more collector-quality gifts to celebrate the festive season.

For more information, go to www.herocollector.com.

Les vergers Boiron, global leader in frozen fruit purées, has launched 100 percent ready-to-use fruit purées of the ambient range. The purées have been praised for being easy and quick to use, saving valuable time for restaurant owners and bartenders without compromising quality; and for easy storage.

The six flavors of the ambient range – strawberry, raspberry, mango, blackberry, passion fruit and yellow peach – are guaranteed with no added sugar.

Packed into 1-liter cartons that can be easily stored, they are perfect for “à la minute” dish preparations: starters, main courses, desserts and cocktails.

In line with the long-term trend for more naturalness and healthier and less processed products, Les vergers Boiron is gradually switching to no added sugar products. The entire range will be available in a 100 percent fruit version with no added sugar by 2022, giving professionals more creative freedom.

Launched in early 2021, the premium frozen purée range made with PGIcertified fruit (Protected Geographical Indication) highlights excellent fruits from renowned regions, which give them organoleptic characteristics. With no added sugar, the PGI range currently includes three citrus fruit references: Corsican Clementine, Siracusa Lemon and Sicilian Blood orange.

The six first organic references with no added sugar – strawberry, raspberry, mango, passion fruit, lemon, blackcurrant – are packed into 10-kg buckets and adapted for ice cream makers’ use. For more information, go to www.my-vb.com.

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KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW • NOVEMBER 2021 • www.kitchenwarenews.com

The Pantry AYO FOODS NEW RECIPES

To celebrate the return of dinner parties, cookouts and everything in between, AYO Foods, the popular line of West-African cuisine, has partnered with Top Chef alum Chef Eric Adjepong to introduce two new recipes: Waakye (beans and rice) and Chicken Yassa to the AYO family. Adjepong’s AYO dishes are now available at retailers nationwide where AYO Foods are sold.

Chef Adjepong is the perfect partner for AYO’s inaugural recipe collaboration given their shared love for the rich culture and flavors of West Africa. One of the most acclaimed finalists in Top Chef history (he was in seasons 16 and 17), Chef Adjepong draws from his Ghanian heritage to create memorable dishes that are bold, creative and comforting.

Chef Adjepong’s offerings are: Waakye, a delicious blend of South Sea Island red peas and jasmine rice slowcooked with coconut oil, millet leaves and served with a delicious red sauce; and Chicken Yassa, marinated and braised chicken thighs slow cooked with caramelized onions, lemon and served over jasmine rice.

AYO Foods www.ayo-foods.com

BUSHWICK KITCHEN BEES KNEES HONEY STRAWS

Bushwick Kitchen’s award-winning Bees Knees Honey is available on-the-go in single-serve honey straws. Featuring the beloved flavors of the Bees Knees line, Honey Straws are available in Meyer Lemon, Spicy and Salted honey varieties.

Each honey straw is packed with all-natural, hand-picked ingredients including habanero, Meyer lemon juice, salt brine and, of course, wildflower honey. Bees Knees Honey makes the perfect addition to tea, biscuits, vegetable dishes, cocktails or even pizza.

Brooklyn-based Bushwick Kitchen was founded in 2014. Its first product, Bees Knees Spicy Honey has grown to a line of elevated pantry staples of maple syrup, sriracha and new plant-based pancake and waffle mixes launched in 2021.

Bushwick Kitchen www.bushwickkitchen.com

CASCINA OSCHIENA APOLLO RICE AROMATIC

A long-grain aromatic rice, Apollo is the Italian alternative to jasmine rice. Famous for its natural, fragrant floral aroma and excellent cooking properties, it is ideal as a side to vegetable, meat and fish dishes, whether spicy or delicate. It’s delicious on its own, too, with a little extra-virgin olive oil. Highly digestible, Apollo is perfect in a healthy and low-fat diet. Fast in cooking (12 to 14 minutes) and easy to prepare, Apollo combines versatility with taste in fine gourmet dishes. All of Cascina Oschiena's Products are exclusively cultivated on a family farm in Italy.

Cascina Oschiena www.cascinaoschiena.it

KETOGENIC SEED FLOUR FROM HEALTH ENHANCED FOODS

MEAL ESSENTIALS

THE SPICE HUNTER CRUNCH TOPPERS

Gourmet spice and seasoning manufacturer The Spice Hunter has launched Crunch Toppers, a line of seed-mix seasonings to sprinkle on avocado toast, salmon, yogurt and more. Five new flavors are Garden Veggie, Zesty Italian, Roasted Garlic & Onion, 7 Seed Blend and Sweet Seed. The line includes the consumer favorite Everything Bagel blend. Crunch Toppers are all natural, salt and gluten free, Kosher certified and non-GMO.

The Spice Hunter www.spicehunter.com

AL DENTE PASTA CARBA-NADA FUSILLI

Michigan-based Al Dente Pasta Company has launched Carba-Nada Fusilli, a line extension to its popular reduced-carb pasta line, which is designed for those who enjoy the artisanal pasta eating experience yet seek a healthier pasta alternative.

With just 17 net carbs, 170 calories and 15 grams of protein per serving, the Carba-Nada line provides a way for those who seek a healthy, active lifestyle to indulge in favorite, comfort food recipes. The short-shaped pasta has a cooking time of five minutes and is both non-GMO and Kosher certified.

The Carba-Nada line comes in five varieties: egg fettuccine, basil fettuccine, roasted garlic fettuccine, lemon pepper fettuccine and fusilli.

Al Dente Pasta Company www.aldentepasta.com

AIRSCAPE BUCKET INSERT FOR STORAGE

Originally designed for coffee roasters and shops to store coffee beans, Montana-based Airscape’s improved version of its Airscape Bucket Insert also is being used in breweries, on farms and in homes.

The new insert fits larger buckets and features a nitrogen port, turning any round three-, five- or seven-gallon bucket into the best bulk storage solution. The Airscape Bucket Insert uses the same patented technology as the inner lid of Airscape’s storage containers, removing and locking out air, light and moisture to preserve the freshness and flavor of the contents.

The insert has many uses in the food industry and at home. Store green and freshly roasted coffee beans, hops and brewing grains, nuts and seeds, cannabis, grilling and smoking pellets, pet food and chicken feed and more. It can even be used for pickling or fermenting (with an airlock) or for temporary storage of food waste that will be composted. For more information, go to www.airscapestorage.com.

Airscape www.airscapestorage.com

RUMI SPICE WHOLE SEED SPICES

Looking for a ketogenic-friendly flour? Health Enhanced Foods’ Ketogenic Seed Flour is made from a combination of high-quality seeds to produce a blend of highly nourishing seed flour mix suitable for those on a ketogenic friendly diet. Use it in place of other flour products that are refined and loaded with additives for pancakes, muffins and flatbread as well as in making vegan meatballs and vegetarian hamburgers. It is gluten free, grain free, plant based and loaded with natural vitamins and minerals. Health Enhanced Foods is a specialty flour company that manufactures and packages flour blends to serve health-conscious consumers, including people with special dietary needs such as the poor health, diabetic, gluten intolerant, potassium intolerant and the food sensitive.

Rumi Spice recently added three whole seed spices to its line: Wild Black Cumin, Herati Coriander and Wild Foraged Fennel. By directly sourcing products from Afghan farmers and foragers, Rumi Spice creates a connection between those involved in the harvesting process and consumers’ pantries throughout the United States.

Hand-harvested Wild Black Cumin is grown along the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains and boasts sharp earthy and piney aromas and flavors, making it the perfect complement for roasted vegetables, soups and chicken dishes.

Herati Coriander yields a complex but delicately sweet flavor with hints of pepper and mint along with the classic touch of citrus. Due to its ability to pair with both sweet and savory dishes, Rumi’s coriander can be used in everything from roasts to rices and soup to steak.

Grown in the rugged outskirts of Afghanistan’s Herat region, local foragers carefully gather Wild Foraged Fennel during the summer harvest. Originally native to the Mediterranean, fennel is a staple in multiple global cuisines due to its slightly sweet profile and versatility. It can be enjoyed in homemade sausage or Rumi’s original Fen & Tonic cocktail, a spin on the classic gin and tonic.

Health Enhanced Foods www.healthenhancedfoods.com

Rumi Spice www.rumispice.com

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KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW • NOVEMBER 2021 • www.kitchenwarenews.com

“Retail Is Alive,” Expert Tells Execs

BY A.J. FLICK

Thanks to a big push from the home furnishings sector and stimulus payments, retail is alive and well, Dennis Cantalupo said at the International Housewares Association’s Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession in Rosemont, Illinois.

Cantalupo, partner at Riemer+ and CEO at Pulse Ratings, said consumers showed signs of slowing spending as the pandemic began but as federal stimulus payments rolled out, used that money in large part on home furnishings.

Furniture and home furnishings retail sales showed a drastic spike once stimulus payments were sent out, Cantalupo said.

Sales in department stores showed a constant decline in the years leading up to the pandemic, but once stimulus payments arrived, even department stores

saw a healthy spike.

While e-commerce sales were up 15.7 percent in 2020 and are up 13.3 percent so far in 2021, Cantalupo said retail sales aren’t doomed.

“Retail is still very important to consumers,” he said. “I don’t expect that to change.”

Many of the CHESS attendees were going to their first in-person event since the pandemic took hold. The executives were briefed on government actions that affect the industry, how to approach hybrid workplaces, post-covid retailing, telling brand stories to attract customers for life and other topics.

The two-day summit was held Oct. 56 at the Hilton Rosemont Hotel outside of Chicago.

Mark Greenwood, co-founder and VP of product development at YouCopia, has

attended CHESS for five or six years.

“Obviously, it’s smaller, more scaled down,” he said, “but it’s so important that we start having events like this and know that they can be done and can be done safely.”

Steve Greenspon, CEO of HoneyCanDo, praised the selection of topics covered this year.

“The presentations were spot on,” Greenspon said. “They were geared to the audience and timely.

“We’re all dealing with the same issues in different subcategories,” he said. “Just talking to other executives with shared experiences, shared opportunities and shared challenges is phenomenal.

“And it doesn’t end here,” he added.

“We’re able to reach out to old and new friends within the industry and we’ll continue to grow together.” KN

Manufacturer Heller Leaves Legacy of Affordable, ‘Extraordinary’ Style Half a century ago, manufacturer Alan Heller launched his career by producing a line of stacking dinnerware designed by Massimo Vignelli, which is included in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent design collection in New York.

He moved on to furniture in 1998 with The Bellini Chair, designed by Mario Bellini, which won the Compasso d’Oro in 2001. Over the years, Heller worked with such celebrated designers as Massimo & Lella Vignelli, Philippe Starck, Vico Magistretti, William Sawaya, De Pas, D’Urbino & Lomazzi, Frank Gehry and Studio 65.

Heller was known for giving leading designers the opportunity to work with new technologies to produce innovative products.

Heller, 81, died peacefully at his New York home this summer, but his vision to

offer “good design at affordable prices” has left an indelible mark on the industry.

Dinnerware and furniture that Heller produced can be found in homes and museums around the world.

“Above all, Alan will be remembered for his fabulous sense of humor, his loyalty to his friends, his warmth, charm, and charisma,” according to his obituary in The New York Times. “He was generous, funny, quirky, curious, and fiercely independent. His favorite word was ‘extraordinary.’ He read four newspapers every day; he had strong opinions and didn’t hesitate to share them.

“He was a strict minimalist but he also created the Gladys Goose lamp and had a life-size cow on the terrace,” according to the obituary. “His work was his passion and his idea of a fun holiday was visiting factories and trade shows. He was always

inventing new ideas for products. He thrived on great conversation.

“He loved gourmet food, but also his daily sardine sandwich at Eisenbergs, the greasy spoon near his office. He hated exercise. He told bad jokes. He could be maddeningly stubborn. He was a lifelong New Yorker who also loved Italy. He was proud to be a grandfather. He loved Jewish traditions and celebrated every shabbos with blessings. He was a true mensch,” the obituary read.

According to his self-named company, Heller products are used by leading architects for museums, offices and restaurants as well as homes.

Museums that exhibit his products include the Whitney Museum of American Art, Smithsonian, Louvre Museum of Decorative Arts, Pinakothek in Munich, Philadelphia Museum of Art and Cleveland Museum of Art. KN

PLMA Delays Trade Show; Store Brand Kitchenware to Be Featured While the Private Label Manufacturers Association’s 2021 Trade Show was moved from November to early 2022, it will still spotlight a wide array of innovations in store brand kitchenware, organizers say.

PLMA took notice of the pandemic boon in home cooking and the resulting demand for kitchenware. U.S. consumers are spending more time at home cooking and dining with family and friends, so the demand for more stylish and functional kitchen tools, gadgets and appliances has grown.

The rescheduled PLMA Trade Show, set for Jan. 30 to Feb. 1 in Chicago, includes exhibitors who will bring various small appliances, cookware, bakeware, food storage, tableware, kitchen tools and more with them.

Kitchenware trends include compact appliances, environmentally friendly

kitchen gadgets, air fryers, personal blenders and other products that cater to a healthier lifestyle and support Americans’ discovery of the joys of cooking, according to the PLMA. The Private Label Trade Show’s emphasis on kitchenware comes at a time when stores are stocking sleek, well-designed private label lines. Retailers in all channels are expanding their assortment of store brand kitchenware, according to PLMA. PLMA research shows that consumers eagerly seek out private label kitchenware sold by mass merchandisers, club stores and supermarkets, as well as by chains in other channels such as home décor, home improvement and specialty operators.

Private label lines – such as Walmart’s Mainstays, Costco’s Kirkland Signature,

Target’s Made by Design, Kroger’s Everyday Living, Williams-Sonoma’s Open Kitchen and Walgreens’ Living Solutions – are just as popular with American shoppers as the leading national brands.

Kitchenware has become an integral part of the evolving home-based lifestyle, a trend analysts predict will continue.

According to The NPD Group, consumer demand for small appliances and home goods in 2021 is expected to hold steady with the boom experienced in 2020, with 15 percent higher unit sales than prepandemic levels in 2019 and 25 percent higher sales revenue.

Kitchenware manufacturers will be represented among nearly 2,000 booths at the PLMA Show, the industry event of the year for more than 40 years. KN

Global Organic Dinnerware Market Expected to Surpass $1,557M

The global organic dinnerware market is expected to experience notable growth by 2028, due to rising demand for organic products, especially for plates. The North American region is predicted to lead the market, according to a report from India-based Research Drive.

The market is expected to garner a revenue of $1,557.13 million by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 7.50 percent from 2021 to 2028, the report states.

The increase of health-conscious people across the globe and rising adoption of organic products are expected to drive the growth of the market. In addition, surging collaborative initiatives from major players of the market and the availability of a wide variety of innovative organic dinnerware products could bolster the growth of the market during the forecast period.

In addition, rising demand for ceramic dinnerware is expected to create immense opportunities for the growth of the market, the report states. However, the high cost of organic dinnerware could restrain growth of the market.

The outbreak of coronavirus has had a medium impact on the growth of the global organic dinnerware market, due to the lockdowns prevalent in various countries and a growing trend of cooking and taking food orders during the pandemic. Lockdowns led to the closure of hotels and restaurants, so dine-in for customers was prohibited and caused disruptions in the production and supply chain of dinnerware products.

By type, the plates sub-segment is expected to be most profitable and generate a revenue of $720.49 million during the forecast period.

Increasing prevalence of organic plates – due to their eco-friendly, compostable and chemicalfree properties – is expected to drive the growth of the sub-segment during the forecast period.

By distribution channel, the commercial subsegment is expected to be most lucrative and generate a revenue of $884.9 million during the forecast period. Rising demand for organic dinnerware in restaurants and hotels is expected to accelerate the growth of the market.

By region, the North American region is expected to dominate the market and generate a revenue of $568.35 million during the forecast period. Increased standard of living among people and availability of leading players of the market in this region are expected to bolster the growth of the market during the forecast period.

The top 10 major players of the organic dinnerware market are Lenox, Hermes, Herend, Royal Doulton, Corelle, Royal Worcester, Guy Degrenne, Libbey, Meissen and Wedgwood.

These companies are working on developing strategies such as product development, merger and acquisition, partnerships and collaborations to sustain the market growth, according to the report.

ADVERTISER INDEX Cook Pro Inc. Country Fresh Food & Confections

11 23

CSS Inc.

9

Dave's Gourmet

5

Franmara

11

International Market Centers

2

Sisson Distribution

7

Technivorm-Moccamaster USA

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The Chemours Company

3

The French Farm

7