Kitchenware News • December 2020 (2021 Buyers Guide)

KITCHENWARE Housewares NEWS &Review Vol. 26 • Issue 7

w w w . REVIEW kitc www.kitchenwarenews.com • 2021 BUYERS GUIDE • KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES

December 2020 • $7.00

h e n w a r e n e w s . c o m1

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KITCHENWARE Housewares NEWS & Review

from the

editor

PUBLISHER Kimberly Oser

SR. ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jules Denton-Card jules_d@oser.com

Greetings!

Here at Oser Communications Group, we are looking forward to holidays gladdened by recent news of a possible vaccine against the coronavirus and to the next year and all that it may bring. You will notice that, like all of you, we’ve been using some of our time during the pandemic to imagine and re-imagine both Gourmet News and Kitchenware News for the next year.

Kitchenware News will show the most noticeable changes, since we have an exciting new design that we hope will help to showcase the beauty of the products we will be covering.

Those of you who notice such things will already have noticed this year that we are making greater efforts to emphasize the visual aspects of what we do, that will certainly continue through the next year as we find new and better ways to communicate better with the visual thinkers among us.

The theme for next year’s Kitchenware News coverage is built around the idea that, despite the likelihood of a vaccine next year, many of us are going to be thinking carefully about a balance between travel plans and safety, and so, while we may be able to travel safely next year, we probably won’t be doing that as casually as we’ve done it in the past. There is nothing to stop us, though, from enjoying virtual travel to various regions of our country to learn about local and regional culinary styles and the kitchenware retailers who serve the needs of home cooks practicing the culinary traditions of their local cultures. We start in January with a look at cooking and eating in the great Southwest, since that’s closest to home for the editorial staff that produces the magazine, and from there we’ll tour around the country over the course of the year.

Changes in Gourmet News may be a little less obvious. Here in this issue, you’ll see that we have included a featured story that’s longer and more abundantly illustrated than our usual stories and that highlights an important issue for those of us who are concerned about the future of our food system. You may not see one of those in every issue, but the longer story features will continue to be presented occasionally over the course of the next year, and we hope that you’ll enjoy these deeper dives into critically important issues and the way that our food producers are already responding to them. You’ll also see that, while Gourmet News will continue to pay close attention to new products coming onto the market and the people who make them, the magazine will continue to present issues-oriented stories in every issue, and in 2021, the editorial focus will continue to be on the environmental and social issues affecting the market in which we all operate.

All of this reflects the reality that, while trade shows are important to the industries we cover, they aren’t a sine qua non for any of us. Whether we can travel as freely as we’d like in 2021 or not, there’s still a future ahead for us. We are so happy to have the prospect of joining all of you in it, and, of course, we look forward to seeing all of you again when we can all agree that it’s safe for us to do so.

In the meantime, happy holidays, everyone, and let’s all try our best to remember that one of the promises of the season is that after the darkness comes the light. KN — Lorrie Baumann Editorial Director

ADV ERTI S E R Airigan Solutions, LLC ............................19 ARC International ...................................13 Cook Pro Inc............................................13 CookCraft ................................................15 Foamtec International LLC......................23 Franmara ..................................................24 Gourmet Catalog & Buying Group ............5 Gourmet Kitchenworks LLC....................17 International Market Center ......................3 4

IN DE X

Jaz Innovation ..........................................13 Kikuichi Cutlery.......................................11 Master Grade ...........................................22 Organize-It-All........................................17 SP Marketing ...........................................14 Spyderco Inc. ...........................................19 The French Farm .......................................2 The Metal Ware Corp................................7 Wisdom Natural Brands.............................9

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lorrie Baumann editor@oser.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Anthony Socci anthony_s@oser.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jeanie Catron ART DIRECTOR Yasmine Brown CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER Susan Stein customerservice@oser.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Tara Neal CIRCULATION MANAGER Jamie Green jamie_g@oser.com ADVERTISING SALES Joe Bellon • Keli Carpenter Alisha Dicochea • Deborah Yarbrough EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Heather Albrecht heather_a@oser.com Kitchenware News & Housewares Review is a publication of Oser Communications Group Inc. 1877 N. Kolb Road • Tucson, AZ 85715 520.721.1300 www.kitchenwarenews.com • www.oser.com

OSER COMMUNICATIONS GROUP FOUNDER Lee M. Oser Periodicals postage paid at Tucson, AZ and additional mailing office. Kitchenware News & Housewares Review (USPS012625) is published 7 times per year (Jan., March, May, July, Sept., Nov. and Dec.) by Oser Communications Group, 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ, 85715 520.721.1300.

Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material or prices quoted in newspaper. Contributors are responsible for proper release of proprietary classified information. ©2019 by Oser Communications Group. All rights reserved Reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is expressly prohibited. Back issues, when available, cost $8 each within the past 12 months. Back issue orders must be paid in advance by check. Kitchenware News & Housewares Review is distributed without charge in North America to qualified professionals in the retail and distribution channels of the upscale kitchenware and tabletop trade. For subscriber services, including subscription information, call 520.721.1300. Printed in the USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kitchenware News & Housewares Review, 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715.

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FEATURED PRODUCTS Gourmet Sauces for the Home Cook

NESCO VS-09 Deluxe Vacuum Sealer

Paesana has introduced an array of Cooking Sauces for consumers who love feeding their families a wholesome meal prepared in their own kitchens but may not have the time to cook a homemade meal from scratch. Paesana Gourmet Cooking Sauces transform home cooks into chefs, providing the ingredients necessary to create quick and easy meals that are also delicious and nutritious.

Each jar bursts with the aromas of restaurant-quality meals, such as the immensely popular Francese style. This classic of Italian menus combines zesty lemon with silky butter for a savory sauce that imbues chicken, veal and fish with bright and dynamic flavors.

There’s a reason all Italian eateries list Francese-style dishes on their menus and it’s the same reason this Paesana’s Francese belongs on supermarket shelves—it’s a real crowd pleaser.

The Francese sauce is part of a line that also includes Piccata and Marsala.

Paesana Piccata Sauce adds the bold and slightly briny undertones of capers, while the Marsala Sauce brings the depth of earthy mushrooms and fresh parsley.

The new NESCO VS-09 Deluxe Vacuum Sealer offers all the versatility and performance you could ever need from a vacuum sealer. Fully automatic, one-touch operation, and automatic shut-off makes this vacuum sealer easy to use. This sealer features a 110 watt vacuum pump that ensures maximum air extraction for sealing dry and moist food items. The pulse vacuum function lets the user control the suction for delicate items like pastries, buns or cut produce. The seal only function prevents over-vacuuming and crushing of delicate foods.

The easy-lock handle makes one-handed operation smooth and easy. This sealer can accommodate up to an 11.8-inch wide bag, providing the versatility needed for a wide range of sealing jobs. Use the accessory port and hose to attach canisters to marinate meats quickly or protect crushable items like cereal. Twenty sample bags are included to get users started. The NESCO VS-09 Deluxe Vacuum Sealer is compatible with most brands of vacuum sealer bags and rolls.

The Metal Ware Corporation 800.288.4545 sales@mwcorp.com www.nesco.com

Kikuichi’s 8-Inch Gyuto Chef’s Knife Paesana Products 631.845.1717 sales@paesana.com www.paesana.com

4.5-Qt. Aluminum Chicken Fryer with Pyrex Glass Lid Cook Pro, Inc. brings this professional 4.5-Quart Aluminum Chicken Fryer with Pyrex Glass Lid to you from Italy. It is constructed in three layers of high-quality ILAG™ nonstick coating with a gauge of 2.5mm. It features a Pyrex glass lid for durability and quality. Its paint exterior has high heat resistance, and the pan features an ergonomically designed Bakelite handle with a flame guard and a side assist handle to prevent any discomfort while it’s being used.

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

Bone Suckin’ Sauce Thicker Style Bone Suckin Sauce® Thicker Style has the flavor of Bone Suckin’ Sauce, but it’s a thicker version of the original in a 16-ounce jar. Gluten-free Bone Suckin’ Sauces are the only barbecue sauces rated numberone by Newsweek, Food & Wine and many others.

Bone Suckin’ Sauces are best sellers in health food, specialty and grocery stores. They’re gluten free, non-GMO and kosher and contain no high fructose corn syrup.

Ford’s Gourmet Foods 800.446.0947 sales@bonesuckin.com www.bonesuckin.com 6

Kikuichi’s GW Series is a perfect example of the Japanese design philosophy, shibui, a balance of simplicity and complexity. While the GW series is not adorned with decorative elements such as hand-hammered tsuchime or a Damascus finish, a simple elegance creates a powerful appearance.

This knife’s double-beveled blade is made from three layers of SUS440 stainless steel and edged with a Ginsan (silver-3) core. It’s thin, strong and precise and is hand-engraved with the Kikuichi chrysanthemum logo. An octagonal walnut handle provides a comfortable grip and features a water buffalo horn ferrule.

Kikuichi Cutlery 201.567.8388 info@kikuichi.net www.kikuichi.net

SweetLeaf Monk Fruit Organic Sweetener Award-winning SweetLeaf® Organic Monk Fruit is available in granular bags and packets, 50ml squeezable organic liquids, and 2-ounce organic monk fruit liquid drops, making it easy to use as an alternative for sugar in baking, cooking, favorite drinks, recipes and more. Delicious, very today flavors include: Caramel Macchiato, Orange Passionfruit, Almond Amaretto, French Vanilla, Old Fashion Lemonade, Strawberry Guava, English Toffee, Creme Brulee and Chocolate Peanut Butter.

Monk fruit, which is naturally 300-400 times sweeter than cane sugar, is an outstanding source of antioxidants to boost the immune system. With a nonglycemic response, zero calories/carbohydrates and zero sugars, the line of 19 products is a perfect sugar alternative.

SweetLeaf Organic Monk Fruit’s full product line is poised to provide millions of people with a healthful solution for replacing sugar in their diets. SweetLeaf is thrilled to be able to offer these great-tasting, new sugar-alternatives to consumers.

Wisdom Natural Brands shop.sweetleaf.com

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FEATURED PRODUCTS Tuckahoe Hardwoods Live Edge Collection

Spyderco Kitchen Classics

The Live Edge Collection from Tuckahoe Hardwoods is a curated collection of charcuterie boards, cutting boards, serving boards, rustic bowls, coasters and utensils all made from teak and East Indian walnut. Each piece is a unique work of art with intricate grain and a rustic feel. With list pricing starting at just $29 for both bowls and boards, there is a hand-crafted board for every budget and gift-giving occasion. Pictures truly do not do justice to these elegant and sturdy pieces.

These items are great additions for gourmet shops, kitchenware retailers, restaurant distributors, cheese and wine shops and everything in between. After receiving more than 300 five-star reviews on Etsy in just three months on the platform, Tuckahoe has increased production capacity to now offer the complete line at wholesale pricing to the retail marketplace. Tuckahoe Hardwoods also has customization and personalization capabilities to engrave logos on drink paddles.

Tuckahoe Hardwoods 410.822.7051 gdent@tuckahoehardwoods.com www.tuckahoehardwoods.com

Spyderco www.spyderco.com/culinary

Linenless Action Stations Southern Aluminum designed the GL Table specifically for creative action stations and buffets that inspire employees and patrons alike. Available in an array of color combinations, the GL’s aluminum top is cloaked in a scratch-resistant laminate to perfectly coordinate your linenless service setups to match your décor. The GL Table is extremely sturdy and allows for easy mobility with multiple leg options and casters that make it useful in many unique ways. Whether you are looking to serve food or beverages, the accessories available for the GL Table, such as enclosure panels, speed rails and shelves, allow you to activate event spaces to fit your operational needs. This innovative product will enable you to enhance all of your buffets, banquets and events while providing a multi-use piece of equipment for staff.

Southern Aluminum 800.221.0408 sales@southernaluminum.com www.southernaluminum.com

Las Vegas Market is the leading home furnishings and gift market in the western U.S., presenting more than 4,300 furniture, home décor and gift resources in an unrivaled market destination. Las Vegas Market features thousands of furniture, home décor and gift lines, allowing for cross-category commerce among these industries. The Winter 2021 Las Vegas Market runs January 24-28, 2021, at World Market Center Las Vegas.

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Paesana’s Uniquely Premium Champagne Sauce As the consumer palate has expanded to include more refined tastes, the Paesana family of sauces welcomes Champagne Pasta Sauce, a rich, premium addition into the storied tradition of Italian cuisine.

Featuring a singular medley of gourmet ingredients, Champagne Sauce boasts the creamy decadence of vodka sauce, but with the elegant twist of Champagne. Paesana uses 100 percent imported Italian tomatoes blended with real heavy cream, champagne and white truffle-infused extra virgin olive oil for a combination boasting a depth of flavor that’s unique to the pasta sauce aisle.

Paesana proudly dedicates itself to only using the freshest ingredients, hand-selected to honor the celebrated traditions of comforting Italian food. It’s a standard that generations of customers and home cooks have come to expect from all of its products, a variety that includes sauces such as Marinara, Fra Diavolo, Sicilian Gravy and now, Champagne.

Paesana Products 631.845.1717 sales@paesana.com www.paesana.com

Las Vegas Market Center

Las Vegas Market 702.599.9621 www.lasvegasmarket.com

The Spyderco knife company of Golden, Colorado, has a long, proud history of producing world-class kitchen cutlery. First introduced in the early 1980s, the company’s core line of cooking knives featured a broad range of patterns, including the first commercial santoku (a versatile Japanese cleaver-like knife) ever offered to the U.S. market.

Four decades later, Spyderco’s Kitchen Classics line is still going strong. From the scalpel-like precision of its Mini Paring Knife through the impressive cutting capability of its long-bladed Bread Knife, the Kitchen Classics series includes everything a well-prepared cook needs in the kitchen. All the knives in the family feature blades crafted from MBS-26 steel, a high-carbon stainless steel that is ground exceptionally thin and meticulously heat treated for optimal cutting performance. Most are available with either a conventional PlainEdge™ or fully serrated SpyderEdge™ with a unique serration pattern that reduces dulling when used on a cutting board.

Their handles are made from durable polypropylene and feature a distinctive stepped texture that offers both comfort and control during use. Injection molded directly onto the blade tangs for strength, they are also available in several different color choices.

Bone Suckin’ Garlic & Honey Wing Sauce Bone Suckin’ Garlic & Honey Wing Sauce offers the aroma of garlic and the sweet taste of honey to chicken wings, for a flavor that will quickly become a family favorite of your customers. It’s gluten free, non-GMO and kosher and contains no high fructose corn syrup Ford’s Gourmet Foods 800.446.0947 sales@bonesuckin.com www.bonesuckin.com

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FEATURED PRODUCTS Bredemeijer Cast Iron Teapot Bredemeijer, based in Utrecht Netherlands, is known globally for a wide range of highquality teapots. For more than 100 years, Bredemeijer has represented products that are well made and meet exacting standards of excellence.

As the loose-leaf tea market continues to expand, Bredemeijer continues to expand its lines with many different styles and colors of teapots. Recently cast iron teapots have become extremely popular, and Bredemeijer offers a wide variety at competitive prices.

This year, the company has created original designs in cast iron that are both elegant and functional. The Chengdu Cast Iron Teapot is available in both black and blue. It is available through Bredemeijer’s U.S. distributor, Gourmet Kitchenworks. Contact them for more information.

Gourmet Kitchenworks LLC 417.736.9619 info@gourmetkitchenworks.com www.gourmetkitchenworks.com

Wine Lover’s Stainless Steel Deluxe Set from Franmara Franmara’s Wine Lover’s Stainless Steel Deluxe Set is a handy kit of tools surrounding a rechargeable wine opener corkscrew. The set includes a hand-operated vacuum pump and two silicone stoppers, a dripless aeratorpourer and a two-blade foil cutter.

All components are mounted on a 5-inch base that contains the charger for the wine opener corkscrew. The corkscrew itself is powered by a strong rechargeable battery that’s one of the most widely used, reliable and lowmaintenance batteries available. The corkscrew can open up to 50 bottles on a fully charged battery.

The various components of the set are made mainly from stainless steel combined with ABS thermoplastic polymer and acrylic elements. The corkscrew is 8 inches high. The pump is 4.75 inches high, while the pourer is 5.25 inches high.

The foil cutter measures 2.25 inches. The set retails for $76.

Franmara Inc. 800.423.5855 831.422.4000 www.franmara.com

CookCraft by Candace Casserole Pan The tri-ply CookCraft 12” Dual Handle Casserole Pan from the Candace Cameron Bure line combines beauty and sophistication with the durability of tri-ply stainless steel and a patented glass latch lid. The 12-inch casserole has a 3-quart capacity and is designed to go from stove-top to table. Silicone handles avoid unnecessary burns, and like all CookCraft products, it’s backed by a 10-year warranty.

Bone Suckin’ Seasoning & Rub Your customers will wonder how they ever lived without Bone Suckin’® Seasoning & Rub. It is a proprietary blend of brown sugar, paprika, garlic and spices that is perfect for marinating and barbecue – even popcorn and salads.

It’s also great on ribs, pork, beef, chicken, seafood, venison, beans, pasta, vegetables, steaks – just about anything.

Bone Suckin’ Seasoning & Rub is certified by the NonGMO Project, gluten free, fat free, kosher, pareve and contains no MSG. Ford’s Gourmet Foods 800.446.0947 sales@bonesuckin.com www.bonesuckin.com

CookCraft 847.551.5629 shannon@GOspmarketing.com www.cookcraftco.com

Teflon Platinum Plus Nonstick Gingerbread Toffee from Mel’s Toffee Gingerbread Toffee has been Mel’s Toffee’s biggest seller during the holidays and beyond. To make this toffee, Mel’s Toffee hand blends Saigon cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and cloves with Dutch cocoa powder.

Together, these spices make for an intoxicatingly delicious treat.

While the toffee is boiling, the spice mixture is added to the “molten lava.” Then, while the toffee is setting, ginger snaps crushed to a dust are sprinkled on top and then a drizzle of silky dark chocolate is drizzled on top to finish this masterpiece.

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 Teflonbranded nonstick finish to date.

Mel’s Toffee 248.496.0186 www.melstoffee.com

Chemours Company 866.205.1664 www.chemours.com

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FEATURED PRODUCTS Simix Product Removes Viruses from Surfaces

Folding Utility Carts and I.O.Shen Knives from Master Grade

A new study done by Situ Biosciences Microbial Product Test Laboratory shows that Simix Cleaner/Degreaser/Sanitizer removes 99.94 percent of coronavirus and 99.74 percent of norovirus from non-porous surfaces.

Simix Cleaner/Degreaser/Sanitizer is non-toxic, inexpensive and easy to use in commercial kitchens. It can be used to clean floors, ovens, stainless steel, tables, walls, laundry, carpets and all restroom surfaces. It is a superior option when it comes to protecting the public and your employees from the spread of coronavirus. Simix leaves surfaces squeaky clean.

In the newly released study, glazed ceramic tiles were coated with Simix Ceramic Coatings, then contaminated with coronavirus FIPV-1146, P20 (VR 2126) and norovirus surrogate Feline calicivirus (F-9). Then the surfaces were sprayed with Simix Cleaner/Degreaser/Sanitizer, wiped once, then sprayed and wiped once more after a ten minute interval.

Simix Cleaner/Degreaser/Sanitizer is a powder that dissolves easily in water to create more than 136 gallons of cleaner and degreaser per $64 per bag. Simix is non-toxic and has no VOCS (volatile organic compounds). It is safe for people and pets. It is proven to be hypoallergenic and does not irritate the hands or lungs.

In all the tests on Simix-coated surfaces, Simix Cleaner/Degreaser/Sanitizer also removed more than 99 percent of the viruses. Simix Cleaner/Degreaser/Sanitizer was also used on a glazed tile that had not been coated with a Simix Ceramic Coating, and the surface proved to be more than 99 percent effective in removing coronavirus and norovirus.

Master Grade is particularly proud of its Folding Utility Cart, which is marketed under the Folding Master brand and engineered in America. The company’s newest launch is the Heavy Duty Folding Utility Cart. With a wealth of features, it’s excellent for all carting and commercial kitchen professionals.

The carts are easy to open and to fold, are space saving up to 80 percent, and are heavy duty, strong and durable. They have a safety device in place to avoid finger injuries, and have an alligatoring (patterned cracking resembling an alligator’s scales) corrosion-resistant lacquer. The carts include two locking and two non-locking caster roller wheels, and have 5 inches of heavy duty hard rubber threaded stem casters with ball bearing construction, 3/8-inch stem width and 300 pound load rating per wheel.

Master Grade also is known for its I.O.Shen brand of professional cooking knives, with more than 30 styles and designs that use a harder steel in order to achieve the ultimate cutting edge. Master Grade perfected the use of two grades of steel to create a three-layer blade. The I.O.Shen Master Grade knives use a layer of extremely hard Japanese steel (Erdon 62⁰) which is sandwiched between two layers of a softer stainless steel (Erdon 10⁰) in order to produce the ultimate cutting edge. The softer layers add a protective, shock-absorbing element to the blade that then reduces resistance as the knife cuts through food. The Erdon 62⁰ steel is exposed at the very edge of the blade, which then ensures that the knife is the sharpest blade allowed to be manufactured.

Simix 262.705.2585 www.simixusa.com

The NESCO Digital Smart Canner creates a perfect balance between safety, performance and versatility. Designed to eliminate the common mistakes that cause harm or spoil food during the canning process, the Smart Canner gives users uncompromised safety and peace of mind. Ten built-in safety features control and regulate the pressure continuously and allow the home cook to can and cook without worry. The multi-functional digital display and pre-set programs provide the right tools to ensure consistent results when canning fruits, jams, pickles, salsas and more. Water bath and pressure functions take the guesswork out of the equation and simplify the ability to can the harvest. The removable 9.5-quart non-stick cooking vessel can hold and process four quart jars, five pints or 16 4-ounce jelly jars at a time. The NESCO Digital Smart Canner also prepares favorite slow-cooked recipes and makes healthy, delicious meals at the touch of a button, with additional features for pressure cooking, browning, steaming vegetables and cooking rice. Additional accessories include a canning rack, a steaming rack, a removable condensation catcher for easier clean up and two pressure-limiting valves for safe use at any altitude. Can the safe way with the NESCO Digital Smart Canner.

The Negg Egg Peeler The Negg®, which stands for “naked egg,” makes the tedious task of peeling eggs easy, fast and fun. Cracking the code on one of food prep’s biggest pain points made the Negg the number-one hardboiled egg peeler on the market. A little cold water and some shaking are all it takes for the hard-boiled egg’s shell to slide off like butter.

The Negg retails for $14.95 and is proudly made in the USA. Among the many fans of the Negg are health and fitness advocates who find an easy-to-peel egg a perfect way to get their protein. It’s also a hit with parents who involve their kids in preparing food and older Americans who suffer from arthritis.

Business partners for nearly 20 years, co-inventors Bonnie Tyler and Sheila Torgan have a unique brand of entrepreneurial spirit. They developed the Negg, a simple solution to a huge frustration for many home cooks. Like most new concepts, the inspiration came from a moment of frustration. Tyler agreed to bring a dozen deviled eggs to a party and was growing increasingly frustrated as she fought to remove the shells. After mentioning the issue to Torgan, the two simply wanted to prove the concept of peeling an egg in a hand-held device. Utilizing 3D printers at their local library, the two began testing prototypes with the intention of making two working models (one for each).

What was initially supposed to be a part-time hobby turned into a booming business and the pair’s full-time focus.

Airigan Solutions LLC www.neggmaker.com 12

Master Grade www.mastergrade.net

Safe and Versatile: the NESCO Digital Smart Canner

The Metal Ware Corporation www.nesco.com

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Upcycled

treasures from

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Koru Street

Amy Stretmater had one of those advertising jobs where the job is only as secure as the account you’re working on, and when she began to see that the account wasn’t going to be there anymore, she decided to take the opportunity to pick up and leave the country for six months. “I thought, ‘Where could I go that I can’t go on an American two-week vacation?’” she said.

Since she’d already done quite a bit of traveling in Europe, she decided to go in another direction. “Leaving in September, I thought it would be better to go to the Southern Hemisphere, if for no other reason than that I didn’t have as much clothing with me,” she said.

She settled on New Zealand as a starting place, and then traveled into Asia. She was in Cambodia, about two-thirds of the way through her trip, when she noticed as she and her friend were taking a tuk tuk during a visit to Angkor Wat that she was seeing everywhere around her the workmanship of people who believed in re-purposing and reusing objects rather than simply throwing them away when they’d fulfilled the purpose for which they were originally created. It struck her that that’s quite different from the American culture in which she’d grown up. “We trade in our phone if it’s a year old,” she said.

That observation was still at the back of her mind when she left Cambodia to visit a friend who was living in Delhi, India, as a consular officer employed at the U.S. embassy. There, she visited a native market and learned about Conserve India, an organization that employs and trains hundreds of people from Delhi’s most disadvantaged communities to turn discarded plastic bags into upcycled products. The organization “works with artisans in the slums who are rag-pickers. One skill they have is where to find the good garbage,” Stretmater said.

Stretmater bought gifts for friends as well as a few things for herself from Conserve’s booth in the market, including a wallet that was in her hand when she paid for a meal after dinner with a friend once she was back in the United States and wondering what she was going to do with the rest of her life. “I thought, ‘I’ve got to find something to do with what I have learned,’” she said. “You don’t come home from six months away and go back 16

to regular life – you have to change one little thing.”

Her friend noticed the wallet and commented on it, and it was at that moment that Stretmater knew what she wanted to do next, which was to help Conserve by importing some of its goods and selling them in a few local markets as a side project.

“I think it would be good to talk about in job interviews,” she said.

Then store owners who saw the Conserve products in Stretmater’s market booths started asking if she sold wholesale.

“Eventually, it became a full-time business,” she said. “I never got around to looking for that full-time job.”

Today, Stretmater is the owner of Koru Street, and she’s still traveling the world looking in local markets for artisans who create unusual gift items from recycled materials, especially materials that would normally go into the garbage. “I’m always trying to do things that are a little bit different, something more modern, something that I haven’t already seen here,” she said. “They do the design. The only thing I design is if I have to tweak something to make it work for the American market.... I want to use their skill set at designing everything.”

Among Koru Street’s most notable products is the klikety klik box, a gift box handmade in South Africa from discarded plastic bottles. It can be used closed as a gift box, or when it’s open, it can be used as a vase or an LED candle holder. Designs include birds, butterflies, flowers, seaside, kitchen and graphics.

Three sizes are available, and retail prices range from $9 to $15.

Stretmater is also still working with Conserve, and from them, she’s importing bags in sizes ranging from small purses through messenger bags as well as wallets like the one that sparked the idea to start her business after her friend commented on it. They’re made from a variety of materials, including plastic bags, inner tubes, seat belts and tent canvas – all from India. Retail prices for the items range from $4.50 to $65, with the majority in the range between $4.50 and $15.

For more information, call Amy Stretmater at 719.695.0065 or email amy@korustreet.com. KN

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Celebrates Votes for Women Collection

a century of struggle

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Rosanna celebrated this year’s centennial anniversary of women’s right to vote in the U.S. with the creation of its Votes for Women collection, the fourth in a series of collections acknowledging women’s progress. Owner Rosanna Bowles created the collection to remind women that it’s only in the last 100 years that American women have been regarded as equal citizens in this country. “People don’t understand how far women have come,” she said. “Millennials and Generation Z may not know that in 1970, a woman couldn’t get a credit card without her husband’s signature.”

American women gained the right to vote in national elections through the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was ratified on August 18, 1920 after almost a century of political activism around the issue. The movement for women’s rights launched on a national level with the Seneca Falls Convention organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott in 1848 and continues today.

Following the 1848 convention, Stanton and Mott, along with Susan B. Anthony and other activists, raised public awareness and lobbied the government to grant voting rights to women. By 1878, the collective suffrage movement had gathered enough influence to lobby the U.S. Congress for a constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote, but when the proposal finally reached the Senate floor in 1886, it was defeated. Suffragists turned to lobbying individual states, and by 1918, 20 states, mostly in the western U.S., and the Alaska territory had enfranchised women.

The election of Woodrow Wilson and the United States’ entry into World War I brought the issue back to Washington, D.C. and on May 21, 1919, the U. S. House of Representatives approved the Susan Anthony Amendment granting women the right to vote in a 304-89 vote, 42 votes above the required twothirds majority. On June 4, 1919, the U.S. Senate passed the 19th Amendment by two votes over its two-thirds required majority, 56-25, and the amendment was sent to the states for ratification. The Amendment reads, in its entirety, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate 18

legislation.”

By March of the following year, a total of 35 states had approved the amendment. Tennessee became the state that supplied the three-fourths majority required to ratify the amendment on a 49-48 vote, with the deciding vote cast by Harry T. Burn, a Republican Representative from McMinn County. On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was certified by U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby.

Mississippi became the last state to ratify the 19th Amendment in 1984.

Through her Votes for Women collection memorializing the ratification of the 19th Amendment, Bowles intended to honor and raise awareness around that history rather than to make a political statement. “I’m a mother of two daughters,” she said. “I wanted to do a product that would make women feel empowered.

The mugs make a statement to celebrate how much women have accomplished.... We’re retelling history, and, hopefully, it will help young women understand how far we’ve come.”

While some of the mugs feature simple slogans commemorating the anniversary, others feature graphic imagery authentic to the era of the women’s suffrage fight, gathered from authentic ephemera of the period in Bowles’ collection. “Women bring all Voters into the World. Let women vote” was a sign that women put in their homes, for instance. The “Votes for Women” mug is adorned in the colors of the sash worn by suffragists when they marched in parades.

Rosanna’s Votes for Women collection joins previous collections in the series: Phenomenal Women; You Go Girl; and Ladies Choice. Items in the collections, which are all currently offered, are available as mugs, totes, travel mugs and trays. All of them appeal to women who shop with their values as well as their dollars. “People don’t want to buy stuff – they want to buy something that means something,” Bowles said.

“When one of these mugs sits on your desk, it makes a statement about who you are. These collections tell stories about the women who make them and the women who buy and use them.”

For more information about the Votes for Women collection as well as other items in the Rosanna tableware and home décor collections, visit www.rosannainc.com. KN

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SPECIAL LISTINGS 4.5-Quart Aluminum Chicken Fryer with Pyrex Glass Lid Professional 4.5-quart aluminum chicken fryer coming to you from Italy. It is constructed in three layers of high-quality, trademarked ILAG non-stick coating with a gauge of 2.5mm. Features a PYREX glass lid for the durability and quality. High heat resistant paint exterior, ergonomically designed Bakelite handle with a flame guard, and a side-assist handle to prevent any discomfort while using.

MSRP: $59.99 Cook Pro Inc. 951.686.8282 www.cook-pro.com

Monk Fruit Organic Sweetener All-new SweetLeaf® Monk Fruit Organic Sweetener is considered 300 times sweeter than sugar, yet monk fruit extract is zero calories, zero sugar, and even has a zero-glycemic-response index, so it will not increase blood sugar levels.

MSRP: $5.49 Wisdom Natural Brands 800.899.9908 www.sweetleaf.com

Las Vegas Market Las Vegas Market is the leading home furnishings and gift market in the western U.S., presenting more than 4,300 furniture, home décor and gift resources in an unrivaled market destination. Las Vegas Market features thousands of furniture, home décor and gift lines, allowing for cross-category commerce among these industries. The Winter 2021 Las Vegas Market runs January 24-28 at World Market Center Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Market 702.599.9621 www.lasvegasmarket.com

I.O.Shen Knives Master Grade’s I.O.Shen brand of professional cooking knives includes more than 30 styles and designs that use a harder steel in order to achieve the ultimate cutting edge. Master Grade perfected the use of two grades of steel to create a three-layer blade.

The I.O.Shen Master Grade knives use a layer of extremely hard Japanese steel (Erdon 62⁰) which is sandwiched between two layers of a softer stainless steel (Erdon 10⁰) in order to produce the ultimate cutting edge.

Master Grade www.mastergrade.net

Negg Deviled Egg Seasonings Deviled Egg Seasoning Mixes from the maker of the Negg® Egg Peeler allow the user to combine egg yolks and mayonnaise with the seasoning mixes to make perfectly flavored deviled eggs. The mix can also be used to enhance egg and chicken salad and as rubs on meats or fish.

Each packet makes 24 deviled eggs. Four flavors: Classic, Curry, Cajun and Smoky Ham. MSRP: $2.50 The NEGG Egg Products/Airigan Solutions 203.594.7781 orders@peelanegg.com www.peelanegg.com

Santoku

Swirl Table Southern Aluminum Swirl Tables transform a room into a sophisticated event or banquet space. The swirl pattern creates graceful depths of color that disguise the table’s stability and functionality. Designed to support up to 3,000 pounds, these vibrant beauties are available in an array of sizes and shapes to perfectly complete your event space.

Southern Aluminum 800.221.0408 sales@southernaluminum.com www.southernaluminum.com

Warikomi Gold Tsuchime 21cm Gyuto

Spyderco’s Santoku offers the best features of both a traditional chef’s knife and a cleaver, and was the first of its kind to be sold in the American market. Its MBS26 stainless steel blade is paired with a durable injection-molded polypropylene handle with a non-slip stepped texture.

MSRP: $80

Kikuichi’s Warikomi Gold Tsuchime 21cm Gyuto comes from its WGAD series that features a mix of a western handle and a Japanese blade. With its fine grain structure and great durability, VG10 is one of the best modern stainless blade steels. The hand-hammered tsuchime finish helps release food from the blade and makes each knife unique. Hand engraved with the Kikuichi chrysanthemum logo.

MSRP: $320

Spyderco 800.525.7770 culinarysales@spyderco.com www.spyderco.com

Kikuichi Cutlery 201.567.8388 info@kikuichi.net www.kikuichi.net

Bone Suckin’ Sauce Bone Suckin’ Sauce® is the serious barbecue, grilling and marinating sauce for land and sea. Award-winning, non-GMO, gluten free, kosher, dairy free, no high fructose corn syrup. A best seller in specialty, health food and grocery stores.

MSRP $6.79 Bone Suckin’ Sauce 919.833.7647 sales@bonesuckin.com www.bonesuckin.com

Bredemeijer Cast Iron Teapots Bredemeijer (Netherlands) has been making teapots for more than 100 years. From its roots of working with silver and copper, Bredemeijer has embraced both Old World craftsmanship and new technology to create modern and traditional teapots. With such a wide range, Bredemeijer has teapots that will meet any need, from double-walled stainless-steel teapots to ceramic to cast iron.

MSRP $39.95-$44.95 Gourmet Kitchenworks 417.736.9619 www.gourmetkitchenworks.com

Paesana Champagne Sauce Paesana Champagne Sauce boasts the creamy decadence of vodka sauce, but with the elegant twist of champagne. With 100 percent imported Italian tomatoes blended with real heavy cream, champagne and white truffle-infused extra virgin olive oil, the combination boasts a depth of flavor unique to the pasta sauce aisle.

L&S Packing Company / Paesana Gourmet Specialties sales@paesana.com www.paesana.com

Speed-Pull Decorker Franmara’s Speed-Pull™ Decorker has a compact, innovative design that opens bottles in seconds. Place machine over bottle. Squeeze side handle and turn the bottle to activate foil cutter. Pearl chrome finish.

8-1/8 inches tall, 4-3/4 inches wide, with hangar tag.

MSRP $24 Franmara Inc. 800.423.5855 831.422.4000 www.franmara.com

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