There is something deeply personal going on at McCormick Place this week, amid the crowd of 60,000 people nipping at each other’s heels down 13 miles of aisles. Amid the screams and wails of vacuum cleaners, blenders, burr grinders and Emeril Lagasse.
Today is opening day of the International Home & Housewares Show, the industry’s (trade-only) main event, where thousands of new products are unveiled and where buyers and sellers convene in a circuslike setting to determine what new housewares will be coming to store shelves in the near future.
But on a more subtle level, it also is the industry’s main stab at reading the tenor of the American household — and getting into the crevices of our homes and lives to figure out what products might turn us on.
It involves manufacturers gleaning really personal information about us and from us, including such tidbits as: Some people really hate to iron — but they can get excited about steaming the wrinkles out of their clothes.
Or: The toilet bowl tends to greak folks out.
In an interesting example of how micro-personal manufacturers want to get with us in order to make us happy, OXO is introducing a new-and-improved toilet brush and plunger at this year’s show — a direct result of that aforementioned bowl-phobia.
The problem was with the canister units into which the OXO brush and plunger nest. Previously, the canister would open when the brush or plunger was removed — but it didn’t necessarily stay open. People had to touch the canister to reinsert the brush or plunger after using it. And for many folks, that was too-close-to-toilet-water for comfort (as excess water could be lurking in the canister’s drip tray). The redesigned canister now features a stay-open, hands-free design.
“Design does seem to play a large part in driving [housewares] purchases,” says Perry Reynolds, vice president of marketing and trade development for the International Housewares Association.
People respond to the look of a product or they are attracted by the better way it performs, says Reynolds, noting that the $62.2 billion U.S. housewares industry continues to hold its own — and then some — in spite of the economy.
Have a look at some of the gadgets, gizmos and appliances from this year’s show.
Most items won’t be in stores for a few weeks, if not months. We included buying information when it was available.
Change-a-Bowl Slicer/Shredder
Hamilton Beach took a look at the chaos surrounding prep work for family meals and designed a slicer/shredder that minimizes cleanup. Consumers can slice or shred into the unit’s permanent bowl — or directly into a (6-cup) GladWare Big Bowl that can be nestled inside the permanent bowl. With the GladWare bowls, it’s easy to move from ingredient to ingredient and bowl to bowl to get ready in advance for prep-intensive meals. About $40 to $50; available in September. Visit www.hamiltonbeach.com for stores or call 800-851-8900.
BOOM CHAIR
Targeting kids who really want to feel connected to their video games and music, Elk Grove Village-based LumiSource came up with this multimedia sound chair. Hook your PlayStation, Xbox, GameCube or iPod into the chair and you get both sound and vibrations rumbling through your body. Cost: $175. A BOOM CUBE ottoman is $80. Available in June. Call 888-461-5864 for stores or to place an order; or visit www.lumisource.com.
Tea-zer
Finally, a to-go cup and brewing system for tea drinkers. Liquid Solution introduces this 10-ounce travel cup with a removable stainless-steel brewing basket that accommodates loose leaves. The sip lid has perforated holes to prevent drinkers from getting a mouth-full of them, though. About $13. Visit www.pacific-cornetta.com for stores or call 800-753-5647.
Attrezzi toaster
“Everything is meant to sound and feel and look high-end,” says Kristi Lafrenz, director of marketing and channel for diversified businesses with Maytag Corp. And yes, she’s talking about this toaster — the newest addition to Jenn-Air’s Attrezzi collection of artful countertop appliances. Besides the artsy look, which includes the company’s new oiled bronze finish and an optional etched glass base, the two-slot toaster features precision control toasting with its heating element riding along on the carriage itself. When done, you hear a chime, the heating element turns off and your toast stays coddled in the toasting chamber until you spring the lever. Price for the model shown is a very elegant $225. Visit www.jennairattrezzi.com for stores or call 866-479-5656.
Evia microfiber tablecloth
Addressing the not-so-small matter of kids, red wine and clumsy Aunt Betty, Excello Products of Chicago came up with a tablecloth that makes spills bead up. The microfiber material has a silky linen feel. But giving it its magic is a stain-repellent finish. The tablecloth can be machine-washed and -dried; no ironing is needed. It comes in a number of colors and sizes. We were told the product was tested after 25 launderings and still worked. Cost: $20 to $25 at www.petulia.biz and at certain mass-merchandising stores.
Freshlife Automatic Sprouter
This countertop sprouter from Tribest is manna for folks who are health-conscious, green-conscious. The unit delivers between a half and full pound of edible sprouts or wheat grass in five to seven days — without soil or having to remember to sprinkle. All you do is fill the basin with water, add seeds and plug it in. A built-in sprinkling system kicks in when things get dry. Freshlife has been sold only over the Internet and in small health food stores for several years. Tribest is hoping to entice mainstream retailers to carry the product. About $100. For now, visit www.tribest.com.
Kiwi-colored cast iron
Bright colors — including this acid green color — are popping up all over the show . Le Creuset calls it kiwi and is showing the happy hue on its entire line, including its signature high-end, enameled cast-iron cookware. For now, it’s a one-year-only promotional color. But the folks at Le Creuset say that may change. Available now at Williams-Sonoma stores and online at www.williamssonoma.com, where they prefer to call the color “lemongrass.” Prices run about $90 to $340.
Fireplace Draft Stopper
Battic Door, a Massachusetts-based company run by a couple of engineers, figured out a clever fix for all the heat that gets lost through the fireplace. The draft stopper is simply an inflatable PVC pillow that you blow up (by mouth) and insert into the fireplace cavity just below the damper level to seal off the air flow. Not an eyesore when in place, the stopper is hidden inside the fireplace. But there is an orange fluorescent sleeve with a warning label that hangs down a bit, to alert homeowners to deflate the pillow before lighting a fire. The stopper comes in two sizes; is reusable; and works in either gas or wood-burning fireplaces. Cost: $45. Visit www.batticdoor.com.The company is exhibiting at the housewares show in hopes of getting retail distribution.
Melamine dinnerware
For more than 15 years, the Canadian company Precidio Inc. has been making melamine dinnerware — the casual, outdoor kind of stuff. But now, it’s targeting a more design-conscious consumer with the introduction of its Precidio Objects collection of very chic (and largely unbreakable) melamine. The collection includes three different lines, including the Happy Home line (with a strong fish theme) created by New York designer Jonathan Adler and the Sunami collection featuring lots of curves and organic forms. Precidio Objects is sold by the piece and most items are less than $10. Available in April at Sprout Home, 745 N. Damen Ave., 312-226-5950.
Blender Express
Last year, personal coffeemakers were all the rage. This year, it’s the personal blender — a little machine that makes a single serving (or two small ones) of smoothies and other beverages. We like this two-speed unit from Back to Basics because it anticipates that smoothie drinkers also may be on-the-go folks. The 24-ounce container detaches to become a travel mug. About $20. Available now; call 800-688-1989 for stores.
Six-pack “byobag”
Designed to keep beverages cold and make them easier to haul to a party, beach, etc., this chic tote from Built NY is made of lightweight, stretchy neoprene (the stuff of wet suits). It holds six 12-ounce bottles or cans and folds flat when not in use. About $20 (in April) at CB2, 800 W. North Ave., 312-787-8329; and 3757 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-755-3900.
Brawny Mouse Palm Sponge
Meant to fit just-so in your hands, this sponge from Evercare has a built-in soap reservoir as well as a patented technology that inhibits growth of bacteria on the sponge. The sponge head is replaceable; a two-pack refill is included. About $4 at certain mass-merchandising stores.
Good Grips watering can
In an effort to make the watering can more compact and stowable, OXO came up with this design for a rotating spout, which also makes the can easier to fill in a small sink. To make it easier to know how full the can is, the water levels in the clear spout line up with quart and liter markings on the body. About $15. Visit www.oxo.com for stores.
Commercial garment steamer
Rowenta was surprised a couple of years ago when it launched a commercial-grade steamer and got a lot of average consumers (who hate to iron) buying it. Not meant to give you a crisp seam or a perfectly pressed cotton shirt, the steamer will, though, take wrinkles out of silk shirts, a sport coat, etc. This new and improved model (No. IS-8100) has a 5-foot-long flexible hose and holds 128 ounces of water in its tank, which translates into 2 1/2 hours of continuous steam. Cost: $190. Visit www.rowentausa.com for stores or call 781-396-0600.
