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Healthy Eating Focus Continues at This Year’s Housewares Show

Crisp Herb Mincer

Crisp Herb Mincer

Although the International Home + Housewares Show is still a month away, the trend of products focused on healthy eating has already emerged as one that will be seen throughout the market. The focus is not entirely new; rather, it is a continuing development that also includes eating fresh foods and sourcing ingredients locally.

“Overall there’s still a movement in healthy eating. A lot more focus on using organic flavors in your cooking, as well as fresh made spices for flavoring, using the local elements, that sort of thing is still going to be a trend,” says Carter McGuyer, an award winning housewares designer. “It’s really sourcing locally, sourcing fresh. That is still a huge trend I don’t see really going away for the next couple of years.”

The Carter McGuyer Design Group has most recently teamed up with Tailor Made Products to create Crisp™, a new line of 27 food preparation tools. Nearly two years in development, Crisp tools are designed with fruits and vegetables in mind and contoured handles and angled blades are engineered to save time while making the experience more enjoyable. Produce-focused gadgets include the Herb Mincer, which can both strip herbs from the stem and mince them with a rolling motion of the five stainless steel blades, and the Corn Stripper, a two-in-one corn tools with a brush for silk removal and a curved stainless steel blade to remove multiple rows of corn at a time.

Crisp Zester

Crisp Zester

“We focused on the fruit and vegetable end and really the healthy eating aspect of it. As you look at that trend, we just think it’s going to continue and grow,” says Mike Marchewka, National Sales Director for Tailor Made Products. “More people are into watching what they eat, trying to eat healthier, and giving them tools that will allow them to do that easier we think is just a terrific sweet spot for us.”

Tailor Made Products anticipates that the Complete Avocado Tool, a gadget that splits, pits, and slices avocados, and the 4-in-1 Zester for citrus will be among Crisp products making a splash at the show as the tools have already garnered attention from bloggers after the line was launched at the International Food Bloggers Convention in Seattle this past fall. The seven-year warranty on all Crisp tools might also give people something to talk about. Crisp tools have a suggested retail price of $5.99-$19.99.

Dreamfarm Savel

Dreamfarm Savel

Following along with the focus on healthy eating, Dreamfarm has created Savel, a food saver that bends to cover whatever shape of cut food is left and keep it fresh. Perfect for produce like apples, citrus, avocados, onions and tomatoes, Savel has a solid polypropylene food-safe base that bends in the middle with a silicone strap on top that stretches to secure food in place. Leftover fruits and vegetables are kept fresh longer by covering the portion of the surface that has been cut, with the surface bending to accommodate wedges, halves, or food with a wedge cut out. Savel has a suggested retail price of $7.95.

The Guac-Lock from Casabella also aims to keep foods fresh longer, this time with a focus on guacamole. Guac-Lock uses a push-up mechanism that squeezes out all of the air and lifts the guacamole to the top of the container in order to prevent browning or discoloration. The push-up feature creates a container that always looks full and it can be used for a variety of dips. A separate chip-dish serving accessory is also available to use with the Guac-Lock for entertaining. Guac-Lock has a suggested retail price of $19.99, chip-dish accessory and container for $29.99.

Guac-Lock from Casabella

Guac-Lock from Casabella

“This simple yet exceptionally innovative product is truly like nothing else on the market,” said Bruce Kaminstein, CEO of Casabella. “The initial response from our customers has been overwhelming, and we feel strongly that this will be a top seller in 2015.”

Silpat will showcase the new Perfect Line that includes specialty mats for cookies, pretzels, and sushi. The Silpat Perfect Sushi mat is designed to replace bamboo rolling mats for rolling sushi and is a great way to make healthy meals at home with ease. It has silicone on two sides for non-stick results and measures 9.5 by 9.5 inches. Silpat Perfect Sushi has a suggested retail price of $19.99.

Curious Chef Six-Piece Fruit and Veggie Prep Kit

Curious Chef Six-Piece Fruit and Veggie Prep Kit

Playing on the sourced locally trend, Reduce has come out with a 64-ounce Vacuum Growler for craft beer. Created for filling with local beer, this eco-friendly reusable container features Reduce’s Fire + Ice™ double wall vacuum-insulated design that protects the beverage at just the right temperature for full flavor enjoyment. Although designed for cold craft beverages, the Reduce Growler can also be used for hot drinks such as coffee and tea, keeping beverages hot or cold for 12 to 24 hours. The airtight lid features a silicone seal that traps carbonation to keep beer fresher longer. A loop handle makes it easy to carry, even when full. The stainless steel body protects beer from UV rays and does not retain flavors or odors. The Reduce Growler is available in a matte black or stainless finish, with a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Also from Tailor Made Products, Curious Chef will unveil new sets of cooking tools for children. Although the new introductions are still under wraps won’t be unveiled until the show, Marchewka said that it will be more theme sets, which do well for the line. Past sets have included a Six-Piece Fruit and Veggie Prep Kit, a Pizza Kit, and a Cupcake Kit.

This story was originally published in the February 2015 issue of Kitchenware News, a publication of Oser Communications Group.