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Le Creuset Turns 90
Le Creuset, the pioneering manufacturer of enameled cast iron cookware, is launching a worldwide celebration of its 90th anniversary. During its nine-decade history, the brand has manufactured over 300 million products for more than 70 countries. To commemorate this milestone, Le Creuset will be releasing a limited-edition replica of its original product, launching an online ‘time capsule’ initiative and hosting celebrations worldwide throughout the month of September.
“For decades, Le Creuset has been at the center of so many family memories. In the kitchen and around the table, our cookware is prized and passed down to the next generation. Every piece – from our classic French ovens to our Moroccan tagines – becomes part of someone’s story, and that’s what we’re celebrating. Ninety years of stories,” said Faye Gooding, CEO, Le Creuset of America.
Nine decades ago, a French enameling specialist and a French casting expert came together to make superior cast iron cookware, coated in a porcelain enamel glaze. The two opened a foundry in Fresnoy-le-Grand, a small town in Northern France, and began producing colorful enameled cast iron—a revolution in a time when cookware was dull and gray. Their first color, in fact, was a bright ‘Flame’ orange inspired by the vibrant tones of molten cast iron. Since then, Le Creuset has grown into a global company offering a full collection of premium cookware, bakeware, kitchen tools, wine tools and kitchen accessories, but the brand’s commitment to handcrafted quality and vibrant color endures today.
As a tribute to this milestone the company will introduce a limited-edition 90th Anniversary Original Cocotte – a specially-designed replica of the very first French oven, or cocotte, Le Creuset produced. Only 1,925 of these cast iron pieces have been made in honor of the company’s founding. Le Creuset aficionados will notice that the original cocotte features many of the design details still found on current Le Creuset cookware – a testament to Le Creuset’s timeless style and craftsmanship.
“It’s no surprise that Le Creuset’s first Flame-colored cocotte came in 1925 – a time when France led the world in reinventing modern cuisine. Le Creuset has always been at the forefront of design and color,” said Paul Van Zuydam, Chairman of Le Creuset. “It’s why cooks around the world feel so passionate about our products. They trust our quality, but they also treasure us for the color and joy Le Creuset helps them create in their kitchens. I am excited to celebrate 90 years of our rich legacy—and even more excited about all the future holds.”
“From the beginning, our founders were committed to designing cookware that lasts for decades. Now, nine decades later, we are delighted to pay tribute to their colorful vision and craftsmanship—and to all the ways Le Creuset cookware has made an impact on people’s lives,” added Van Zuydam.
In addition, the brand will share its 90th anniversary with the world through an online ‘time capsule.’ This interactive anniversary website will invite Le Creuset fans to memorialize their personal experiences with Le Creuset cookware in photos, videos and text tributes. Set to launch with the 90th Anniversary Cocotte release, the website will provide an ever-changing portrait of what of Le Creuset means in the lives of cooks around the world. In addition to the website, Le Creuset divisions in different countries will commemorate the brand’s 90th anniversary with their own celebrations and initiatives all year. The microsite will launch on 9/1 at www.lecreuset90.com.
September Issue of Kitchenware News in Print
Click the image below to read the September issue of Kitchenware News.
JURA Reports Double Digit Increases as Consumers Embrace Bean-to-Cup Experience
JURA IMPRESSA A9
Benefiting from the growing sophistication of American coffee consumers, JURA Inc. reports double digit sales for year-to-date 2015 versus the prior year. Both of the company’s brands – JURA automatic coffee centers and the Capresso line that includes coffee makers, espresso machines, grinders and more – have year-to-date double digit increases, both in units and dollars.
“Our biggest growth is coming from JURA automatic coffee centers, which offer a true bean-to-cup experience that’s freshly ground, never capsuled. And the United States is the #1 market for our top-of-the-line GIGA models, sold in over 50 countries. Coffee trends are moving in our direction as consumers opt for a better cup of coffee, combined with surprising convenience and coffee specialty options,” said David Shull, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
JURA machines upgrade the single cup brewing concept with the superior quality that comes from grinding fresh beans right before brewing. With the ability to grind up to 16 grams of coffee per cup, JURA machines can produce fresher, stronger, hotter coffee than standard pod/capsule systems, while avoiding the environmental waste of excess packaging. JURA’s “One Touch” models meet the growing demand for creative coffee specialty drinks such as cappuccino and latte macchiato at the touch of a button, without moving the cup.
Capresso 5-Cup Mini Drip
The Capresso brand benefits from similar trends, with new product innovations leading the way toward sales growth.
“Technological advances give us coffee brewing options that never used to exist. The Capresso Triple Brew brews a single cup to the ideal temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit, in less than 60 seconds. Plus, it can quickly brew a full pot for entertaining, or it can rapid brew tea. Put this together with stylish, compact design and it’s a home run for a new generation of consumers,” said April Strogen, Director of Marketing.
Capresso On-the-Go is another single cup brewer contributing to the 2015 sales surge. It brews up to 16 ounces of coffee at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, directly into a stylish travel mug. No-fuss convenience meets no-compromise quality.
For more information, visit www.jura.com and www.capresso.com.
One Opener Does It All: Kuhn Rikon’s 5-in-1 Ultimate Auto Safety Opener
Kuhn Rikon’s Safety LidLifters® – can openers that lift lids straight off a can, with no sharp edges and no contamination of food – have raised the technological standards for an everyday kitchen essential. Now Kuhn Rikon presents the next generation of advanced can openers with the Ultimate 5-in-1 Auto Safety Opener, a multitasking tool designed to open cans, bottles, pop tops and pull tabs, with little effort.
This one opener does it all. It’s a fully functional Safety LidLifter, with added features that will save time, eliminate hassle, and protect hands when opening cans and bottles. It includes a classic church key to open bottles, screw top opener, ring pull to open pull-tabs, and a soda tab opener.
The Ultimate 5-in-1 Auto Safety Opener is unsurpassed for opening cans. It automatically attaches itself to cans to make the task easier, and it leaves no sharp edges. The process is totally hygienic, because the opener never touches the food inside the can. The design includes push button mini-pliers so that the lid can be removed, cleanly and easily, to discard in the recycle bin.
The Kuhn Rikon Ultimate Auto Safety Opener comes in red, black and white, and has a suggested retail price of $24. It will be available for shipment in Fall 2015.
For more information, visit www.kuhnrikon.com.
Read a review of the Kuhn Rikon Auto Safety LidLifter
Design Excellence Recognized With Accent On Design Awards
Magisso’s Cooling Ceramics Series won the award for Product Innovation
Four companies – See Concept by Ameico, KleinReid, Magisso and Sempli – received Accent on Design® Awards at the summer 2015 edition of NY NOW®, the Market for Home, Lifestyle + Gift, in recognition of product design excellence, innovation and creativity.
“Accent on Design is a curated showcase of the best in contemporary design and functionality and these awards recognize companies who are pushing the envelope in a wide range of categories,” said Jaime Sikorjak, Accent on Design Sales Manager. “These awards spotlight the best in an already competitive field and grant us a glimpse into the many exciting innovations we can expect in the near future.”
Winners are all exhibitors in Accent on Design, a juried collection of contemporary designers and their products. Accent on Design Award winners are determined by a select committee based on criteria such as ingenuity, creativity, innovation, function, originality and design. The summer 2015 Accent on Design Awards are:
Sempli Monti Taste Collection, Excellence in Product Design award winner
Breakthrough Product: See Concept by Ameico (New Milford, CT) for Screen Collection, polycarbonate framed glasses that use a revolutionary lens technology to protect eyes from harmful backlit screens.
Best New Collection: KleinReid (Long Island City, NY) for The Mihara Ceramic Collection, handmade vessels and lighting, made from porcelain with original glazing technique and elegant proportions.
Product Innovation: Magisso (Helsinki, Finland) for Cooling Ceramics Series, developed to keep beverages and food items chilled and fresh for hours without refrigeration, just by soaking the serving vessels for minutes in cool or cold water.
Excellence in Product Design: Sempli. (Los Angeles, CA) for The Monti Taste Collection, a four-piece glass set designed for Pilsner, IPA, pint and 12 ounce bottles. Made from lead-free, mouth blown crystal, each glass has a font bottom which enhances the carbonation of each beer type and style.
For nearly 30 years, Accent on Design has been an industry resource for design-led home and lifestyle merchandise. Presented as part of NY NOW’s HOME collection, Accent on Design’s 150+ contemporary designers are culled through a rigorous set of juried acceptance criteria including: originality, creativity and authentic product design; new and innovative use of materials; products which address and solve problems; continuous new product introductions; a focus on contemporary design; and functionality.
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