By Lorrie Baumann

Among the cookware introductions that we’ll see this year at the International Home + Housewares Show is a new stovetop pressure cooker from All-Clad. The All-Clad PC8 Precision Stovetop Pressure Cooker takes the guess work out of pressure cooking to ensure the perfect cooking results. Each of the four cooking programs focus on specific types of cooking to ensure optimal culinary results in taste and texture. The All-Clad pressure cooker is user friendly and low effort – it cuts down on time in the kitchen while preserving flavors and nutrients.

To help make home cooks more comfortable with pressure cooking, the pot comes with a quick start guide and tips on how to get the best results for each food category, and four dedicated cooking programs and a smart timer give novice users a head start on learning how to produce great results from their new cooker. The All-Clad PC8 Precision Stovetop Pressure Cooker retails for $299.

Frieling Black Cube Stainless Nonstick Fry Pans and Wok were introduced at last year’s IH+HS, but this year, the line is expanding with the addition of saucepans and a chef pan/wok. The Black Cube line is high-performance pans that are safe to use with metal utensils. The textured surface features a raised stainless steel pattern over a recessed layer with a premium nonstick coating. The result is a perfect combination for frying and sauteing: a high-end stainless steel pan that rivals the best cookware on the market plus the benefits of a premium nonstick surface. Black Cube is compatible with all cooktops, including induction. Retail prices start at $59.95.

The pans introduced last spring just started shipping in October, but the Black Cube line is already a hit with specialty kitchenware retailers. Eighty percent of the specialty stores that sampled the product placed an initial order for it said Yung Lindenbeck, Frieling Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Eighty percent of those have reordered at least once, and 10 to 15 stores have reordered anywhere up to four times. “The Black Cube fry pan is not just another nonstick pan, not another stainless steel pan or ceramic pan, it is the first hybrid, and consumers understand the benefits of this pan, which combines stainless steel cooking and nonstick clean-up,” Lindenbeck said.

The pans’ distinctive appearance help them stand out in retailers’ displays, and then the pans win customers over when they’re handled, according to Lindenbeck. “The balance, the feel of the pan is one of the key decision factors of whether a consumer will buy the product or not. If it feels good in the hand, you are halfway there. With Black Cube, it is so well balanced and the handle is comfortable to both males and females, and it is overall a very attractive and pleasing design. It is beautiful.”

She noted that Black Cube has even more to offer. “The stainless steel pan checks off all the boxes you’d expect from a steel pan. It’s induction-ready, it’s tri-ply, you can put it in the oven. It meets all the standard expectations for the category and exceeds them. This is why retailers are successful with it,” she said.

Lindenbeck attributes part of the pan’s success to Frieling’s own sales representatives, who are doing a great job of explaining the pan’s attributes to retailers, so that they can then pass the information on to their customers. “A new concept has to be communicated, and cookware has to be demoed,” she said. “The product itself plus our infrastructure just accelerated its success.”

Customer service and support and fast responsiveness from Frieling were also key to Black Cube’s fast take-off, Lindenbeck said. “The Black Cube is a communication starter with the customer,” she added. “People look at Black Cube and wonder what it is, because they realize that they haven’t seen it before, and they ask questions, which provides the retailers the opportunity to display their expertise.”

Black Cube can be seen during IH+HS in Frieling’s booth in the South Hall of McCormick Place.

Lagostina is launching its Linea Patrimonio Specialty Range with pieces retailing upwards from $149.99. Linea Patrimonio is a series of items dedicated to classic, universally renowned Italian dishes. Handcrafted in Italy, each stainless steel piece is induction-ready and specially designed for a particular dish. The collection features a 4-quart Risottiera, 5-quart Minestrone and Polenta pot, 6-quart Pastaiola pot and an 11-inch Accademia Grill Pan.

Lagostina’s 10-piece Bianca Cookware Set is made with a Meteorite® PTFE- and PFOA-free ceramic nonstick coating that delivers effortless release and high heat resistance, making it ideal for searing and browning at high temperatures. The durable inside-and-out ceramic surface is easy to clean and provides long-lasting scratch and stain resistance. Bianca’s five-layer base construction combines two layers of heat-radiating aluminum with three layers of stainless steel for a pan that’s compatible with all ranges, including induction and that’s dishwasher-safe. Riveted stay-cool stainless steel handles are designed for comfort and stability without sacrificing style. The 10-piece set retails for $299.

The Axia Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware Set from Lagostina offers the ultimate combination of performance, design, and comfort for inspired cooking everyday. Lagostina’s signature polish shines on the satin finish 18/10 stainless steel interior, the brushed stainless exterior and elegant stainless steel lids. Premium three-layer construction combines stainless steel inside and out with a thick heat-radiating aluminum core for optimal heat distribution throughout the entire pan. Axia retails for $399 for a 13-piece set. See the Lagostina products in the Groupe SEB booths in the South Hall during IH+HS.

The Cookware Company Limited is launching a new GreenPan collection called the Wood-Be Collection at IH+HS this year, and the company says that this is the trendiest cookware available today. It comes in three colors: cream, gray and black, and each range has alternating two-ton bakelite handles. The pans are coated with GreenPan’s Thermolon Marathon ceramic nonstick coating. Thermolon is PFOA, lead and cadmium free, scratch resistant and requires less fats and oils to cook. Cleanup is easy with a damp cloth and soap. Retail prices for Wood-Be will range up from $29.99.

Along with this come significant expansions to other GreenPan collections. The GreenPan Paris collection is a high-end durable line with hard anodized aluminum bodies coated with a dishwasher-safe Thermolon Marathon ceramic nonstick coating. Stainless steel handles allow the pans to go into the oven or under the broiler. Retail prices for Paris range upwards from $39.99.

Lima 3D is a collection of pans fashioned to accommodate different foods: a pan for eggs has a flat surface, the pan designed for fish and vegetables has a dimpled surface, and there’s a meat and poultry pan with a ribbed surface. Bodies are hard anodized with a dishwasher-safe exterior coating and Thermolon Marathon ceramic nonstick interior in both gray and cream. Stainless steel handles allow for oven and broiler use. Lima 3D is available in open stock and sets. Retail prices range upwards from $29.99.

The Focus collection from GreenPan is available in black, burgundy or turquoise with a cream Thermolon nonstick ceramic interior. Handles are made of stay-cool bakelite in matching colors. The line is available in open stock and two-piece fry pan sets and is expanding to include a 10-piece set. Focus prices range upward from $19.99. GreenPan can be seen during IH+HS in the Cookware Company Limited booth in the South Hall.

Nordic Ware is launching its Slim Griddle and Slim Grill at IH+HS. Both are cast aluminum with elegant lines and a low profile that stores easily. The grill with its ridged surface stacks inside the smooth-surfaced griddle in the kitchen cabinet, but both pans will work in the oven, broiler or on the stovetop. Both feature a premium non-stick coating for easy cleanup on pans that offer consistent and even heating, as we would expect from cast aluminum, for optimal cooking results.

The Nordic Ware Waffle Dipper Pan makes four waffle sticks that will make breakfast extra-fun when they’re eaten as a finger food to be dunked into syrup. The pan is made of cast aluminum for excellent thermal conductivity, and a premium nonstick coating allows for easy release that preserves the detail of the waffle’s dimples. The Slim Griddle, Slim Grill and Waffle Dipper Pan are all made in the USA. Nordic Ware will be in the front of the South Hall.

Finally, be sure to stop by and see the Gourmet Grillware collection from Wilton Armetale. Made from a patented aluminum alloy originally developed for commercial use in restaurants, the Armetale cookware goes from stovetop or grill to table beautifully. The line includes more than 32 products, including a 17-inch Grill Pan that’s great for vegetables, fish or steaks, 2-quart and 6-quart Dutch ovens for stews and braises, the Pig Griller that celebrates the contribution of delectable porcines to backyard barbecues everywhere and a Square Bowl that will appeal to home cooks for a mac and cheese or who just want to roast a few mushrooms or Brussels sprouts without losing them through the grate on the barbecue grill.

Gourmet Grillware will not chip, crack, rust or tarnish and offers a lifetime guarantee against breakage. Hot foods will stay hot longer at the table. Cold foods in chilled Armetale metal stay colder, so salads stay crisp throughout the meal. See it in the Wilton Armetale booth in the South Hall.