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Ki t c h e n wa re N e ws & H o u s e wa re s Re vi e w S h o w D a i l y 7 9 M o n d a y, M a rc h 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 O2COOL: COOLING FOR ANY OCCASION O2COOL is the premier designer, manu- facturer and marketer of cool, creative, fun and affordable personal consumer products. It strives to build collaborative partnerships to better serve its customers. O2COOL offers a full line of cooling solutions including hand-held misting fans, battery-operated and rechargeable fans, personal fans, drinking and misting bottles, hydration backpacks, insulated tumblers and more. O2COOL ensures the best of every product it makes. "Our products are made by people who take pride in the company they work for. That concern extends to the commu- nities where our employees live and work, and the planet we all share," says O2COOL's CEO Eric Lockwood. Stay cool in style with the sleek design of O2COOL's versatile 10-inch fan. This fan features two convenient power options, AC and battery, to keep you cool even when you are outdoors. With a battery life of 40 hours and a built-in handle, ensuring easy portability, this is the perfect fan to take with you on a picnic. Your mobile devices can even be charged through the built-in USB port. This makes the 10-inch fan perfect for any emergency kit, ensuring your devices can be charged and functional even in a power outage. Whether camping, surviving the heat or just looking to cool down at your home or office, O2COOL has your solu- tion. Its line of personal fans, such as the Pocket Carabiner Fan, are perfect for cooling on-the-go. These fans come in a variety of colors to coordinate with your favorite work-out clothes. O2COOL's personal fans can be carried in your purse, pocket or clipped to your bag or belt with the included carabiner. Fans like the Portable USB Fan make it easy to cool down in the office. This portable fan can plug into any USB port, making it the perfect companion for your computer. It features dual power sources, AC adapter or USB, tilting capability and a small compact design, fitting in a backpack or purse. For more information, stop by booth S1905 or visit www.o2-cool.com. ELITE ZESTER FROM MICROPLANE Building on the success of the Elite series of paddle-shaped hand-held graters with a dual-purpose grating catch and cover, Microplane ® introduces the rasp-style Elite Zester. The new Elite Zester – offered in Black (model 49020) and Red (model 49120) – debuts at the 2014 International Home & Housewares Show. Microplane's booth number is S312. Featuring the same sleek, stream- lined design and functionality of the orig- inal paddle-shaped Elite series, the new rasp-style Elite Zester provides a narrow- er blade surface that's ideal for creating zest from citrus fruits, such as lemons and limes. The optimum choice for fine- ly grating citrus peel without any bitter white pith, the Elite Zester includes a transparent cover that doubles as a grat- ing catch feature with measurement marks and 10-teaspoons capacity. When positioned underneath the Elite Zester, the catch/cover gives chefs and home cooks more control and precision. Additionally, the Elite Zester comes with a small, handy swiper to remove zest eas- ily from the back of the blade. Crafted from durable, surgical grade stainless steel to withstand years of grat- ing without snapping or breaking, the Elite Zester features an original, made in the U.S.A. Microplane blade engineered to retain its high-performance sharpness longer. Microplane blades are renowned for creating superior zest and grating hard and soft foods with unparalleled ease and speed. The grater's exceedingly comfort- able, soft-grip handle, available in Black and Red, includes a loop for optional hanging, and a non-slip base allows for easy grating vertically inside bowls, pans and on cutting boards. With its space-sav- ing, narrow profile, the Elite Zester can easily be stored in countertop utensil cad- dies, or inside kitchen drawers. The new Microplane Elite Zester is dishwasher safe, though hand washing is recommended for the cover. Available at retail nationwide in April 2014, the Elite Zester retails for $15.95. FARBERWARE NEW TRADITIONS OFFERS QUALITY AT ATTRACTIVE PRICE Refreshing one of America's most endur- ing, widely recognized, and highly regard- ed cookware brands, Meyer Corporation, U.S. introduces Farberware ® New Traditions. Designed in two distinctive and colorful collections – Speckled and Scalloped – Farberware New Traditions debuts at the 2014 International Home & Housewares Show. Meyer's booth number is South Building 2214. Farberware New Traditions combines the key ingredients consumers look for in quality cookware – durability, perform- ance, ease of use, color, style, and technol- ogy – at attractive price points. To empha- size the brand's rich heritage spanning many generations, new and nostalgically rendered product packaging in teal green and white spotlights Farberware's new logo, which resembles a quality assurance seal. Within the logo is the tagline, Tradition of Excellence Since 1900. Farberware New Traditions Speckled Cookware is crafted in heavy gauge aluminum with a vibrant speckled porcelain enamel exterior in four hues: Red, Blue, Green and Lavender. Additionally, all four Speckled exterior colors are offered with a choice of either a Black or White PFOA-free nonstick interior. Featuring a retro-style belly shape, the collection includes ergonomi- cally shaped, comfortable handles in a choice of durable, phenolic black with stainless steel accents, and easy to grip rubberized handles with stainless steel accents in coordinating hues of Red, Blue, Green and Lavender. Easy to grip knobs on lids are designed in coordinat- ing materials and colors. Fitting snugly, the glass lids with reinforced stainless steel rims allow cooks to monitoring the cooking process without letting moisture escape. Oven safe to 350° F, Farberware New Traditions Speckled Cookware is offered in sets and open stock items. NEW PRODUCTS RESPOND TO HEALTHY EATING TREND "Consumers' focus on healthier eating has been fairly pervasive for several years and will continue," said A.J. Riedel, senior partner of Riedel Marketing Group, a Phoenix, Ariz.-based market research company that specializes exclusively in the housewares industry. Riedel Marketing Group compiled consumer research from three in-depth online surveys for Housewares TrendTracker 2014. The surveys, which were conducted in October 2013 with the company's proprietary HomeTrend Influentials Panel (HIP), were used to identify the major trends of 2014. "For many consumers, the purpose of healthy eating is to obtain long term health and not short term weight loss," Riedel said. She noted the "less diet, more lifestyle" approach to eating is being driven by the desire to stave off health problems in the future. In particular, the healthy eating trend is being driven by the Baby Boomer gen- eration, Americans who were born between 1946 and 1964. "They have seen their parents affected by dietary issues that negatively affected their longevity and they recognize it is within their con- trol to positively change their health and their lives," Riedel said. She noted 23 percent report they are making major changes in the types of foods they eat because they want to prevent future health problems, but only 10 percent report making changes in their food to lose weight. This trend is reflected in many of the hundreds of new products at the 2014 International Home + Housewares Show. For instance, Anchor Hocking cites con- cern for healthier eating as a factor in the renewed popularity of home canning, which has prompted the company to return to manufacturing glass canning jars, a product that the company stopped making in the 1970s after Americans lost interest in home canning. Zing Anything is showing its Kid Zinger and other prod- ucts designed to infuse water with fruit flavors for healthy hydration, and Libbey is exhibiting its Farm-to-Table collection of Garden-to-Glass infusion items designed to connect how we all eat with what we grow. Prodyne offers its Fruit Infusion Flavor Carafe which has an air- tight silicone seal that helps keep bever- ages fresh and allows the user to shake for rapid infusion. For the third year in a row, more than 40 percent of HomeTrend Influentials made major changes in the types of foods they and their families are eating in the past year and more than 25 percent antic- ipate making major changes or addition- al changes this year. According to Housewares TrendTracker 2014, 80 percent of those who made major changes in the types of food they eat report they are making healthier food choices. For many con- sumers, the focus is on fresh, whole and all-natural foods with a special emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables that are locally grown. The report noted 83 percent are eat- ing more fresh fruits and vegetables and 63 percent are buying more locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables, 54 per- cent planted a vegetable garden this year and 76 percent shop at local fruit/veg- etable stands or farmers markets. In fact, more than half (51 percent) of those sur- veyed report they shop at local fruit/veg- etable stands or farmers markets more often now than they did last year. With the increase in purchases at farmer's markets and fruit/vegetable stands, consumers are now spending more time on food preparation. "Healthier eating requires changes in food prep because fresh foods need more time consuming techniques," Riedel said, noting 31 percent of HomeTrend Influentials think they will spend more time on food preparation this year. Many of those surveyed are reducing the amount of processed foods they eat and are increasing their intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. At the International Home + Housewares Show, we see a wealth of products that are specifically aimed at helping home cooks lick their food prep chores. Dexas, for instance, is showing off a new Grippboard cutting board, which cradles a collapsible silicone strainer and features a raised rubber edge that grips a sink or countertop. Architec offers its Pro Gripper Concave Cutting Board, which features a center reservoir that holds up to 1/4 cup of liquid to keep meats succulent and juicy. A number of companies are showing cutlery, including the 9-inch Sushi Knife from WUSTHOF that won the Housewares Design Award in February, T- fal's 16 cm Zen Chef's Knife, the CRIM- SON line from Ergo Chef and the Le Petit Chef set of cutlery essentials designed for children and Bon Appetit Esprit Loft set of table knives from Opinel.