Oser Communications Group

Serendipity SERENDIPITY www.kitchenwarenews.com n APRIL 2014 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW 1 9 PackIt Ups its Game BY LORRIE BAUMANN PackIt has always been a cool way to bring a lunch, a snack, a bottle of wine or a bottle of breast milk along with you when you leave home, but now the bags are even cooler. PackIt offers a line of cooler bags with integrated cooling gel inserts. The entire bag folds up compactly and stores in the freezer. When you pull them out and shake them open, the walls of the bag are completely frozen and keep food cold for up to 10 hours. "While other bags attempt to insulate and maintain a cool temperature, our coolers actually create a cold, fridge-like environment inside the bag," says Melissa Kieling, PackIt's CEO. "You can put a room temperature item into a frozen bag. Because the walls are frozen, the bag will actually chill the item. It's one of those products that just makes sense. Once you use it you're not going to go back to using a foam-insulated bag. It makes a huge difference in how you transport perishable food on the go. " Kieling started the business out of her home five years ago when the stay-at-home mom became frustrated because she couldn't be sure that food that she took out of her refrigerator in the morning would still be safe for her kids to eat hours later during their lunch breaks. Her very first prototype was made on her dinner table with freezer gel packs and lining cut from a shower curtain. Today the business offers nine different products in 12 different prints that are sold in more than 20 countries. Kieling's children, Brennan, 18; Garrett, 15 and Emma, 10, are still actively involved in product development and testing. "Everything we launch gets their stamp of approval," she says. "My children range from teen to adolescent. This gives me a good perspective of today's trends. They are a great focus group."" These days, the bags aren't just for school children either. "Where lunch bags used to be for kids, more and more adults are taking lunch with them to work. The bags feature prints that are skewed to young children, but our partnership with designer French Bull brings a more sophisticated style to the line that is appealing to fashion- forward adults," Kieling says. "People have gone from the power lunch being an expensive meal at a restaurant to being prepared with healthy foods so you don't make bad food choices, plus people are trying to be conscientious about how much they're spending for the food." This year, PackIt is introducing a new Salad Cooler and redesigned Sandwich Cooler. The PackIt Salad Cooler is specially designed to hold horizontal salad containers and keep lettuce fresh for hours. It will retail for $14.99. The PackIt Sandwich Cooler is ideal for keeping sandwiches fresh or taking along snacks like fresh grapes, apple slices or carrot sticks. It retails for $11.99. In addition, new features have been added to the entire line this year. "All of our bags have gone from simple hook and loop closures to zippers to add extra insulation, keep the cold in longer, and to increase capacity slightly," Kieling says. "We also added clips and adjustable straps to all the bags, so they can be hooked on a backpack or a stroller. It makes portability easier." The line includes a single and double wine bag that will chill a bottle of wine in an hour, a grocery shopping bag to keep the foods from the grocer's refrigerator or freezer case chilled through the drive home from the store, a social cooler picnic bag, the Lunch for One standard cooler, and a snack-size bag. Retail prices range from $11.99 to $29.99. For more information, visit www.packit.com. JEWELSTIK DIAMOND KNIFE SHARPENER Hewlett Manufacturing has done the research to provide the perfect diamond surface to remove metal from the edge of your knife and create a new edge in just a few strokes. The entire product line is made in the U.S.A. and offers a variety of lengths: 5", 10", 12", and 14". Hewlett also backs up its product line with a lifetime guarantee. Suggested Retail Price: $13.50-59.95 Hewlett Manufacturing 814.683.4762 www.jewelstik.com GO GREEN LUNCH BOX The five-section Go Green Lunch Box's BPA-free lunch container eliminates the need for plastic bags, food, snacks, and water bottles – all of which tend to end up in landfills. Instead, the five separate containers keep food fresh and dry, and liquids are kept cool by the inclusion of a stainless steel water bottle that slips into its own compartment. Separate compartments are available for sandwiches, fruit, and two extra items, such as cheese in one and crackers or veggies in the other. The contents are protected by a secure snap-on lid, and the entire container slips easily inside an insulated bag that comes in a wide range of bright and happy designs. To finish off the container, there is a small "white board" for parents to leave their child a brief message, such as, "Love, Dad" or "Have a good day! Love, Mom." All Go Green lunch boxes are BPA-, lead-, leach-, and phthalate-free and dishwasher safe. The outside dimensions of the lunch boxes are 12" long, 7-1/2" wide, and 2-1/2" deep. Suggested Retail Price: $34.99 Go Green Lunch Box 310.545.7869 www.gogreenlunchbox.com WINE YOKET WINE GLASS HOLDER The WineYokeT hands free wine glass holder is the perfect accessory for wine tasting or wine events. Featured on the "Today Show," the WineYokeT offers you hands-free holding for your wine glass while you enjoy hors d'oeuvres and socializing with friends. The WineYokeT makes a perfect gift for any wine lover. The WineYokeT is lightweight, and stores conveniently in a purse or pocket. Bring it with you when you travel to visit wineries or even bring it with you to your friends' home parties. Your WineYokeT will be the talk of the party, and everyone will want to buy one. The rubber base stretches to accept stemware base. The 38" lanyard attaches to two universal swivel, snap- on hooks. Available in black or pink and burgundy. Available on retail card or bulk. You can also have your logo printed on them. Suggested Retail Price: $3.99 each. Franmara www.franmara.com www.wineyoke.com MOBILE GLASS STORAGE CONTAINERS FROM LIFEFACTORY Lifefactory will be launching a line of mobile glass food storage in May. The collection comes in three sizes: one cup, two cups and four cups. The tempered glass containers and medical-grade silicone sleeves are oven, microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe. Perfect for taking a healthy lunch to work or storing family leftovers. All components are made in North America. Suggested Retail Price: $14.99-19.99 Lifefactory www.lifefactory.com HIGHWAVE JOEMO VACUUM TRAVEL MUG There is a reason the now classic JOEmo vacuum travel mug continues to be rated "The Best." In Europe, where traveling with coffee is a new idea, JOEmo was determined to be "The Best" by a German housewares magazine for heat retention, ease of use and intuitive design compared to all famous U.S. and European brands. Why is JOEmo rated "The Best?" The design simply combines a travel mug with an insulated thermal container. JOEmo is the first mug with 360-degree no-look drinking and a 100 percent leak-tight design that has a top you can take apart for deep cleaning. JOEmo fits in all car holders and can be carried in a briefcase. Highwave is now offering some special colors while they last in the classic JOEmo—only from Highwave. Highwave www.highwave.com takealongs

• Cover