Oser Communications Group

GENERAL NEWS 6 KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n APRIL 2014 n www.kitchenwarenews.com homework or work on arts and crafts projects. More than half said that the kitchen table is the place where they hold family meetings, and almost half said that they pack school lunches at the kitchen table. As the kitchen becomes more and more the hub of the household, White's clients are asking him to make sure that their new kitchens will have room for more than one or two people to work effectively in the kitchen, and if the family has pets, they also want a place where the pet's food and water bowls won't be kicked over. "Most people want a place in the kitchen where friends and family can sit and communicate while the prep work is going on," he adds. "Kitchen seating is real important." Despite its challenges for cabinet storage space, open plan kitchens continue to be popular for the opportunities they provide to bring people together, White says. "Everyone is drawn to the kitchen to hang out and be together, so there are more people revolving around that area," he says. "Entertaining style is continuing to be more casual, so people are comfortable with having guests hang out in their kitchens and joining in on the clean-up." White uses a design survey when he begins working with a client, and one of the questions on that survey asks clients whether they like to have guests to help with meal preparation and/or clean-up. "They usually answer no with respect to guests helping with prep, but they almost always say yes about helping with the clean-up," White says. "Even when they like to do things themselves, they like to have an area where people can go to draw water or get ice without getting into the main cooking area." While the open plans make togetherness a little easier and often open up window space for views to the outside, they do come with some drawbacks. Among those is the lack of walls to act as sound barriers, which means that any clang of pots and pans will be audible to those in other rooms of the house, and the lack of wall space means there's less available cabinet and drawer space. Accessories manufacturers are coming to the rescue with a lot of options that will help homeowners keep their kitchen tools organized and out of sight for a more soothing space, White says. "It 's been a long time since I was asked to design a kitchen with a pot rack," he adds. More homeowners today view their kitchens as a place to express their individuality, according to Jessica W hite, Kitchen Encounters' Marketing and Communications Coordinator. W hile most people are reluctant to buy large appliances in bright colors that can date a kitchen a few years down the road, they 're more willing to make bold color choices for their cookware and small appliances, although stainless steel is always a popular choice for small as well as large appliances. Jessica White also suggests that it's easy to make changes in wall colors and window treatments, so bold color choices or patterns there also won't entail large expenses if the homeowner gets tired of it after a while. "That's always a safe thing to do, without breaking the bank." she says. The kitchen designers who put their work on display at this year's International Builders Show are planning in more capacity for meal preparation, often including a separate sink near the stove for cleaning fruits and vegetables rather than pots and pans. "More clients are talking about specialty cooking. More and more people are doing vegetarian and vegan cooking and are concerned with the healthy aspects of cooking," White says. "People are definitely inviting kids into the kitchen. Sometimes kids are the driving factor for the turnaround in more healthful eating habits." Some of those clients who are inviting their children into the kitchen are asking White for a baking center, with enough counter space for rolling dough and enough storage for baking accessories, and maybe a lowered countertop space for kids to work. "Baking may be part of a family time together," he says. "Sometimes the kids have their favorite things that they like to do, or even a project for school or class party." Wilton Industries, Inc. has noticed that as well, says Angie Thayer, Food and Regulatory Manager for Wilton. In 2011, Wilton surveyed families to find out what they liked doing in the kitchen, and, of course, how Wilton products could help. The company found that 55 percent of kids two years old and younger and 64 percent of kids between three and six years old had already had some baking and decorating experience. Four fifths of the moms in the survey said their kids helped create baked goods year-round, and that number held true even in the warmer regions of the U.S. "No matter where you are, baking is still a big draw for the kids," Thayer says. And it's not just the little girls who are coming into the kitchen to bake cookies and decorate cupcakes. W hile Wilton found in 2003 that girls aged five to 12 were more likely to be in the kitchen baking and decorating than boys of the same age, by the 2011 survey, that gender difference had all but disappeared. Kitchens (Cont. from Page 1) Juicing is easier and healthier than ever with the Whole Slow Juicer from Kuvings, a new vertical low-speed masticating juicer with a 3" feeding tube to accommodate whole fruits and vegetables, reducing prep time and maximizing taste and nutrition. The sleekly-designed W hole Slow Juicer from Kuvings comes in silver-pearl, white-pearl and purple-red, and is available online at shopkuvings.com and will be available at Williams Sonoma this spring. The industry-first wide mouth slow juicer enables consumers to crush and squeeze whole vegetables and fruits, producing a glass of delicious fresh juice in just seconds. It also prevents unwanted oxidation from cutting that often causes a loss in nutritional value.The patented extraction system removes virtually all of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables enabling the body to obtain four times more nutrition than by eating fruits whole. The Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer handles even the toughest produce, due to its powerful 240-watt, low-speed motor. The world's strongest brushless motor, manufactured by Kuvings, minimizes friction and noise, for cool, quiet and stable operation. Other features include a convenient "Smart Cap" to prevent drips and enable creation of mixed juices; easy cleaning and assembly and a dual safety system. Kuvings is the brand name for the small appliances from NUC Electronics Co. Ltd., founded in 1978 and now a leading manufacturer of small specialized kitchen appliances for nutrition and health- conscious consumers. The Kuvings line includes juicers, blenders, yogurt makers, food processors, food dehydrators, soy milk/soup makers, hand mixers, slow cookers and more. For more information, visit www.kuvings.com. Kuvings Introduces Whole Slow Juicer The United States is a great country, and it's no coincidence that great products are made here, too – innovative products that solve ever yday problems, such as the original CorkPops wine bottle opener ($22) and the innovative VinOair ($19) wine aerator. How frustrating is it struggling to open a bottle of vino only to have the cork break into pieces? With CorkPops' original wine accessor y, the original CorkPops wine bottle opener, cork bits will never again be bobbing in Cabernet. Made in the United States the CorkPops wine opener is the fast, easy and fun solution to opening a bottle of wine. The CorkPops wine opener uses a specially formulated, low pressure inert gas to create a vacuum, which forces the cork up and out of the bottle. Simply insert the stainless steel needle straight down through the center of the cork, and press once on the top of the cartridge. The resounding "pop" that follows can be understood in every language as "bottoms up." Now that the wine is open, it's time to aerate, but who really has time to sit around and wait for wine to decant for an hour or two? CorkPops saves the day again with another U.S.- designed and manufactured wine accessory – the patented VinOair wine aerator. Wine decants in seconds as it passes through the VinOair's dual air chamber that pulls twice the amount of vacuum as competing aerators. This cutting-edge product ensures the perfect pour and eliminates drips while fully aerating and oxidizing wine, unlocking every aroma, note and flavor. With the VinOair's sleek, compact and easy to clean design, bulky, difficult to wash and easily chipped decanters will not be missed. In addition to an improved wine experience, purchasing CorkPops' American- made accessories boosts the American economy, ensures fair labor practices, protects the environment and guarantees the highest possible product quality. For more information, visit www.corkpops.com. Wine Accessories Offer Fast, Easy Way to Open and Aerate

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