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SERENDIPITY BAKEWARE/ SERVEWARE SEE PAGE 18 UPDATE: HOLIDAY SEE PAGE 13 PRODUCT FEATURE: TWIXIT!™ SEAL & POUR BAG CLIP SEE PAGE 17 H o u s e w a r e s R e v i e w KITCHENWARE NEWS S E R V I N G K I T C H E N W A R E, H O M E D E C O R A N D G I F T W A R E M A R K E T S V O L U M E 1 9 , N U M B E R 1 0 PRODUCT REVIEW ■ JewelStik 1-2-3 PAGE 8 SMALL ELECTRICS ■ Coffee Machines for Every Need PAGE 12 THE KNIFE RACK ■ Chroma Pro Chef PAGE 10 RETAILING FEATURE ■ Selecting the Right Knife PAGE 10 SERENDIPITY ■ Cutlery PAGE 19 GADGET OF THE MONTH ■ Kuhn Rikon Auto Safety Master Opener PAGE 22 TRADESHOW CALENDAR ■ PAGE 22 News ..............................................4 Ad Index .......................................22 www.kitchenwarenews.com VOLUME 20, NUMBER 8 AUGUST 2014 ■ $7.00 BY AMBER GALLEGOS Made in America products are making a comeback. Retailers are increasingly fielding the question of where items are made, industry trade shows are dedicating entire sections to the category, and more and more product packaging proudly declares 'Made in the USA' as a selling point. While some up and coming brands are seeking to establish their own American- made legacy, other companies have been committed to the concept for decades and are quietly continuing BY LORRIE BAUMANN You've heard of split personality. Well, Whisk is just the opposite: it's a pair of New York City kitchenware stores with a single personality. Owner Natasha Amott opened Whisk at 231 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn in November of 2008. The second store, at 933 Broadway in Manhattan, just celebrated its second anniversary in June. Together, the two stores employ Whisk Caters to Small Kitchens in the Big City Continued on PAGE 4 Continued on PAGE 7 Continued on PAGE 9 Continued on PAGE 14 18 people; they share the same product mix, the same philosophy, and the same staff. "The two stores do not operate independently in any way. There's a lot of cross- collaboration and covering of shifts," Amott says. Each of the stores has about 1,500 square feet of display space, and the customer base is mostly local, although both stores draw significant tourist traffic. About five percent of the total sales volume comes f rom online sales. "That means there's opportunity to grow," Amott comments. Requests for shipping are increasing, frequently from tourists who want their purchases shipped home for them, but more often recently, from local residents BY AMBER GALLEGOS The importance of allergy-f ree food options is becoming more and more widely known among consumers and retailers alike. Guiding customers towards the appropriate tools to create such meals can ease their stress levels and help to build a rapport of trust for repeat business. The most common sources of food allergies in the United States are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean Kitchenware Options for Allergy-Friendly Cooking Tabletop Pieces for the Giving Season Made in America Comeback shellfish, wheat, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts. These eight foods are the source of 90 percent of all serious allergic reactions in this country. Once in the kitchen, there are some materials that will offer safer results than others. Stainless steel items are a good option since they are nonporous and able to be completely sanitized compared to other materials such as wood which can be difficult to thoroughly eliminate allergens f rom. If the kitchen where allergy-free foods are being prepared is shared with other foods containing allergens, a useful idea is to create a kit with color- coded tools to indentify the safe kitchen items. "It just to set the example of how iconic American brands operate. The Homer Laughlin China Company has been making ceramics in the United States since first established in 1871. The company has also made its line of Fiesta Dinnerware in the same Newell, West Virginia factory since its inception in 1936 when it was introduced at the Pittsburgh China and Glass Show. Fiesta has come to be a coveted brand with collectors scouring antique shops to get their hands on the colorful ceramics they remember from their grandparents' Sunday dinner table. "The brand is made by the family-owned business The Homer Laughlin China Company and has been produced in the same factory for over 75 years. They stay extremely true to their values," said Rich Brinkman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Fiesta and Wholesale Products. "One of the most important parts of this business is the connection with the consumer, and Fiesta brings back memories of gentler times, dinners and holidays with family." The Fiesta plant employs up to 875 workers during peak seasons BY AMBER GALLEGOS The upcoming holiday season is still months away but retailers know that the time to select wares for the gift rush is now. Winter tabletop pieces that will make for perfect gifts reflect an industry focus on home entertaining that is less formal and fussy and more interactive and casual. Throughout the tabletop theme of shared social moments run trends featuring luxe accents, minimalist design, natural neutrals, and updated takes on traditional Christmas decor. Overdone extravagance is replaced with quality pieces that lend a peaceful tranquility to what can most certainly become a stressful time of the year. The feeling of a chic country cabin is brought to mind where statement pieces quietly grab attention rather than competing with overwhelming flashy décor. These tabletop items fit nicely both in the gift category and the self-purchasing category. Boska Holland has introduced an extra-large fondue pot for 2014 that is sure to get the party started whether it 's given as a gift or purchased specifically for holiday entertaining. The Party Fondue Mr. Big has a whopping 6.5 liter capacity and comes with 12 fondue forks to serve up melted cheese or chocolate for dipping with 12 or more of your closest friends and family. The set includes three burners that sit underneath a stoneware pot

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