Oser Communications Group

8 GENERAL NEWS KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n JANUARY 2018 n www.kitchenwarenews.com The World Is Your Oyster Knife most often used, or the location for which they were designed. For example, many people prefer the New Haven oyster knife, a classic and familiar design with a shorter blade that hooks on the end. The French style has a short, sharp blade; the Providence is a straight blade with a medium width and length; and the Boston is a short, sharp blade used for a technique called stabbing. "There's hinge shucking, bill shucking — a lot of people come in straight from the bill, which is the opposite side f rom the hinge — and some people go right after the adductor muscle, which is two-thirds of the way f rom the hinge down toward the bill on the righthand side if the hinge is by you," said Mimi Younkins, Co-owner of R. Murphy Knives. "That's called stabbing, but that's a messy method." She said stabbing is reserved more for meat processing plants that freeze or can oysters, where appearance doesn't make much difference to the end user. "You would never do that in an oyster competition because you'd lose points for having a messy shell," said Younkins. Grand Central Oyster Bar Executive Chef Sandy Ingber said some people come in f rom the hinge, "which makes it a lot easier. When we're showing someone how to shuck, that 's usually what we show them, to go in where the hinge is and pry it open." Oyster tools are all about taking the pain and unnecessary work out of the shuck. "With these pointy blades, you don't need a lot of pressure," said Younkins. "That's probably what happens a lot, people think they need to push too hard. If you just let the point do a lot of the work and don't put a lot of pressure on it, it's going to drill in there. Just keep pushing a little bit, a little bit, the blade slips in there and it pops open!" Both Ingber and Younkins said personal preference is what knife choice really comes down to, and the multiplicity of oyster knives on the market means consumers have plenty of options, but Younkins had a tip for what makes a good oyster knife. "The higher-end ones have a nice heft to them because there's steel in the handle," she said. "A full-tang knife, like a good chef 's knife, the steel goes all the way through the handle — instead of a little tang that 's inserted into a pre-made handle." Full-tang knives feel sturdier in the hand and reduce the chances of a knife snapping off mid-shuck. Oyster knives also come with a choice of materials, including different woods and plastic. R. Murphy Knives offers its New Haven Elite in rosewood, weighted and contoured to fit the hand. HiCoup Kitchenware offers an oyster knife with a wood handle in pakka wood, with a 420- stainless steel blade, full tang, mirror finish, with an oversized hand guard in case of slips and a leather sheath. Restaurant owners and consumers who prefer a dishwasher-safe handle might choose a plastic handle, which are plenty sturdy and provide an inexpensive alternative for consumers who aren't necessarily regular shuckers. Dexter-Russell offers a line of knives with textured, slip-resistant polypropylene handles in multiple styles, ranging f rom $17.25 to $18.95. Another plastic option includes the Shucker Paddy Universal Oyster Knife, a pistol grip oyster knife designed by world shucking champion Patrick McMurray. It 's an ergonomic design with a finger guard for added safety that sells for around $20. With all of these new hands on oyster knives come new safety concerns and new opportunities to extend sales. A chainmail or kevlar glove, for example, can help consumers avoid the worst of injuries familiar to even the best shuckers, such as a knife straight through the palm. Microplane's Cut Resistant Glove protects against most injuries with a seamless, wire- f ree knit. The glove fits either hand, is FDA compliant for food and sells for $14.95 f rom Microplane. Consumers seeking more protection, like f rom stabs and chops, might seek out mesh and wire gloves, like US Mesh's USM-1105, a mesh glove made f rom surgical-grade stainless steel with a sewn-on polypropylene adjustable strap. Mesh gloves are a little more expensive. Consumers looking for some added versatility might opt for a Kevlar towel, too. Plenty of these safety accessories, like gloves, towels and shucking boards, come packaged in sets. Oyster knives might be a tough product to sell in a market where there aren't f resh oysters present, but they do pair well in gift sets. "Those do really well. We sell them with and without a nice little leather rollup you can keep all your shellfish knives in," said Younkin. "That's a popular thing; a couple of clam knives, a clam knife and an oyster knife, a clam knife and a crab meat knife, which sells well in the Chesapeake area where there are a lot of crabs." Oyster knives might seem a tough sell in markets without f resh oysters present, but they pair well with serving and safety accessories, and the experts who make them find oyster knives work well in gift sets. "Those do really well. We sell them with and without a nice little leather rollup you can keep all your shellfish knives in," said Younkin. "That's a popular thing; a couple of clam knives, a clam knife and an oyster knife, a clam knife and a crab meat knife, which sells well in the Chesapeake area where there are a lot of crabs." If shucking the oysters is an art, serving them is equally or more so. The Oyster Bed, originally a Kickstarter project, offers the Stella Pro Package, a set that features a serving platter shaped to mimic ocean life with a center-bowl reservoir for au jus, soups, dips or gumbo. It also includes a spoon, and what they call The Dock, a ser ving platform made f rom reclaimed wood. BBQ Oyster Grill is known for its Shellfish Cooking Racks, a stainless steel BBQ accessory that keeps shellfish in place and upright, to prevent spillage. The racks are available f rom the manufacturer for $79. KN (cont. from Page 1) Dallas Market Center Announces Partnership with GC Buying Group Dallas Market Center has announced the details of a new partnership with Gourmet Catalog, a leading buying group for the kitchenware industry that serves more than 350 locations across the nation. Gourmet Catalog (GC Buying Group) will welcome store and vendor members to its new Dallas Market Center showroom during the Dallas Total Housewares & Gourmet Market, January 17-23, 2018. GC Buying Group offers members the benefit of discounts, dating, business consultation, marketing, and networking events through the exclusive relationship. Membership is open to kitchenware retailers, as well as retailers interested in adding the category. GC Buying Group also provides training, information and the resources necessary to improve sales while allowing members to maintain autonomy. "We are pleased to work with Gourmet Catalog Buying Group as our housewares and specialty food marketplace continues to expand," Cindy Morris, President and CEO of Dallas Market Center, said. "The retailers that partner with this important group have the ability to increase their profits and extend their consumer base." "Creating a Dallas Market Center presence will help us serve more members with special programming and benefits," said Janis Johnson, Founder and President of Gourmet Catalog Buying Group Inc. "We look forward to being in Dallas this January." Also taking place during January Market is the Gourmet Gold Housewares Awards, sponsored by Gourmet Insider magazine, honoring the best manufacturers in housewares. Winners will be revealed during an awards ceremony and cocktail reception on Thursday, Januar y 18, at Dallas Market Center at 6 PM. To make plans for upcoming markets, visit the Dallas Market Center website at and download the Dallas Market Center App. Keep up-to-date on all information by visiting Dallas Market Center on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Snapchat, and via the DMC Daily Dose, its blog at www.blog.dallasmarketcenter.com. KN CUTTING BOARD CLEANER FROM HOWARD PRODUCTS Now the entire cleaning, oiling and conditioning process can be done from products manufactured by the same company, which gives consumers confidence that all three products will work together perfectly. Some dish soaps can't penetrate wood as deeply as Howard Cutting Board Cleaner will, leaving unreached areas that can harbor harmful bacteria and contaminate your food. Howard Cutting Board Cleaner effectively cleans and neutralizes odors, leaving wooden kitchen items smelling great, even on well-used cutting sur- faces. Dish soaps aren't specifically designed to clean wooden cutting boards; they are designed to cover a broader array of kitchen items. Cutting Board Cleaner is specifically designed for wooden cutting boards and wooden kitchen items. Howard Cutting Board Cleaner does not contain bleach or any other harsh in- gredients which can make wooden boards soft and gummy, reducing the life of the board. Howard Products, Inc. 800.266.9545 www.howardproducts.com SPLATTER GUARD PRO Cooking is a great way to relax and be creative, but cleaning up grease spatters off the range and counter top isn't anyone's idea of relaxation. Unlike ordinary splatter guards, the Splatter Guard Pro has a large open- ing that lets the user turn and stir food while its cooking, but still traps the grease splatters. Steam escapes easily so crispy fried foods don't become a soggy mess. The Splatter Guard Pro is great for everything from stir fry to French fries, and counter tops stay clean and grease free. JAZ Innovations 855.845.3698 www.jazinnovations.com

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