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Hardware & Housewares Review Thursday, May 10, 2018 2 2 Smart Appliances Show That the Future is Now By Robin Mather According to marketing research compa- ny Parks Associates, 26 percent of home- owners already own a smart home device. Fifty percent or more intend to purchase a smart home device within the next 12 months. One in five said they want to own a smart appliance. The Pantry Chic system is a base with interchangeable, refillable, airtight canisters that can store, measure, dis- pense, track and order ingredients in one easy-to-use system. The base can convert volume to weight measures in dispensing dry goods such as flour, sugar and more, and measures the quantity needed direct- ly into a mixing bowl. The canisters can dispense more than 100 dry ingredients, from flour and baby formula to coffee beans and rice. They dis- pense from the bottom, so oldest ingredi- ents are used first, and can be programmed to track inventory. The canisters, made from BPA-free plastic, are dishwasher-safe and can stack for easy storage. The companion app uses a smart device such as a phone or tablet to pro- gram and control the Pantry Chic system. The app can guide its user through the entire recipe, can scale recipes up or down, can track recipe usage and share them on social media, and can provide recommendations for dietary restrictions and the user's history. Pantry Chic will begin shipping in August, with a suggest- ed retail price of $299 for the base and three canisters. For more information, visit www.pantrychic.com. Behmor has introduced the Brazen Plus eight-cup coffee brewer, which gives the user almost complete control of the brewing process. The temperature of the water can be set in one-degree incre- ments, and a now-or-later feature allows the water to be preheated for brewing at a specified time. The Brazen Plus brews into a 40-ounce stainless insulated carafe which will keep coffee warm for up to four hours, so the machine itself has no warmer plate — to prevent that unpleas- ant burnt coffee flavor and scent. A companion app can work with Alexa to start coffee brewing by voice command, or it can be controlled by any smart phone. The app features custom brew profiles for dozens of coffee brands, such as Starbucks, or users can set their own favorite profiles. Pulse water delivery and adjustable presoak of the ground coffee can also be set from the app. Suggested retail price is $169. For more information, visit www.behmore.com. Gourmia showed its GTA2500 Electric Digital Air Fryer Griller and Roaster, offered with a wide variety of attachments, including a spit for rotis- serie roasting. The device includes a wifi camera that lets the user monitor and control food cooking remotely — even from the office or soccer field. A companion app offers recipes and a manual, and both Alexa and Google Assistant can control the fryer, with Apple Home functionality coming soon. The appliance has a suggested retail price of $249. For more, visit www.gourmia.com. Hestancue's smart induction burners are designed to be used with its tempera- ture-sensing cookware and its companion app. The app controls the temperature of the induction burner, and cues the user on when to add the various ingredients in a pre-programmed recipe. Users can also bypass the automatic control and cook in Control Mode, and the portable induction burner can be used in Manual Mode. The app features hundreds of video- guided recipes created by chefs around the world. While the Hestancue cooking system can help total beginners gain cooking confidence, it can also function as a kitchen assistant for a more experienced cook, freeing him or her to pay closer attention to another dish cooking at the same time. The $499 suggested retail price includes the 1600-watt induction burner, an 11-inch stainless steel skillet and the app. A chef's pan is available separately. Visit ww.hestancue.com for more infor- mation. Fight Online Sales with Impulse Merchandise With so many retailers worried about online sales hurting brick and mortar stores, it seems as if everyone is just waiting for the other shoe to fall. Retailers still have the opportunity to offer something to customers that online e-tailers can't. "Impulse items." You know, that extra item at checkout or a featured item on an endcap. Consumers are lured into the "deal" no matter who you are. Everyone loves a good deal and getting something for less. That's where Regent Products Corp. comes in. Since 1985, Regent Products Corp. has been an industry leading domestic and direct import supplier serving the value-conscious retailer. "We eat and breathe value priced merchandise, it's what we do," says Mike DePaul, Owner and President of Regent Products Corp. "With nearly 5,000 items in more than 20 categories, including seasonal product, it's hard not to find something in our line that a buyer in every category can use in their stores and a bargain the customer will just love," says DePaul. Regent's customer base includes mass merchants, grocery, hardware and drug chains. They also serve the independent retail base. Retailers have all found that working with Regent Products Corp. gives them the edge they need in a competitive retail environment. Value-based opening price-point mer- chandise does not conflict with in-line programs. It actually increases sales by giving the customer an option to buy something rather than walking away empty handed. "The demand for merchandise from 'One to Five Dollar Price Points' has increased," states Sales Manager Ken Soens. These simple price-points are easy for customers to understand and they "get it." It gives the customer a clear choice to evaluate items in a category and make a purchase. "Disposable income is still tight and customers on a fixed income are always watching their bottom line," says Soens. Regent Products offers many items in floor and counter dis- plays or on pre-loaded merchandise-strips for easy set-up on the sales floor. Regent has built a reputation on competence and experience and they're very proud of their national and international reputation. Regent Products Corp. is located in a 600,000 square foot office/warehouse facility in River Grove, Illinois near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and offers domestic items, closeouts, as well as direct import merchandise. It has the capabilities to private label, too. For more information, go to www.regent products.com. Supplying Products for Natural Living for More than 40 Years By Brenda Black, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Down To Earth Distributors, Inc. Started in Eugene, Oregon, in 1977 as a retail store, Down To Earth Distributors has grown to become a national distribu- tor, with our own network of trucks to personally supply retailers on the west coast. Our founders were motivated to stock the products that they could not find anywhere else, like sustainably har- vested bamboo and beeswax, recycled glass, wool, stainless-steel and cast-iron products. As active gardeners, canners and cooks, we tailor our product line for our customers who embrace the Garden-to- Table lifestyle to give them the widest selection of natural living products avail- able. We import, manufacture and dis- tribute products from around the world that are crafted with virgin, recycled or sustainably harvested materials, because we believe in products that can stand the test of use, if not the test of time. Spanish Glass, including our new iridescent wave bottles and glasses, as well as favorites like vintage-style phar- macy jars with metal lids and our top- selling "Authentic" drinking jars. We love Spanish glass because it is strong, versatile and 100 percent recycled. Plus, its aquamarine tint gives it a vintage look that fits into any kitchen. Le Parfait, including both the classic clamp-top terrines with the iconic orange seal and the two-piece, screw-top Familia Wiss canning jars. A French original, the bright glass jars are our favorite for can- ning, storage and gift giving. The terrine's flared shape makes it a robust presence on a shelf or counter top, and the Familia Wiss screw-top jar is an equally fun and useful take on the classic French canning jar. Handcrafted bamboo, including ver- satile bamboo steamers and popular sushi mats. Bamboo is an amazing, fast-grow- ing plant, making it an awesome choice for sustainable growing. A type of hardy grass, it can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Stainless-steel bakeware, kitchen- ware and tools, including a new coffee press, coffee filters and compost pail. We love stainless steel's classic look in any kitchen, but the metal really shines by being versatile and easy to clean. Zeph Van Allen, President of Down To Earth Distributors, explains, "We sell products that we use and believe in, not what blogs say are going to be popular next season. You build your position in this industry by meeting customers' expectations year after year, so you've got to know your market, and you have to pay attention to where the industry is heading and anticipate its needs." To learn more, visit www .downtoearthdistributors.com, call 800.234.5932 or email sales@down toearthdistributors.com.