Walking the Housewares Show...Virtually

                         

                                              

I’ve never missed a Chicago Housewares Show- until last month when I broke my foot by slipping on ice while walking the dog. At first, I couldn’t imagine not being there. There were so many people I looked forward to seeing, not to mention checking out what’s new and well, just being there.

Luckily there were lots of “eyes and ears” at the show and people to fill me in. One of them is Bev Bennett, an author and recipe developer who has a great way of bottom-lining everything. Here’s her take on the key trends at the show:

Overall, the show was a greater reflection of green, easy, aspirational cooking, and home entertaining, since fewer people are eating out these days. For example:

·         Most cookware companies introduced nonstick cookware without Teflon but marketed it as green or eco-friendly, not diet cookware

·         Water bottles and filtration are big

·         Slow cookers are evolving. Some aren’t even called slow cookers anymore but are designed with more versatility to handle broader cooking applications

·         Indoor electric stovetop grills, griddles and waffle makers are prominent

·         There’s more evidence of healthy eating with make your own yogurt kits and grind your own grains (shades of the 70’s)

·         Lots of make your own soda sparkling water equipment – not necessarily new but available in greater numbers