Since the International Home and Housewares Show is held at the enormous McCormick Place in Chicago, this antique Le Creuset delivery truck might have been a fun way to get around. But alas, we only had our own two feet, and by the second day they were tired. I don’t even know if it’s possible to see everything.
Yesterday, I wrote about the chefs at the show, and today is all about the products. There are hundreds of exhibitors in addition to a new travel goods area. Thousands of ideas and products are introduced at the show, which is considered the premier home products event in the world. It is divided into several areas: the “Wired and Well” area is all about home care and home environment like household and kitchen electrics, major appliances, personal care products, and air and water health. The “Clean and Contain” area contains items of home organization, outdoor living, closet and clothes care, bath and shower, furniture, hardware, and pets. The “Global Crossroads” has many varieties of international products of very kind. The new travel show is all about luggage, backpacks, business cases, computer bags, handbags, travel accessories, and umbrellas. The “Dine and Design” area is all about cookware, bakeware, kitchen tools, china, crystal, silver, home decor, giftware, home textiles, tabletop, specialty kitchen items, gourmet foods, and cookbooks. Guess where we were most of the time..
It’s hard to decide where to start. Of course, I usually check out all the cookbooks first, then onto the rest. Cookbooks are so addictive- I just can’t get enough. I could spend hours just at each cookbook booth. After getting my fill of the books for the moment, we headed out to Kitchen Aid, which has a massive area of all their products. First of all, this sight was breath-taking if you are a Kitchen Aid mixer fan:
There is every color of Kitchen Aid mixer imaginable, and this is just a small shot! What we found in all of the kitchen items of every kind is color and more color. Everything from mini spatulas to the mixers is like a crayola box. Pick any color of kitchen and I bet you would find almost anything to match.
Next we headed to the Cuisinart area, which is also huge and just as fun. There were lots of food demos going on with a variety of appliances. This one caught our attention. It looks like a regular blender, but it also has a heating element. Have you ever made a soup or sauce where you cook part on the stove, take it to the blender to puree, and then return to the stove to add more ingredients and re-heat? Now you don’t have to! The blender will keep your mixture hot and ready to serve. No more going back and forth to pans.
Nordic Ware also makes all kinds of cooking and grilling items. My husband loved this stovetop smoker:
What a great show! I’m going to look for some of those new cooking toys.
The t-shirt says “Would you like to sous vide with me this evening?”
Thanks, Priscilla! I was afraid I had posted a t-shirt with something not meant on a family blog!