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The
International Home and Housewares Show is huge – 16
miles of aisles spread over three buildings at
Chicago’s McCormick Place, with more than 2,200
vendors displaying some of the latest tech and great
design for home goods, along with updates on old
favorites.
A few
trends remain popular: multifunctional products,
eco-friendly items, smart-home goods that focus on
safety or have big tech upgrades, and products to
improve wellness.
Our
favorite things are a combination of new releases and
upgrades: Some have great design, some solve problems
and some are just fun.
—
Professional bartenders meet their match
What it
is: Bartesian cocktail machhine
Why we
like it: It’s like a single-serve coffee pod machine
for cocktails. After sampling an Old-Fashioned cocktail
at the show, I was pleasantly surprised that
Bartesian’s cocktails tasted as good as others that
I’ve imbibed at an average bar. Users supply their own
spirits to fill Bartesia’s five glass bottles, then
pop in one of Bartesia’s six cocktail capsules.
Currently there are four classics: margarita,
Old-Fashioned, whiskey sour, and sex on the beach, and
two custom-made drinks: rum breeze and uptown rocks.
This probably isn’t for a serious cocktail
connoisseur, but for the person who wants to enjoy a
consistent-tasting cocktail at home without the hassle
of stocking all the ingredients, this fits the bill.
$299 for unit; capsule six-pack, $14.99,
www.bartesian.com
— No
more gross grills
What it
is: Grilltastic steam grill cleaner
Why we
like it: Most barbecue grill grates are coated with
caked-on gunk that a grill brush can’t remove.
Grilltastic is a handheld grill cleaner that uses a
1,500-watt steam generator combined with a
stainless-steel brush to cut through grease and grime,
removing 99.99 percent of germs and bacteria. Works on
cold grills, too, allowing owners of built-in grills to
completely clean their units. Separate accessory pack
lets users clean patio furniture and other outdoor
items. $89.99, www.amazon.com
— Your
face opens doors
What it
is: Elecpro’s US:E smart lock
Why we
like it: Elecpro’s US:E smart lock uses facial
recognition to lock or unlock a door. The video camera
uses infrared multipoint 3D recognition, which the
company says cannot be fooled by photos and videos.
Owners can store up to 50 faces per lock, and have five
other options to lock or unlock doors – fingerprint
scanning, key fobs, smartphone app, video camera or a
physical key. Available in May. Estimated price, $380,
www.elecprous.com
— Lunch
germs, begone
What it
is: Flatbox Cheers
Why we
like it: Brown bagging lunch is eco-friendly, but your
office desk or the park picnic table is probably a
hazmat scene. FlatBox is an insulated neoprene lunchbox
that unfolds to a placemat, giving you a clean surface.
The machine-washable bag has four separate zippers
allowing diners to open it fully or partially, important
when eating in a small space like an airplane seat. The
latest model, FlatBox Cheers, a picnic-sized bag with
two side pockets big enough to hold wine bottles, will
be available in July. Estimated price: $19.99,
www.flatbox.com
— Warm,
clean air
What it
is: De’Longhi’s 3D Comfort Air Technology air
purifier
Why we
like it: Air purifiers clear stuffy winter indoor air,
but the breeze can give off a chilly feeling.
De’Longhi solves that problem by combining a HEPA-type
air purifier and a heater in a sleek design. There are
six gentle heat settings, and the surround-air feature
means no hot spots. In summer, users can switch from
heating to cooling with the unit’s 10 fan settings,
all while purifying the air. Available this fall.
Estimated price, $499, www.delonghi.com
— Chill
without ice
What it
is: Vinglace Wine Chiller
Why we
like it: Perfect for picnic season, the Vinglace Wine
Chiller keeps wine and Champagne chilled for hours —
no ice needed. The container is made of double-walled,
vacuum-insulated stainless steel. To use, insert an
already-chilled bottle in the base, and screw on top.
Starting at $89.95, www.vinglace.com
— On
the Horizon: Frozen food comes out crispy
What it
is: Galanz ToastWave 4-in-1 countertop appliance with
air fry, convection bake, toast and microwave
Why we
like it: Everyone uses a microwave to reheat or thaw out
food. But what if you could nuke a piece of frozen food
and have it come out nicely browned as if it were cooked
in an oven? Galanz, a company that will debut in the
U.S. later this year, brought its ToastWave, which says
it will defrost and cook with the combined speed of a
microwave and a convection oven in one space-saving
appliance. There were no working models at the show to
test, so right now, it’s a great concept. Let’s hope
it works out. Expected out in the second quarter.
Estimated price, $499, www.galanz.com
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