I was
pleased to attend the International Home + Housewares Show held by the
International Housewares Association from March 18 - 21 at Chicago’s McCormick
Place. The trade show hosted over 2,200 exhibitors from 47 countries
representing numerous product categories including beverage makers, food prep
& utensils, kitchen electrics, and tabletop & serveware. In this
article, I will highlight two trends that I saw at the show – DIY fermentation and
cold brew coffee in under an hour.
DIY Fermentation
Fermented foods and beverages are being embraced by Americans for
their flavors and health benefits. Kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, and kombucha are
rich in probiotics (beneficial live bacteria) and aid digestive and immune
health. To reduce the intimidation factor of making fermented foods at home,
companies have created fermentation crocks and other devices for the DIY (do it
yourself) consumer. Montreal, Canada company Mortier Pilon introduced DIY
at-home fermentation kits in fermentation, kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut
varieties that are likely to appeal to adventurous cooks. Each kit contains a
contemporary looking fermentation crock/jar with a glass interior and white
plastic exterior and a recipe booklet. The company says that their crocks are a
third of the weight and price of traditional crocks. Another company
emphasizing cost savings is Kraut Source that says that buying fermented foods
at the store can cost $8 for an organic 16 oz jar while the organic ingredients
to produce 32 oz of sauerkraut cost under $3. Kraut Source is a stainless steel
device that fits on wide-mouth mason jars to facilitate the preparation of
fermented foods in small batches. The small size of the Kraut Source devices
takes up less storage space and costs less than traditional stoneware
fermentation crocks. England’s The Rayware Group introduced the Kilner
Fermentation Set that is based on Kilner’s heritage of producing glass jars
since 1842.
Fast cold
brew coffee
Cold brew coffee continues to grow in popularity in foodservice
and retail channels as it offers a smoother, less acidic and bitter taste than
hot-brewed coffee. Buying pre-made cold
brew coffee at the coffee shop or supermarket allows consumers to skip the time-consuming
step of immersing coffee grounds in cold water for 12 to 24 hours. But two
exhibitors showcased cold brew coffee makers that reduce the brewing time to
under an hour. Cuisinart says that its new Automatic Cold Brew Coffeemaker can
make cold brew coffee in about 25 – 45 minutes. The machine makes 7 cups of
cold brew coffee into a glass carafe and uses a stainless steel filter lid that
can store brewed coffee in the refrigerator. Storebound showed a prototype of
its Dash Rapid Cold Brew System with a brewing time of about 10 minutes. The
company says that the machine uses ColdBoil technology, with water moving back
and forth from the brewing chamber to the pitcher. The machine makes
concentrated cold brew for 4 – 8 servings and has an adjustable dial to adjust
the strength of the brew. Press releases from the two companies indicated that the Cuisinart
machine is scheduled for July 2017 availability while the Dash machine is available
for pre-sale on Indiegogo.com.
Posts
