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Colorful, crafty gadgets make debut at International Home and Housewares Show

After walking the floors of the International Home + Housewares Show at McCormick Place in Chicago earlier this month, I've seen the future for kitchen equipment.

It's silicone. And colorful.

McCormick Place was filled with exhibitors from around the world showing off new inventions and re-imagined mainstays. More than a few products knocked my socks off, some in bright colors, others not. Here are a few I found intriguing:

Smart cookers

The best and most futuristic of the guided cooking tools I spotted would have to be the intelligent cooktop created by Cuciniale of Germany. It's an entire system that's designed to lead the home cook to perfectly executed dishes. Cuciniale's sensor is set right into your pan or meat. Linked to your tablet or smartphone, the sensor will provide step-by-step directions on when to adjust the heat, stir and more. With Cuciniale, home cooks are able to cook with the consistent results of a top chef.

The cooktop comes with the GourmetPilot app, and its GourmetSensor. Both are connected via Bluetooth, guiding cooks step by step to perfection. For price and availability, visit www. cuciniale.com.

Coffee

Single-serve coffee makers. I've seen them, tasted beverages made in them and found them wanting. In my mind, the stream of hot water bullets straight through the plastic tub leaving unused dry grounds along the sides. If only, I have thought, there were a way to have the hot water saturate all the grounds, then drip through. Apparently, the people at iCoffee had the same idea and invented the patent-pending SpinBrew Technology, a wand that saturates the grounds within the cup. It produces a smooth, rich cup of coffee. You can use any K-Cup or, to help solve the whole less-than-ideal environmental impact, it comes with a reusable pod. The newest model from the people at iCoffee is the iCafe+. Not yet in stores, it comes equipped with the ability to compress the grounds as well as saturate, giving you a cup of real espresso. The iCafe+ also comes with a reusable plastic cup to first scald milk for creating cappuccino, lattes, Americanos and more. To find a store in your area for models currently available or for more information, visit www.icoffee.com.

Bowls, spatulas, gadgets

Zak Designs offers dishes, kitchen tools, bowls, glasses and much more. A standout for the kitchen, or really anywhere, are the Confetti Mixing Bowls made with recycled melamine. They're durable and practical with a touch of whimsy in the retro confetti style of the 1950s but with fun colors. Use for mixing or serving. For more information, visit zak.com. Spoons, spatulas, saucepans and more are showing off vibrant hues and a rainbow of pastels, too. The folks at Farberware, for example, offer colorful, saucy spatulas with motivational slogans such as Keep Calm and Bake On.

Treat-filled cakes

For the cake bakers among us, Lifetime Brands' Baker's Advantage offers its new “Fillables” Bakeware. The patent-pending collection features cake pans that help home bakers easily create filled desserts. “Fillables” come as a two pan set. One pan creates the bottom-half of the cake and forms the pockets to fill with chocolate, pudding, peanut butter, candy, cream cheese, frosting, nuts, etc. The second pan is for the top-half of the cake and forms the seal to hide the surprise fillings. An added bonus, you can just use the top pan alone for a conventional cake.

The Lifetime Brands team worked with designer Lou Henry, who created a concept where the baking pans have a scalloped shape to use as a serving guide. This allows you to cut and serve the cake without creating a mess. The collection launches with eight different shapes, with suggested retail prices ranging from $14.99 to $19.99, at national retailers soon.

To-go ware

I'm a sucker for anything having to do with transporting or storing food in a stylish manner, and the designers at BUILT have new products for sending the kids' lunches to school and your own to the office.

For kids, BUILT has expanded its popular Big Apple Buddies collection with a new character and a lunch backpack, Cornelia Kitty, and two new shapes — the Big Apple Buddies Lunch Backpack and Big Apple Buddies Backpack.

The Big Apple Buddies Lunch Sack features a Velcro closure and a soft handle with a buckle that unsnaps and attaches to backpacks, book bags or strollers. $16.99. Made from durable polyester fabric, the Big Apple Buddies Lunch Backpack is food safe, lead safe and phthalates and BPA-free. Suggested retail price $19.99.

For lunch anywhere

BUILT launches Worry-Free Lunch solutions to accommodate every need for lunch on the go, from keeping food and beverages cold to creating a clean place to eat. BUILT's newest lunch sack transforms into a place mat. Made from food-safe insulating neoprene, this Placemat Lunch Bag is also machine-washable. Suggested retail price $24.99. For more information, visit www.builtny.com.

Spiralizing trend

Among the handheld spiralizers, the countertop crank version and more, the Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 Spiralizer is a standout. No hand cranking required. Create fun and healthy meals with fresh vegetables and fruit. The 3-in-1 Spiralizer includes spiral, ribbon and grater discs.

The ribbon and spiralizer discs produce long, nearly continuous “ribbons” or “strings.” The grating disc grates hard foods, such as Parmesan cheese or nuts.

The Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 Spiralizer will be available in May at hamiltonbeach.com and national retailers. The projected price is $39.99.

Fermentation revolution

Fermented foods are an old idea made new again thanks to the clean eating craze. Montreal's Mortier Pilon has come up with a stylish, DIY way to get in on this food movement with a brand of high-end glassware designed to make at-home fermentation more accessible than ever.

The Fermentation range includes DIY kits to make your own kimchee, sauerkraut, pickles and more at home, while the Canning range has everything you need to start making your own preserves and jams. Lastly, the Kombucha range is perfect for those wishing to start home-brewing deliciously fizzy, probiotic-packed kombucha drinks.

The Fermentation and Kombucha products retail starting at $29.95, while the Canning range starts at $6.95. All are available online at www.mortierpilon.com.

• Contact Food Editor Susan Stark at sstark@dailyherald.com or (847) 427-4586. Be her friend on Facebook.com/Susan Stark Dailyherald or follow her on Twitter.

Spicy Cucumber Salad

BUILT has devised a solution for outdoor dining, picnics and eating at your desk with a bag that transforms into a place mat.
For those who prefer to slice and dice by hand, there is the Farberware Spiraletti Fruit and Vegetable Slicer. It features suction cup feet that stick firmly to smooth countertops to maintain stability. Suggested retail price of $24.99.
The "Fillables" Bakeware line from Baker's Advantage comes in eight different product shapes, with suggested retail prices ranging from $14.99 to $19.99. There are two pans in the set so bakers can hide surprise fillings.
The "Fillables" Bakeware line from Baker's Advantage comes in eight different product shapes, with suggested retail prices ranging from $14.99 to $19.99. There are two pans in the set so bakers can hide surprise fillings.
The 3-in-1 Spiralizer from Hamilton Beach will be available at national retailers in May. Following the spiralizing trend, this keeps your hands out of your zuccini noodles. Suggested retail price $39.99.
Fermentation and Kombucha products retail starting at $29.95, while the Canning range starts at $6.95. All are available at www.mortierpilon.com.
The fluted edges of "Fillables" show you where to cut each piece.
The Big Apple Buddies lunch sack, left, and the new Big Apple Buddies Backpacks are made from durable polyester fabric, are lead safe and free of phthalates and BPA. Suggested retail prices $29.99.
BUILT IceTec Bags use patent-pending technology to help keep food and drinks cold for hours. The reusable bags feature a food safe freezable gel sandwiched between an insulating outside layer and cold-transmitting inside layer. To use, simply fold the bags flat, place them in the freezer overnight to activate the built-in freezable gel, and they'll be ready to use in the morning. Suggested retail price $19.99.
Cuciniale.com's intelligent cooktop comes with the GourmetPilot app, and its GourmetSensor. Both are connected via Bluetooth. The sensor sits right in the pan while you're cooking.
Confetti 4 Piece Mixing Bowls from Zak.com add some pep to your prep. The bowl set is a vibrant statement whether used individually or nested together, and they make for easy storage. Confetti products are dishwasher safe but not microwaveable. Set of four $39.99.
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