March 08--The big news is small gadgets at the 2016 International Home + Housewares Show, which opened Saturday at McCormick Place. The annual trade-only event brings together more than 2,000 makers of home and kitchen goods and 20,000 buyers from around the world. And this year millennials, with their market-researched tiny homes but big food- and tech-centric budgets, were the most courted consumers.
Here are some of the products and trends from this year's show:
PRODUCTS
Gourmia GKM9000
This first of its kind, Wi-Fi connected, nearly all-in-one countertop appliance may be the closest we get to the Jetsons kitchen this year. The GKM9000, which looks like a slow cooker meets blender meets iPhone display, weighs, preps, cooks, monitors and more. Although we haven't tested the device, made by Brooklyn-based Gourmia, it seems similar to the popular Thermomix heating and cooking appliance, which is testing its own Wi-Fi accessory called the Cook-Key. Expected availability: April. $600.
PancakeBot
Seen at last year's show as a prototype, the PancakeBot 3D, which prints pancakes in custom shapes, is shipping this year after a successful Kickstarter campaign -- which means pancake faces (yes, you can make a pancake version of your own face) are popping up everywhere on social media. Essentially the device is an electric griddle with a batter-dispensing bottle guided by a sliding printing arm. Design your desired pancake using the included software. You may now give away your waffle maker. Available: Now. $300.
KitchenAid Mini
The iconic stand mixer maker has gone tiny with the compact Artisan Mini. The bowl of the Mini holds just 3.5 quarts, compared to the 8 quarts held by the brand's largest mixer model. But it's still mighty: It has the same motor as the bigger guys, and can use all full-size attachments, from the pasta maker to the meat grinder. The Mini will be available in new colors, including Hot Sauce Red. Available: Summer. About $400.
TRENDS
Color
Pantone revealed two colors of the year late last year: Rose Quartz and Serenity, a cool blue. Their display at the show featured collections of products made in those shades. But Pantone is the reactionary one on this equation: The color company picks colors annually that reflect what's trending, as seen with the new KitchenAid color Cornflower Blue.
Coffee
While the multi-thousand dollar bean-to-brew machines and smart-pod makers get bigger and more expensive, French press pots remain perennial and the parallel trend of pour-over grows. The most notable: OXO's new pour-over coffee dripper, designed to control water flow.
Carbonation
Carbonation continues as a bubbling trend, with the Keurig KOLD already on the market with its single pod sodas, and certainly SodaStream's best-selling systems. But the carbonate-any-beverage machine DrinkMate ($120, available now) is shaking things up, with customers carbonating everything from juice to cocktails. The similar, anticipated SodaStream Mix was available as a prototype in a buyers-only backroom at the show, but no word yet on its release. The company did let showgoers sample new syrups which can be used in any SodaStream, including coconut water and green tea (available next year).
lchu@tribpub.com
Twitter @louisachu
