By Scott Nyerges on March 7, 2011 in
Trade shows aren't just for cars and consumer electronics. Housewares are getting their due in Chicago at the 2011 International Home and Housewares Show, a three-day extravaganza of everything and anything you could possibly need (or not) for your house. Kitchen appliances are big, as are cookware, home organization and storage products, As Seen On TV gizmos, not to mention dishware and drinkware.
ConsumerSearch is attending, and we're posting live updates on Twitter and our Facebook page, along with photos of innovative products and wacky items that must be seen to be believed (Toilet Tattoos, anyone?). Having made the rounds of the cavernous McCormick Place convention center, we can say one thing with certainty: There is a LOT of stuff out there, but not necessarily a lot of NEW stuff. And the stuff that is new isn't necessarily ground-breaking. But a few things have caught our eye.
Robotic cleaners for hard-surface floors
Robotic vacuums made a big splash when they debuted several years ago, and we saw a bunch of them at CES this year in January. Now there's more competition among robotic hard-floor cleaners (that don't vacuum). The Mint Automatic Floor Cleaner (*Est. $200) is here in Chicago, as it was at CES. The Mint is a glorified wet/dry mop that uses disposable electrostatic or reusable microfiber cloths to clean hard-surface floors. Think of it as a Swiffer for the digital age.
We were a little skeptical at first about how well this product works, but most of the 120 or so users posting reviews at Amazon.com are very happy with their Mints, giving it an average score of 4.5 out of 5. Most owners say it does a good job of picking up dust bunnies and light debris, and they like the fact that it can be used either dry or with a cleaning solution. Users also say it's very quiet (so it won't scare pets) and is quite simple to use. We did read a handful of complaints, namely that it can't clean a large room on a single charge, and that it doesn't have the power to clean heavy, set-in dirt and stains.
IRobot, the company synonymous with the Roomba robotic vacuum, is also trotting out a new hard-floor cleaner called the Scooba 230 (*Est. $300). This pint-sized cleaner will join their existing Scooba in their product line; the key difference is that it's half the size of the current Scooba, just 6.5 inches in diameter and 3.5 inches tall, and designed to clean small spaces like bathrooms. It's due out this spring.
Slow cookers with a twist
The slow cooker hasn't changed much since Rival invented the category with its Crock-Pot back in 1971. But two slow cookers grabbed our attention at the show. The Slow Cooker Mate (*Est. $70) is a 5-quart, programmable slow cooker that has a unique, patented feature: a divided insert that fits on top of the main crock. Why a second, smaller insert? For cooking sides like tender vegetables that would otherwise turn to mush if you put them in the larger crock with food that takes a long time to cook, like a roast. The Slow Cooker Mate has only been around for a year or so, and it's not widely available in stores, but it can be found online at Amazon.com (which sells through affiliate ChefsCatalog.com). Only a handful of consumers have weighed in on this slow cooker, but reviews are generally positive.
KitchenAid also hopes to improve upon basic slow cooker technology with its new 6-quart Slow Cooker KSC 6222, due out this fall. Instead of just having keep-warm, low and high cook settings, the KitchenAid slow cooker adds a medium setting, something we've not seen before. Why the extra setting? Added versatility, a company rep says. Instead of cooking on high for a few hours, then switching to low, this strikes a happy medium. Another clever innovation: a lid with hinged openings for easy serving access for buffets or picnics. This slow cooker is expected to retail for about $120, and you can see a photo of it on our Facebook page.
Entrepreneurs hoping to make it big
The IHHS isn't just for big-name manufacturers. It's also a forum for small businesses and entrepreneurs hoping to make it big. One product that grabbed our attention is the TipNSpray, a reusable plastic spray bottle that has an extra-long straw to suck up the last of your cleaning fluid. We haven't had a chance to try it out, but we will, so watch for an update.
That's just a taste of what's on display at the International Home and Housewares Show. We'll be posting more today, including a look at some wacky As Seen On TV products, so check back, and be sure to check our Twitter feed and Facebook posts.