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Ambiente is traditionally the place where kitchenware manufacturers unveil their newest introductions and provide a preview of the trends and directions for the coming year. This year, the threat of war and a faltering U.S. economy made the mood more somber than in previous ones. Our editors spent three days at the exposition to unearth the upcoming trends and discover what they mean for the housewares industry. The current worldwide mood evokes a variety of sentiments, which range from domestic cocooning to casual entertaining. As consumers turn inward to their homes and particularly to their kitchens, they expect to share more social events in the home in an effort to rediscover what is most important in their lives.

Quality of Life

Products that offer time savings and ease of use in expressive designs comprised the core of kitchenware introductions during Ambiente 2003. This trend primarily manifested itself in three ways — subtle tweakings of existing kitchen tools to create improved products, technical innovations combined with new materials and functional developments within the latest design trends.

One example is the new classic mandoline by Zyliss that was designed with safety and ease of use in mind. The mandoline's sliding-track guidance system ensures that the user is in control when operating it. Fingers are protected from the blades during cutting and slicing by the insert holder. The mandoline is ergonomically designed to adapt to body posture and range of motion so that the user will feel as if the tool is an extension of his or her hand.

Quality-of-life issues were not only reflected in ergonomic aspects, but also in product introductions designed to make products stored at home much more visually appealing. As an example, J.A. Henckels showcased its new elegant knife storage system composed of birchwood. Suitable for use on a shelf or wall mounting, the magnetized unit has slots for knives so that six to 10 knives can easily be tucked into the pockets for safe storage.

Come Sit at My Table

In the tabletop arena, the timesaving convenience mantra is less important than is the appeal to the individual through emotional and harmonious style elements. As a result, table settings directly reflect an individual's personality, making the mood created by the set table as important as the meal itself.

Taking the time to enjoy everyday moments is a direction mirrored by the Rosenthal Group's Thomas range of stainless steel Kitchenhelpers. Inspired by various TV cooking shows that depict friends chatting about the latest news while cooking together, the line's juicers, graters, sifter, and salad tumbler complement the versatile bowls of Thomas' Loft series.

While lifestyle stories have set the stage for new product introductions, the direction in the tabletop showrooms is toward the kitchen. A host of manufacturers are expanding their product lines to include functional kitchen items. Both Rosenthal and Villeroy & Boch introduced functional kitchen-to-table lines, while even Wedgwood showcased its product in home-styled settings.

Functional, practical, multipurpose, and stylish, Villeroy & Boch's Home Elements line represents a totally new direction for the company. The line incorporates a range of materials — from porcelain and glass to wood and brushed steel. It's directed towards the trend of home entertaining in which the kitchen becomes the living room, with more people celebrating while cooking and eating together. The product range is all encompassing, including as it does mortar & pestles, large serving dishes with lids, bread cutting boards, a citrus squeezer, ladles, and cheese graters.

Wedgwood officials describe their extensions as reaching beyond the table into all areas of a homey lifestyle. New introductions include a collection from interior designer Kelly Hoppen comprised of 25 distinctive pieces suitable for a wide range of uses from the dining room to the bedroom.

The Ethnic Eatery

Interest in a variety of ethnic cuisines continues to flourish as consumers experiment with cuisines not typically found on their dinner tables. To properly prepare these dishes at home, avid home cooks are demanding the "official" tools of the trade.

Le Creuset's Indian Range capitalizes on the escalating interest in flavors from the East. The Karahi dish that serves as a wok in the East has a matte black interior that heats food very quickly. The Karahi dish comes in two sizes, a 10-inch to cook in and a six-inch individual pan that is designed so food may be eaten directly from it, using naan bread, of course. Also available in the line is the Tawa dish for cooking flatbread or chapattis.

Emile Henry made its own foray to the stove, testing buyers' reactions to its Flame-Proof line of products that range from a tagine to a fondue to a grill plate. And for cooking Italian style, Frabosk introduced a three-piece rice cooker. Made of 18/10 stainless steel with a triple sandwich bottom, the steam flows through holes in the inner pot to cook the rice, maintaining its full nutritious and flavor characteristics.

Highlighting Heritage

The desire for home-cooked local cuisine has helped drive introductions for some time now, and that trend is not abating. Emile Henry showed a new Artisan collection of Jacques Henry-archived shapes that feature a rustic glaze atop bisque. The collection is launching with four shapes in three color ranges — cognac, russet, and olive.

Vintage products also debuted at iittala. Two archived designs — Sarpaneva and Mango — were both relaunched at Ambiente. Mango, a flatware pattern first introduced in 1973, is a striking, voluptuous design for everyday and formal settings that includes dinner knives, forks, spoons, coffee spoons, and corresponding pieces for appetizers or dessert. Made entirely of matte brushed 18/10 stainless steel, it has an elegant finish. The Sarpaneva cast iron pot is another revival of a 1960s Finnish-designed classic. The three-liter white enamel-lined pot has a detachable wooden handle that makes it easy to lift the pan off the stove and carry it straight to the table.

Belle Cuisine® from Revol is a lovely collection of porcelain cookware inspired by traditional French shapes. The collection includes cocottes, an oval créme brûlée casserole, oval bakers, deep round dishes, and rectangular terrines. The white collection has a smooth glaze finish, flat bottoms, rounded edges, and single-block handles that are highly resistant to chipping.

Portmeirion brought new shapes to the table with a gourmet-inspired rimmed extension to its Botanic Garden, Pamona, Dusk, and Holly & Ivy lines. Designed by Queensbury-Hunt, the 13 wide-rimmed shapes offer a functional appeal.

Calming Color

While saving time in the kitchen was the goal of most product introductions at Ambiente, many focused on simple styles with natural elements amid calming colors. Many new designs were in hues of whiteware, but color was still in vogue with various shades of oranges and purples accenting designs. Plisse by Pillivuyt is a white textured pattern with pleats adorning the rims and sides. White housewares were also plentiful as many companies known for color showed off a whiter shade of pale at the exhibition. Koziol brought black and white to the market with new collections of kitchen accessories. Among them were a canister set, a pizza cutter, and wine coolers.

While green made another statement at Ambiente, the consensus was that no variation offered truly made the grade. Some were too reminiscent of the avocado of the '70s, while others leaned too much toward camouflage military gear. However, Rosenthal's collaboration with Donatella Versace rendered a particularly great translation of this color range with an emphasis on turquoise in the resulting Arabesque collection.

Traditional blues continue to hold a share of the market with Emile Henry introducing azure to its Provençal collection. Pillivuyt showed Paname, a blue-flowered decal collection with a textured finish. The design also features a delicate yellow trim. Waechtersbach brought a youthful blue color to the table with Marina, a combination of blue, aqua, and white solid shapes accented with a core decorative pattern. The pattern has stripes of pale blue waves with blue fish swimming across the plate. The fish are created with a reactive glaze, which almost gives it a sponged appearance.

Stripes, along with photographic designs and simple flowered patterns were also easy to find. Youthful exuberance was displayed in many of the striped patterns released from traditional tabletop design houses ranging from iittala to Wedgwood. Origo dishware from iittala has been extended to include two new shades of striped designs. A girly red, as well as a boyish blue color will join the original orange range.



Fun Yet Functional

Bridging the gap between functional and decorative, many introductions will help make preparing the meal almost as fun as serving it. Fun new discoveries included Saleen's Wickerwork made of a unique synthetic material whose silken surface is extremely resistant to environmental influences and impervious to moisture. The result is a line of wonderful baskets and accessories that are washable, dishwasher proof, and weatherproof.

Touching on both fun and functional aspects, GP& Me presented a wide collection of 18.8 stainless steel gadgets with ergonomic santoprene handles. The line's fish turner has perforations fashioned to resemble a fish.

Manufacturers continue to brew new coffee and tea releases running from eva solo's CafeSolo system to blomus' double-walled coffee service. CafeSolo is a designer coffee-brewing system created with a glass carafe and a drip-free filter funnel. The carafe's neoprene cover zips up to keep the coffee warm for up to 30 minutes.

The blomus coffee service collection is comprised of double-walled espresso, cappuccino, and latte cups and saucers. A tall latte macchiato glass with a stainless steel saucer was designed for the collection, too. Coordinating tall stainless steel spoons with a brushed finish are also available.

High Tech Transforms Traditional

The tenet of "good can be made better" traversed nearly every product category. Manufacturers continue to apply the latest technology to the manufacture of even the most traditional cooking items. Lodge continues to perfect the process of making cast iron cookware, focusing on formulating the proper metal chemistry and creating exacting mold tolerances so that consumers can enjoy the best of what cast iron has to offer. The new Pro•Logic line offers a distinctive set of new designs with graceful rolled edges, stylishly curved lines, and comfortable handles. Each item is seasoned at the foundry with the company's proprietary Logic oil-fired finish.

The Le Lillotte Silicone Bakeware line from Pedrini combines the function of silicone with high-quality, stylish design. The new bakeware line permits easy, quick baking, with the silicone providing thermal resistance and flexibility. The nonstick silicone molds are available in a variety of shapes and colors to meet any baking need.

Stainless steel's popularity continues across categories, ranging from tabletop to housewares. Francis!Francis! is preparing to market a brushed stainless version of its X-1 to join the Titanium model now available. Bodum debuted Naoko, a stainless steel teapot with an infuser that appears as though it houses a genie and the company also announced that it would soon launch Espresso Granos — a semiautomatic espresso maker and frothing system. IVO Cutlery introduced a beautiful stainless steel range of cheese accessories with brushed handles and mirrored blades. The six-piece collection will be showcased at the Gourmet Products Show in May.

Danesco is breaking new ground with SenSai, a new line of cookware designed by BBC Chef Ken Hom. The Asian-inspired line includes fry pans, grill pans, and tabletop items, and extends to a Connoisseur collection of woks that have a nonstick surface promoted as metal tool safe.

HP Zenker introduced a new easy-open lid-locking system for its food storage line that is designed to create a tight seal, but can be easily opened by gently squeezing the lid and the base together on both sides.

The mixture of stainless steel and porcelain wasn't just rampant amongst tabletop manufacturers. WMF's combiNation Cuisine is a line of individual components that when utilized in combination with each other, provide a wide range of functions from cooking to roasting to browning under the grill, and even to serving. What makes this system unique is the combination with baking dishes made of fine china. The concept is based on two pan shapes, the curved shape of the "Classic" and the conical shape of the "Basic" that widens towards the top. Both Cromargan® pans have functional appeal with a practical scale on the inside and a pouring rim. In addition, there are two lids, a glass lid that fits securely and a Cromargan lid that lies flat. The round china bowls fit into the pans and may be taken from the oven to the table.

Measuring up to the Job

With so many great innovations in the kitchen, consumers are no longer satisfied with substandard designs that make preparing food an unpleasant task.

For example, Küchenprofi introduced a wide variety of items, including a Three-stage Breading System. In it, three stainless steel shallow pans sit beside each other, allowing the user to fill them with flour, bread, and breadcrumbs and move the meat being breaded from one to the next with ease.

To make the task of brewing tea more convenient and less messy, Emsa introduced The Universal Tea Filter for vacuum jugs and flasks. The uniquely designed filter allows the tea to develop its full taste and brew directly into the vacuum jug, thereby saving the user the time it takes to transfer it from one pot to another to keep it hot. When ready to serve the tea, the user simply removes the filter from the jug and stands it on its head. Excess liquid collects in the lid to prevent the production of any mess.

Further measuring up in the kitchen was a variety of new kitchen scale models. Soehnle introduced three black and stainless kitchen scales — Myra, Vera, and Lena are flat, compact models that are also available in a solid white range. Typhoon launched its designer Equinox line of kitchen scales with a traditional commercial approach. The line's oversized bowls make it easy to pour out measured contents, while Salter presented a wide collection of scales with high-tech mechanisms for precision weighing coupled with exquisite design to make them a truly irresistible kitchen necessity.

Playing with Abandon

Cocktails were another popular category at Ambiente and Rösle was among the entertaining crowd with their full range of barware introductions in brushed and mirrored finishes. Particularly interesting was a Bar Butler set that includes a bar sieve, a spoon, a knife, a measure, an ice cube scoop, and a bottle opener.

Sweden's Orrefors and Kosta Boda toasted the future with their new wineglass collections. Orrefors' "Difference" collection includes two reds, two whites, a champagne, a decanter, a pitcher, a dessert wine, and water glasses. Kosta Boda's Capri line of wineglasses is available gift-boxed in pairs. Bormioli Rocco also introduced paired gift-box ranges in its Premium wineglass collection.

Screwpull introduced a new collection of highly designed wine accessories. Included in the collection are an ice bucket, bottle stoppers, a decanter, a thermometer, openers, and a wine rack. Complementing the collection is a variety of stainless steel barware items.

Home is Where the Hearth Is

Making the home and kitchen a sensual experience that provides pleasure, comfort, and visual appeal is at the core of new kitchenware introductions. As the events of 2003 play out on the world stage, set the stage here at home for a successful business. Provide your customers with solutions that will help them create a kitchen filled with practical, functional equipment, and a comfortable home filled with domestic tranquility.