August Issue

• It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
  - Editorial
• The Baby Boutique
  - What's hot for tots in 2010
• Up the Garden Path -
  - Quality assurance, high-design and originality . . . gardens are calling the shots
• Make it a Wrap
  - First impressions do count, which is why beautifully wrapped gifts are so enticing.
• Get Sharp
  - News from the sharp side.
• Festive Forecast
  - What's hot for this Christmas season?

News from the sharp side

Knives don't fall into the ‘grudge purchase' category. They inspire passionate rants about hand-forged blades, balance and design. They're often a self-purchase, fuelled by knowledge recently acquired at cooking school. And of course they're a perennially popular gift, especially for weddings and special engagements.

WORDS BY JO JOINER

So what's cutting it (pun intended) these days in the kitchen?

Avalon Fryer of the House of Knives believes that the German city of Solingen – known as ‘the City of Blades' – is still setting the benchmark at the quality end of the knife spectrum. “Solingen isn't just a geographical location, it's a quality mark that's protected by Solingen law,” she says. “Only a genuine Solingen knife can carry the Solingen mark.” Allowing your customers to try a top-end knife before they buy is also a great way to secure a sale, says Fryer. This is especially important for blades that are used daily, like the cook's knife. “A cook's knife has to be comfortable to use. We keep carrots in the shop so that people can try various models and identify which knife is best for them.”

While there will always be demand for renowned German-made knives, new ceramic-blade technology is on the horizon for the trendy end of the market. The ceramic material, made with a mineral called zircon, is harder than stainless steel, won't rust or stain, and keeps its sharpness for longer.

In the ‘cheap and cheerful' knife sector, the brightly coloured knives by Kuhn Rikon are flying out the door, says Living & Giving buyer, Julie Evenbly. Made in Switzerland and distributed in New Zealand by Uncle Zito's, they're top of the popularity ladder, she says. “Customers love them because they don't get lost in the drawer,” she says. “The coloured-blade surface is non-stick and every knife comes with a matching blade protector.”

Knives aside, what else is hot in the kitchen right now? Tony Davis, national sales manager of DKSH, believes the age-old pressure cooker is making a big comeback. “They're very different to the pressure cookers of the past. The quality is exceptional and the results are amazing,” she says. “You can have a slow-cooked style of dinner, such as soup or a casserole, on the table in 25 minutes. Rice is cooked in just seven minutes.”

Brightly coloured silicone ware is also capturing a lot of sales, and newer products coming through are highly innovative, says Davis. For example, the purpose-built, two-tier cupcake holder stores up to 24 cakes, then collapses flat for easy storage. Another big success is a collapsible silicone salad spinner, and in the bakeware department, the non-stick properties of silicone are still being greatly appreciated by home cooks, she says.

As for colour in the kitchen, Dennis Brundell, director of Dunedin Stainless Steel Co, reports that fuchsia is the hot new colour for silicone ware. Always on the lookout for new ideas, Brundell aims to introduce 250 items to the New Zealand market each year. “Our newest gadget is the pot clip – a device that clips onto the lip of a pot or pan and gives you somewhere to rest a spoon.” Also ringing in the sales are specialised herb scissors, pocket shopping bags (they fold up to fit into a pocket or handbag) and anything to do with cupcakes – even cookie cutters shaped like cup cakes, says Brundell. Fuelled by inspiration from the Food TV channel and Masterchef, the demand for well-designed, quality kitchen tools is continuing to grow. Who knows what's around the corner – anyone for an anatomically-correct gingerbreadman cutter?