KBB - May/June 2012 - (Page 6)

EDITOR’S NOTE DESIGN + INNOV TION + LIFESTYLE / May/June 2012 A Going for Gold I recently had the opportunity to visit Bosch’s new showroom in Newport Beach, CA. I had a blast. Not only did I get to tour a beautifully appointed space, try out the company’s built-in coffee maker and help cook lunch on its appliances, but I also spent time with a lively group of blogger designers whom I admire (one of whom is featured in this issue’s Web Savvy column on page 20) and learned some things about appliances—the most interesting of which had to do with induction. We all know that the Europeans took to induction cooking much earlier than we did (so much so that induction seems to be the cooktop of choice in booths at European trade shows). Even in parts of Asia, where winter dinners are sometimes spent around a bubbling hot pot of vegetables, seafood and sliced meat, many an electric plug-in has been replaced by a portable induction unit and an induction-friendly pot. I know my family made the switch years ago. Consequently, I was surprised to learn that induction cooking technology was developed not abroad, but here in the United States in the early 1900s. Can you guess by whom? General Motors! The first induction stoves, I learned, were shown by the Frigidaire division of General Motors in the 1950s, but never made it into production. Westinghouse later produced a few hundred units, but induction never took off, probably because of the cookware required. This, however, seems to be changing. Designers and manufacturers, such as Bosch, are reporting more consumer interest in induction. And as someone at Bosch said, “Once you go induction, you don’t go back.” The other interesting thing about my visit was the fact that it was cosponsored by Blanco, whose products are on display throughout the Newport Beach showroom and whose representatives were also on site. (Incidentally, Tim Maicher, director of marketing for Blanco, gave a fascinating talk on trends and shared this statistic from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Americans use about 100 gallons of water a day, while their European counterparts use half that amount.) This seems to be a trend in these challenging economic times. Just last week, I attended a Häfele and Plain & Fancy media event at the former’s showroom in New York City, during which new products from both companies were presented, including a gorgeous white kitchen vignette that’s worth seeing if you’re in the neighborhood. Similarly, at KBIS this year, some companies teamed up to show their latest introductions in the same booth. Is this the way forward? Perhaps. I think it makes for good economics, as well as good will. And when times are tough, good will is like gold. n EDITORIAL executive editor Alice Liao (646) 654-4408 aliao@kbbonline.com creative director Jonathan Marsland (646) 654-4472 jmarsland@kbbonline.com Graphic production artist Jessica Farley (646) 654-7245 jessica.farley@nielsen.com INDUSTRY WATCH eNewsletter Nichole Schulze naschulze@yahoo.com editorial advisory board Jeff Burton; John Buscarello, asid; Jeff Cannata, cmkbd; Mick De Giulio; Jamie Gibbs; James Lev, aia; Candace Morris; Florence Perchuk, ckd; Lloyd Princeton; Roderick Shade; David Stimmel; Dick Titus; Gary White, cmkbd vice president/content Doug Hope (770) 291-5453 doug.hope@nielsen.com TERRITORY MANAGERS MidWest and illinois John Wilson 602 Society Place A2 Newtown, PA 18940 (215) 497-0221 john.wilson@nielsen.com east coast Paul Bienkowski 2422 Ellington Rd., South Windsor, CT 06074 (860) 644-3861; FAX: (860) 644-0700 pbienkowski@cox.net Phil Viscidi One Hollis St., Suite 305 Wellesley, MA 02482 (781) 431-1320; FAX: (781) 431-1968 phil@viscidi.com West coast and southWest Larry Shore 805 Avalon Dr., Seal Beach, CA 90740 (562) 598-5560 larry.shore@nielsen.com classiFieds and special sections Diane Kennedy 1145 Sanctuary Parkway Suite #355, Alpharetta, GA 30004 (770) 291-5519 diane.kennedy@nielsen.com vp kitchen and bath Group Brian Pagel 1145 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite #355, Alpharetta, GA 30004 (770) 291-5438 brian.pagel@nielsen.com SUPPORT production ManaGer Nan McDowell (770) 291-5480 nan.mcdowell@nielsen.com reprints Rosie Hassell The YGS Group (800) 501-9571 Ext. 136 kbb@theYGSgroup.com circulation custoMer service (800) 697-8859 Fax: (847) 291-8416 nkb@omeda.com list rental product ManaGer Bart Piccirillo (845) 731-2768 bart.piccirillo@eraepd.com senior vice president Joe Randall joe.randall@nielsen.com david loechner President, Nielsen Expositions Michael alicea Senior Vice President, Human Resources denise bashem Vice President, Finance darrell denny Senior Vice President, Business Development teresa reilly Vice President, Digital Joanne Wheatley Vice President, Manufacturing & Marketing Services Alice Liao, Executive Editor aliao@kbbonline.com lori Jenks Vice President, Operations Circle No. 7 the official sponsor of Copyright © 2012 by Nielsen Business Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - May/June 2012

KBB - May/June 2012
Table of Contents
Online Contents
Editorial
Show Director’s Note
Road to KBIS
Web Savvy
Trends
Products
Abroad
Education
Ad Index
Favorites

KBB - May/June 2012