Two weeks ago I flew out to Chicago to see the gargantuan Home & Housewares Show for the first time. I love Chicago and the show was really interesting in that it wasn't furniture or design centered, but service centered. Everything was closer to hardware store than to home furnishings shop, and everything was PRACTICAL. After two days of trolling (I barely cracked the show), here are my top finds.
>> Mr. Clean: This is a classic shot from the show: The Mr. Clean booth was front and center with people eating chunks of him on the last day!
>> Staub: These other famous cast iron cookware makers have a much more German approach to design and a really interesting under-cover design that allows condensation to fall evenly over your cooking. I loved the metallic coloring as well as the cast iron plates that were on display (and not on sale in the US yet).
>> Le Crueset: Coming on the heels of the tremendous popularity of Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia, Le Crueset reached back into their archives and have remade some of their older designs in their signature flame red (exactly the ones Julia used). In the pic you can see the original vintage versions side by side with the new ones.
>> Wilton: This famous cake mold maker was new to me, and I Ioved the crazy ingenuity that they put into making molds of all shapes and sizes. Here are some of their signature complex patterns as well as a skull mold for Halloween.
>> Demeyer: John Pawson is everywhere!!! While not my particular style in the kitchen, I thought these were daring and original. This is someone's cup of tea.
>> Zwilling J. A. Henckels: I LOVED these new knives, Limited-Edition 1731 Chef’s Knives, designed by Matteo Thun. With German steel and a Japanese design influence, the things are beautifully formed and weighted. They are also very expensive. Definitely an aspirational purchase.
>> Miyabi: I got the full scoop on these firewood cutting blocks. While light to pick up, firewood carries oils that naturally protect against germs AND has a surface that will not dull your knife while chopping. Very cool.
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I am very excited to see the return of vintage style le creuset. I am a HUGE le creu fan and the old stuff looks fabtastic.
saer
http://cravenmaven.wordpress.com
Wilton cake pans have been around for ages and they are so much fun! Interesting tip: If you live in Kansas and have a public library card, you can borrow Wilton cake pans inter-library loan. (Just ask a librarian.) Since many of them are so specialized, this can be a good alternative to purchasing and storing your own collection.
LOVE those cast iron plates!!! I do hope they go retail here in the states (with some color options...not so sure how food would look on gray). CAN'T WAIT!
Thanks for the post.
Kiki
Does anyone know of a good place to get Creuset cookware re-enamelled? Is it even worth doing? My old dutch oven has a large chip in the bottom.
Thanks!
Love the wilton cake molds!
Ok, I'm drooling....
It's Le Creuset, not Le Crueset. Look at your own picture.
Also, Staub is French, not German.
I have ruined so many Le Creuset pots I'll never buy another - cast iron all the way! (you mean you DON'T want to visit me for dinner?!)
@llamarama - Staub became part of a German company (Zwilling) in 2008, so perhaps that's the reason for confusion. But you're correct that they were (and, technicalities aside, remain) a French company and (as far as I know) all of their manufacturing still occurs in France.
alright, I'm seeing these teeny little covered cassaroles all over the place (like in the Staub picture)... what the heck would you make in them? they just don't seem very useful to me
d4kk1tt3n,
They are more useful than you may realize.
You can make individual cakes, pies and the like and then serve them to the guests as the pots look just as good on the table as they are in the oven. Heck, even Le Creuset sells the little pots these days.
As to Le Creuset itself, I have an older 5Pc set in the butter yellow that is old enough to have the enamel all the way across the ridged bottom and they all have the white enamel interiors. I have a 1Qt sauce pot with lit, 2 skillets, the 8" and 10" and the 5Qt oval French oven that I got at an estate sale sometime in the 1990's for a mere $25 and I doubt it had been used much for the French Oven still had it's sticker across the front. I absolutely love the stuff and got familiar with it when my Mom bought a set in I think the late 70's and is of the chocolate brown, but hers has the more current non enameled bottoms however.
@bensrose - I would try calling Le Creuset (1-877-CREUSET) for guidance about re-enameling. I've heard good things about their liberal warranty, so it's probably worth trying them first (but I'm not sure what it takes to convince them to repair/replace something at no charge).
You could also ask them whether a chip on the outside will have any long-term effect on the pan's performance - if not, it may be worth ignoring. ;)
As another alternative, we have 2 dutch ovens, one Le Creuset and one Lodge (much cheaper) and I honestly don't notice a difference in terms of performance. So you might be just as happy buying a replacement (less expensive) enameled cast-iron pan...
Also, the reason the enamel starts to chip is usually from heating the pan up too quickly - the enamel and iron expand at different rates when heated. I usually let my pans sit over a low flame for 5-10 minutes or so while I do prep work (chopping, etc.) and have never had any chips.
you may like to know that ikea's cast-iron cookware works perfectly and costs a fraction of the imported brands. I have been using one of their medium-sized pots for a long time and it's a real blessing - and a perfect match for my induction cookplate. (they are also made in France, for all that matters :)
the new staubs and le cruesets look amazing!
I love the mini cocette! They are so adorable, I LOOK for things to make in them. I have made beef stew, mac & cheese, rhubarb crumble, pot pies, chicken & dumplings and escalloped potatoes in them (so far). Everyone has commented on how adorable they are. I have both Staub and Le Creuset - no difference in performance. Make sure you get the enamelled steel and not the ceramic. However, the ceramic can go from freezer to microwave. Whatever maker or material you get, the small pots are fun to cook with.
Re: Staub... Besides having been taken over by the German Zwilling, Staub is headquartered in Alsace, which is split between France and Germany, and whose border has changed many times...
Finally some more Staub products coming to the US !!! It spanks the other cast iron manufacturers in my opinion - just make a pot of soup with their dimpled cast iron pots and you'll never go back. Much less a Sunday roast chicken.
I have the cast iron plates - use them less than I thought I would; but their handled individual chafing dishes are amazing - can't make a crisp without one now.
Warning: They are pricey, but totally worth it - so save up if you need to. There's always the option of going to their outlet store in Turckheim, France - but that could be just silly.
Bring on the cast iron plates. Those BEG for use in my wood-fired oven, not to mention that they are stunningly gorgeous.
FYI, the mini-casserole/cocotte thingies are available in abundance at Marshalls/Homegoods, at least where I live. So far I have resisted, but it's difficult. I'm such a sucker for trial-size.