Best In Category Winners at Housewares Show

McCormick Place served as a launch pad for innovation and design as existing manufacturers debuted a variety of great products, as did newcomers.

Show organizers selected design honorees for the 2006 Housewares Design Awards "Best In Category Winners." The winners included:

Pavina Double Wall Thermo Glasses from Bodum, Inc. - Bodum's insulated glassware is made from durable borosilicate glass. Pavina's rounded tumbler shape features an outer vessel that holds an inner container, which enhances the glass' functionality.

Calphalon Katana Series Cutlery 8-Piece Set from Calphalon Corp., A Division of Newell Rubbermaid - Made from VG Japanese steel, the Katana Series is said to be considerably harder than commonly used German steel, resulting in longer edge retention and rendering it capable of being honed more finely for optimum sharpness.

Easy Spin Salad Spinner from Zyliss USA Corp. - The Easy Spin salad spinner delivers high spinning speeds with minimal effort in a container that doubles as a salad-serving bowl.

Bialetti Mukka Express from Bradshaw International, Inc. - The Bialetti Mukka Express brews barista-quality cappuccino and cafe latte on the stovetop.

Cuisipro Roast and Serve Rack from Browne & Co., Ltd. Cuisipro's two-part steel-rod roasting rack with a durable non-stick coating boasts two large handles and a removable pin. When the bird or roast is cooked, the user simply lifts it to a cutting board via the sturdy handles, then pulls the pin to release the two sides.

Electronic Kitchen Scale from Alessi USA, Inc. - Designed for Alessi by Stefano Giovannini, this scale made almost completely of stainless steel adjusts to take weight and measures in grams and pounds with just one touch of a button.

800ESXL – Espresso Machine from Breville - This die-cast espresso machine offers a thermoblock heating system, a 15-bar Italian-made pump and a dual-walled crema system for ideal, rich coffee flavor and texture.

Other great finds our editors discovered include:

AeroGrow International, Inc. introduced The AeroGarden, the world's first kitchen garden appliance that allows anyone to simply, conveniently and affordably grow healthy and delicious Farmer's Market Fresh herbs, lettuce, tomatoes and more all year-round on their kitchen countertop without dirt, bugs, weeding or mess.

Soyabella Soymilk Maker from Tribest makes soymilk from soybeans and water in as little as 15 minutes. But it's not limited to soymilk -- it makes bean milk, porridge, rice paste and much more.

UK-based La Cafetiere showed its wares for the first time in the U.S. The company has a line of French presses (ceramic, melamine, glass and thermal versions), as well as teapots, kettles, ceramics, melamine and gift sets.

De'Longhi released a new elite line of high-end small electrics as a new brand category called Esclusivo by De'Longhi. The range, which includes espresso, drip coffee and toaster ovens, is based on top-quality materials, high design and expert workmanship.

Look for more product introductions in The Gourmet Retailer's twice-weekly Dispatch.