LJWorld.com

Chicago — If you're an avid cook, there's nothing more satisfying than anticipating the next hot trends in kitchen equipment. A good place to glimpse the future is at the International Housewares Show held annually in Chicago.

Based on a tour of this year's show, where nearly 1,900 exhibitors offered their wares to thousands of retailers, here's a preview of what's coming soon to a store near you.

A new, compact bread machine from West Bend the Just for Dinner made its first appearance at the recent International Housewares Show held in Chicago. It makes a small loaf to serve four people in just 45 minutes.

New inventions

Toastmaster introduced a new appliance called Freefry, which can make potato chips, french fries and even "fried" mozzarella wedges without adding any oil. It uses high heat to caramelize the sugars, creating a browned, crisp crust. This new appliance will be available around Christmas.

Also from Toastmaster comes the Ultravection countertop oven, which can cook fresh or frozen foods up to 60 percent faster than standard ovens. The technology initially designed for restaurants uses radiant, conduction and convection heat to speed the cooking time while keeping the food's natural moisture.

Look like a pro

The desire to own professional-style cooking equipment is growing among serious home cooks and noncooks alike.

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Viking, makers of commercial-style kitchen appliances, introduced its own line of premium, professional-quality cookware and cutlery. Designed for an upscale audience, a 12-quart stock pot will sell for about $295.

Another manufacturer of premium cookware, All-Clad Metalcrafters, introduced a Julia Child commemorative: a limited-edition 2 1/2-quart domed casserole. It is packaged with Child's cookbook, "Julia's Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking," and will retail this spring for about $100.

(All-Clad also produces popular chef Emeril Lagasse's line of signature cookware.)

This OXO spice grinder features a lid that doubles as a grinder, so herbs and spices can be ground right from the jar.

Amateur cooks will appreciate authentic chefs' jackets, clogs and aprons from Chef Revival, available through specialty and cookware stores. The company also sells a line of chefs' tools everything from plastic squirt bottles ($1.25 for the 2-ounce size) to metal sauce bullets, which keep delicate sauces warm at optimal temperatures.

Old is new

Rival is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Crock-Pot. "Crock-Pot" has become synonymous with slow cookers in the American culinary lexicon. For the anniversary, Rival introduced a 5-quart, limited-edition commemorative model that's copper-plated and hand-numbered, to sell for about $50.

Other Crock-Pot models include pots with split sections to accommodate more than one dish (main dish and side dish, for example), and the Smart-Pot, a digital, programmable slow cooker in round or oval shapes.

Pure and simple

New oven options include Toastmaster's Ultravection countertop oven that speeds cooking time while keeping food moist.

Not all noteworthy household appliances need electricity.

Borner stainless-steel vegetable cutters are German tools that consist of a stainless-steel metal plate fitted with a cutting blade. There's one tool to dice onions, one to slice, one to julienne and one to shred hash browns. A waffle cutter will be offered this spring. Each cutter is $30; a safety handle is an additional $5.

Chicago Metallic introduced meatloaf pans with a nonstick finish and a drip-pan inset. As the meatloaf cooks, the fat drains out.

CorningWare expanded its attractive French White oven-to-table line of serving dishes. One practical new piece is a 9-by-13-inch baking dish that can be purchased with a vented plastic lid and an insulated thermal carrying container, great for potlucks.

The HelloKitty toaster oven from Sanyo, designed to appeal to young women who grew up with the popular Japanese icon.

OXO introduced spice jars with lids that are spice grinders, ensuring that herbs and spices can be ground conveniently right from the jar. As with all OXO ergonomic tools, the spice jars are easy to grasp and the grinders are easy to use. A spice jar with grinder will retail for $20. Refills are $5.

Making cooking easier

A compact bread machine from West Bend makes a small, bread-shaped loaf to serve four people in just 45 minutes. The Just for Dinner bread machine is priced at $80.

T-Fal's Magiclean fryer is easy to clean because the lid, fryer basket and removable pot are dishwasher-safe. A filtration cartridge keeps frying odors contained. The fryer will be available this spring.

Cooking seems like child's play with Sanyo's gaily colored, toy-like Hello Kitty appliances. Designed to appeal to young women who grew up with these popular Japanese icons, the Hello Kitty line, which began with an electric waffle maker and toaster, will include a toaster oven and rice cooker.

Sandy Hu is director of the Ketchum Food Center in San Francisco.