Coming Soon, to a Kitchen Near You

I just got back from the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago, which is one of the biggest industry events for the world of kitchen products and home cooking equipment. It's where new products get introduced and retailers decide which ones they're going to put on their shelves. If there was one common theme for the show, it was GREEN . Given that environmental and sustainability issues are dominating our collective consciousness, this is not a surprise. But in the decade or so that I've been following this industry, environmental and social responsibility is more important than it's ever been. Here's a look at some of the products and technology that will be turning up in kitchens in the coming year or two: Portable Induction Cooktops These sleek black squares plug into a regular outlet and can create an extra cooking surface. They use less energy than your gas or electric oven and, because the cooking surface remains cool, they're also very safe and will not heat ... (link)