Bialetti Mini Express Single-Serve Espresso System

January 16 was the date set for the 2013 International Home + Housewares Sneak Preview, and one of the sector themes that emerged— or perhaps remained would be a better word— was expansion of the single-serve coffee maker segment. Vendors previewing products that they will feature at the Housewares Show built on their strengths in attempting to deliver unique items.

For example, Bialetti showed off the Mini Express Single Serve Espresso System, a recently introduced 20-bar single-cup brewer that allows consumers to choose just how much coffee they want to pour.

Vendors are coming up with a variety of new ways to serve up coffee more personally. At the Sneak Peek, Jura Capresso addressed a couple of related trends with one brewing machine. The Capresso Coffee a la Carte Cup-to-Carafe Coffee & Tea Maker adjusts to brew strength and to serving size, with a range that includes small cup, large cup and carafe, and tea besides. The product comes with dedicated tea filter.

For its part, Hamilton Beach bet on flexibility, introducing a coffee maker that can brew 12 cups at a time or just one. The single-serve feature allows consumers to use either ground coffee or K-Cups.

Other brewer introductions included the Krups Barista EA9000 from Groupe SEB USA, a fully automated one-touch cappuccino maker, and the one- or two-cup Krups Precise Tamp XP5610, an updated Precise Tamp model with a new lock-in nozzle that is easier to clean.

The full roster of sneak peek participants was: 3 Green Moms LLC; Alfay Designs; Anchor Hocking Glass;  Anvid Products, Inc.;  Architec;  Arm and Hammer Licensed Products;  Bialetti;  Bradshaw International, Inc.;  Browne USA;  Casabella Holdings LLC;   Catamount Glassware Inc.;  Chef’s Planet;  Corkcicle;  Coton Colors;  Crane USA, Inc.;  Cristel USA;  Deagourmet;  Dreamfarm; Epoca International Inc.;  Everware International Inc.;  Fagor America, Inc.;  Finium by Riensch & Held;  Grillbots by Humminah, LLC;  Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc.;  Home Skinovations Inc.;  Infusion Living LLC;  Jelmar;  Jura Capresso, Inc.;  Krups, Groupe SEB USA;  Kuhn Rikon Corp.;  Libbey Inc.;  Lifetime Brands, Inc.; Marpac LLC;  Mavea LLC;  Meyer Corporation;  Molecule R;   Nordic Ware, Div. Northland Aluminum Prods., Inc.;  Now Designs;  oneVessel by Vessel Drinkware;  Oreck Corp.;  Pic Corporation;   PMI;  Prepara;  Quickie Mfg. Corp.;  Roland Products Inc.;  Rowenta, Groupe SEB USA;  simplehuman;  Skoy Enterprises;  Sleep Innovations Inc.;  SodaStream USA, Inc.;   Spectrum Brands;  Spice Ratchet Mills, LLC;  Sublime Marketing Group;  Swiss Diamond;  Takeya USA;  Talisman Designs;  Telebrands Corporation;  Tovolo;  Twang Partners, Ltd.;  Victorinox Swiss Army;  WellnessMats;  Wilton Armetale;  Winix Inc.;  World Kitchen LLC;  Zak Designs, Inc.;  Zojirushi America Corp.