Gas grills (CHICAGO): Second only to charcoal unit sales- Will lead the barbecue industry this week with the most product introductions at the National Hardware Show at McCormick Place and McCormick Place West. Buyers will see major gas introductions from industry stalwarts like Preway, Charmglow and Sunbeam, and newcomers like Temtex Products, while Cook 'N Cajun expands the smoker market with a gas smoker.
Sunbeam Leisure Products' gas intros are an 18-SKU line of cart gas grills. The line features contemporary "Cascade Design" castings in a graphite color. Top-of-the-line units feature wood shelving with increased workspace and a driftwood stain. Other features of the Sunbeam line include a countertop height control panel, Steakhouse cooking grids, Space Saver warming rack, 60-minute timer and Flare Guard ceramic briquettes. Suggested retail prices for the Sunbeam line range from $129-$600. Specifics on Charmglow's new designer series of gas grills were not available at presstime, however Bill Marcil, senior vp/marketing, told HOUSEWARES, "We're trying to add another dimension, a designer series of grills with various colors of wood and decorator accents to make an elegant statement about gas cooking."Marcil added that Charmglow is "re-introducing a contemporary look, and we're broadening price points for a more competitive and more upscale look."
Preway Industries is introducing what National Sales manager Jim Harl said will be a new concept for the Arkla gas grill line. "We will introduce a line with more features and a whole cart instead of a post and cart," Harl said. More shelving and notches on the castings for shish kabobs are additional features of the line. The 11-SKU Amberlight gas grill line from Temtex Products features heavy-duty permanent mold castings, H-shaped stainless steel burners and adjustable porcelainized cooking grids. Weber-Stephen Products is adding several models to its gas grill line, which according to Mike Kempster, senior vp/sales-marketing, "will be the new state-of-the-art in gas grilling."
Kempster was not able to cite specifics of the line, or of Weber's new tool set and tool set packaging. Weber's Go Anywhere Grill line and Weber Chunks wood line will also sport updated packaging. UNR Home Products will continue to emphasize to buyers its Happy Cooker line of self-cleaning gas grills. Introduced at last year's Hardware Show, the eigh-SKU line features rustproof porcelain cooking surfaces and grates, up-front or post controls, pushbutton ignitors and redwood or porcelain carts. The Jacuzzi Gas Grill Division is introducing five new lines, ranging from the Jacuzzi Ultra Chef line. Features of the 15 post and cart grills are up-front controls, redwood shelving, porcelain cooking grids and cast aluminum grill heads. Nordic Ware will exhibit its new Mark III promotional gas unit, which features a 454 sq. in. cooking surface, and its Mark V grill with two new redwood side tables.
Like its competitors in the gas industry, structo will introduce new SKUs this week, but specifics were not available at presstime. Introductions in electronic barbecuing include Maverick Industries' Deluxe Benihana Home Work Center. Featuring Model MBH-750, the slide-out cast cooking surface is built into a solid maple cart. Suggested retail is $699.95. Introductions from Meco Corp., a newcomer to the electric grill category, include one tabletop electric and two standup units. All three units run on 1750 watts of power. The two standups feature redwood shelving, but all three SKUs are colored in black with red trim. In Meco's traditional charcoal line, buyers will see four new SKUs. One unit is a tabletop, the other three are standup models. All four units are colored in red with black trim.
W.C. Bradley Enterprises is expanding its Char-Broil electric grill line with three tabletop electrics. The EG115 features 1650 watts and 187 sq. in. of cooking surface; the EG400-5 has 204 sq. in. and the EG501-5 features 1800 watts and 228 sq. in. All three units are constructed of cast aluminum. North American Products is expanding its charcoal grill line to include two promotional units. A 16-1/2-inch round smoker and a 22-inch round smoker feature all-steel construction, and a baked enamel finish on the bowls and covers. The 16-1/2-inch unit is colored in black and carries a suggested retail price range of $25-$30, while the brown 22-inch SKU is set to retail at $35-$40.
Ehco Inc.'s newest grill is the Grill Master steel tabletop charcoal unit that comes in 100 sq. in. and 150 sq. in. sizes. Suggested retail for the 100-inch Grill Master is $7.95 and $11.95 for the 150-inch. Buyers at next week's show will see an electric water smoker and an outdoor gas cooker at the Brinkmann Corp. booth. The water smoker has a double grill, which can hold up to 50 pounds, is constructed of cold rolled steel and is completely sealed during the cooking process. Its suggested retail is $89.95. Brinkmann's Country Cooker is an outdoor gas cooker that can grill, fry, steam or boil. Constructed of 3/4-inch welded steel, the Country Cooker emits 35,000 BTUs. Suggested retail is $69.95. At the Cook'N Cajun booth buyers can view gourmet water smokers, which are available in gas, electric or charcoal. The units are mounted on tripod legs, feature up front control panels and a six-quart porcelain coated water pan for water smoking. Smoker Products is introducing the Ultra Mr. Meat Smoker. A thermostat-controlled electric smoker, the Ultra features a 648 sq. in. grill with a warming rack, gas burner, redwood work table and storage shelf with stereo system. Suggested retail for the Ultra is $1.500.
Sunbeam Leisure Products' gas intros are an 18-SKU line of cart gas grills. The line features contemporary "Cascade Design" castings in a graphite color. Top-of-the-line units feature wood shelving with increased workspace and a driftwood stain. Other features of the Sunbeam line include a countertop height control panel, Steakhouse cooking grids, Space Saver warming rack, 60-minute timer and Flare Guard ceramic briquettes. Suggested retail prices for the Sunbeam line range from $129-$600. Specifics on Charmglow's new designer series of gas grills were not available at presstime, however Bill Marcil, senior vp/marketing, told HOUSEWARES, "We're trying to add another dimension, a designer series of grills with various colors of wood and decorator accents to make an elegant statement about gas cooking."Marcil added that Charmglow is "re-introducing a contemporary look, and we're broadening price points for a more competitive and more upscale look."
Preway Industries is introducing what National Sales manager Jim Harl said will be a new concept for the Arkla gas grill line. "We will introduce a line with more features and a whole cart instead of a post and cart," Harl said. More shelving and notches on the castings for shish kabobs are additional features of the line. The 11-SKU Amberlight gas grill line from Temtex Products features heavy-duty permanent mold castings, H-shaped stainless steel burners and adjustable porcelainized cooking grids. Weber-Stephen Products is adding several models to its gas grill line, which according to Mike Kempster, senior vp/sales-marketing, "will be the new state-of-the-art in gas grilling."
Kempster was not able to cite specifics of the line, or of Weber's new tool set and tool set packaging. Weber's Go Anywhere Grill line and Weber Chunks wood line will also sport updated packaging. UNR Home Products will continue to emphasize to buyers its Happy Cooker line of self-cleaning gas grills. Introduced at last year's Hardware Show, the eigh-SKU line features rustproof porcelain cooking surfaces and grates, up-front or post controls, pushbutton ignitors and redwood or porcelain carts. The Jacuzzi Gas Grill Division is introducing five new lines, ranging from the Jacuzzi Ultra Chef line. Features of the 15 post and cart grills are up-front controls, redwood shelving, porcelain cooking grids and cast aluminum grill heads. Nordic Ware will exhibit its new Mark III promotional gas unit, which features a 454 sq. in. cooking surface, and its Mark V grill with two new redwood side tables.
Like its competitors in the gas industry, structo will introduce new SKUs this week, but specifics were not available at presstime. Introductions in electronic barbecuing include Maverick Industries' Deluxe Benihana Home Work Center. Featuring Model MBH-750, the slide-out cast cooking surface is built into a solid maple cart. Suggested retail is $699.95. Introductions from Meco Corp., a newcomer to the electric grill category, include one tabletop electric and two standup units. All three units run on 1750 watts of power. The two standups feature redwood shelving, but all three SKUs are colored in black with red trim. In Meco's traditional charcoal line, buyers will see four new SKUs. One unit is a tabletop, the other three are standup models. All four units are colored in red with black trim.
W.C. Bradley Enterprises is expanding its Char-Broil electric grill line with three tabletop electrics. The EG115 features 1650 watts and 187 sq. in. of cooking surface; the EG400-5 has 204 sq. in. and the EG501-5 features 1800 watts and 228 sq. in. All three units are constructed of cast aluminum. North American Products is expanding its charcoal grill line to include two promotional units. A 16-1/2-inch round smoker and a 22-inch round smoker feature all-steel construction, and a baked enamel finish on the bowls and covers. The 16-1/2-inch unit is colored in black and carries a suggested retail price range of $25-$30, while the brown 22-inch SKU is set to retail at $35-$40.
Ehco Inc.'s newest grill is the Grill Master steel tabletop charcoal unit that comes in 100 sq. in. and 150 sq. in. sizes. Suggested retail for the 100-inch Grill Master is $7.95 and $11.95 for the 150-inch. Buyers at next week's show will see an electric water smoker and an outdoor gas cooker at the Brinkmann Corp. booth. The water smoker has a double grill, which can hold up to 50 pounds, is constructed of cold rolled steel and is completely sealed during the cooking process. Its suggested retail is $89.95. Brinkmann's Country Cooker is an outdoor gas cooker that can grill, fry, steam or boil. Constructed of 3/4-inch welded steel, the Country Cooker emits 35,000 BTUs. Suggested retail is $69.95. At the Cook'N Cajun booth buyers can view gourmet water smokers, which are available in gas, electric or charcoal. The units are mounted on tripod legs, feature up front control panels and a six-quart porcelain coated water pan for water smoking. Smoker Products is introducing the Ultra Mr. Meat Smoker. A thermostat-controlled electric smoker, the Ultra features a 648 sq. in. grill with a warming rack, gas burner, redwood work table and storage shelf with stereo system. Suggested retail for the Ultra is $1.500.