Archive for January, 2011

World-renowned chef and TV personality Eric Ripert teamed up with three globally renowned “stars” of kitchen design – Poggenpohl cabinetry, Miele appliances and BLANCO sinks/faucets – to outfit the set for the second season of his Emmy award-winning show “AVEC ERIC.” This week, the press got a close-up and personal view of the set kitchen and Chef Ripert’s thoughts on kitchen design.

Ripert, the internationally recognized chef of New York City’s Le Bernardin, served food prepared by his restaurant staff and inspired by his travels on the show, AVEC ERIC. Every show comes home to Ripert’s stunning kitchen where he creates exciting meals incorporating the ingredients from his travels.

“I am thrilled to have Poggenpohl, Miele and BLANCO associated with my show, and thank them for their generous support of AVEC ERIC,” states Ripert.  Ripert’s kitchen plays an important part in his creative process and is truly a reflection of his holistic approach to food and lifestyle. The 13-episode series airs nationally on PBS stations. Check local listings for times.

The kitchen was designed with the cutting board in front of the cooktop, so Chef Ripert may cook and plate in one continuous motion.

BLANCO RADOS faucet being a quiet but well-used hero throughout

A rare opportunity to watch Ripert's staff in motion prepping recipes from Avec Eric

Ripert talks about kitchen design for chefs. Putting everything in its place or in Eric's words, "Mise En Place"

Yesterday, the BLANCO Design Council toured BLANCO’s SILGRANIT sink manufacturing facility in Sinsheim. The plant is one of only a few in the world that makes composite granite sinks. BLANCO has two plants – one in Toronto Canada and one in Sinsheim. There are 7 patents in the world on composite sinks. 6 are exclusive to BLANCO. SILGRANIT is a unique formulation that’s stain resistant, heat resistant, non-scratching, non-fading and tougher than actual granite. The plant is so top secret – they wouldn’t let us film in the factory. We snuck in these photos. Around the world, SILGRANIT II sinks come in over 100 stylish designs and 11 colors. We will soon have our 7th trend setting color in the U.S. – Truffle!!! OK we snuck in a preview of Truffle below as well. It’s soooooo cool.

Tim, Cheryl, Susan and Paul pose with their safety goggles before entering plant.

Leslie and Jamie get ready for their tour!

We saw these being made... look for the new Truffle sink color in April!!

Day 2 of iMM Cologne began with a tour of the BLANCO Booth and ended with our Design Council making a gourmet meal at Cologne’s Vintage cooking school and restaurant. We explored BLANCO’s new Truffle color for SILGRANIT (to launch in the U.S. in April) and we took a look at concept products that may come to the U.S. down the road. Here are some videos – click on the photos to watch.

Truffle's versatile taupe shade comes off the runway and into the kitchen.

RONIS entertainment sink offers integrated serving dishes and cutting board.

BLANCO SteelArt Concept Sink with integrated cutting board.

Design Council members Jamie Goldberg and Paul Anater plus Alice Liao from K+BB make their own meal at Vintage in Cologne.

Fine wine and fine food accompany a cooking event at Vintage.

Hey is that the SOLON compost system? What a perfect companion for performance cooking.

Hello! We’re traveling this week to imm Cologne’s first Living Kitchen fair with members of BLANCO’s Design Council; a group of elite kitchen and bath designers/bloggers. We are spending the week exploring the latest products and trends in kitchen design and will be making trips to BLANCO’s German plants to see how the sinks and faucets are made. BLANCO’s Design Council members will also meet with industrial designers at BLANCO to dream up the next new sink and faucet innovations!

Design Council's Paul Anater and Susan Serra get their first look at imm Cologne

Imm Cologne is one the world’s premiere furniture fairs and trade shows. This is the first year that they’ve incorporated kitchen manufacturers and the show itself is amazing. Europeans are passionate about hospitality. It’s not a typical trade show – where you fly from booth to booth and demand to be scanned so you can get a brochure. There are chefs preparing food everywhere. Cafes are inside major booths where you can sit and sip champagne, eat risotto and enjoy a few moments to make a relationship with the people you meet. Instead of waiting 45 minutes in line for a $12 hotdog – you are sitting a touch table screen with new friends having an espresso.

Here’s a few impressions from show. More to come soon!

BLANCO’s new CULINA semi professional chef’s faucet on display.

The sleek lines and closed coil of this innovative new faucet caused a stir at the show.

Touch screen tables.

Chefs cooking everywhere

CULINA causes a stir

The Edison Best New Product Awards™ are among the most prestigious accolades honoring excellence in new product and service development, marketing, design and innovation. The Edison Awards have received a record number of entries in 12 categories for 2011 and BLANCO’s award-winning SOLON is a Nominee in the Best New Product category.

The Awards are named after Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) whose methods and prodigious body of work garnered him 1,093 patents and made him a household name.

A panel of more than 2,500 senior business executives and academics from across the nation will vote for the winners with the Awards presented at a gala function in New York City on April 5, 2011.

BLANCO SOLON has already captured numerous honors this year including: Interior Design BOY, iF Award, DPHA Innovative Product of the Year and an Innovative Green Design Award.

BLANCO announces that its award-winning SOLON Compost System was selected to be featured in a Martha Stewart influenced & environmentally friendly designed home at the annual International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Florida in January 2011. This is BLANCO’s first collaboration with the globally famous home design guru and her team.

Created from the highest-grade recycled stainless steel, the SOLON Compost System organically collects waste below the counter in an effortless and eco-friendly way while adding beauty and style to the kitchen. The SOLON Compost System has recently won a number of prestigious honors for integrating green living into kitchen design including the iF award for product design, an Innovative Green Design Award, an Interior Design BOY Award and the DPHA award for Innovative Accessories Product of the Year.

“We are pleased and honored that the SOLON was chosen to be part of Martha Stewart’s KB Home GreenHouse series,” states Tim Maicher, BLANCO’s Director of Marketing. “This unique product truly speaks to the growing desire to incorporate green living into home projects – beautifully and in a way that makes our daily chores easier.”

The home will open for tours on Wednesday, January 12, 2011. In addition to live on-site tours, an online virtual tour will be available for those unable to make it to Orlando. To learn more about this year’s Builder Magazine Concept Home and register to take a tour, visit www.builderconcepthome2011.com.