The Garlic King was nominated in the Gadgets and Kitchen Tools category.

The Soehnle Page Evolution Digital Kitchen Scale was nominated in the Countertop Food Prep Appliances category.

These products are also eligible for a “Best of the Best” Award for the best housewares products of the year.

Called “the Oscars of home design,” the Housewares Design Awards is the premier awards competition focused on the housewares industry.  Winners will be announced at the Housewares Design Awards presentation ceremony and luncheon on Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at the New York Marriott Marquis.

An independent panel of judges selected the Garlic King and Soehnle Page Evolution as finalists based on their superior design, appearance, function and originality.

The Housewares Design Awards are presented by HomeWorld Business and sponsored by the New York International Gift Fair^®, Gourmet Insider Magazine and Whitford Corporation. Product submission and judging process is managed by the International Housewares Association (IHA).

For more information, visit www.housewaresdesignawards.com.

1. The Baker

The material and temperature of the baking surface can mean the difference between soggy and spectacular baked goods. Although generally used for pizza, a baking stone absorbs extra moisture, making it ideal for a variety of baked goods.

Leifheit option: Rectangular Pizza Stone (comes with tray and peel) – MSRP $34.
A roomy stone that helps pizzas, calzones, breads, and savory cakes to bake up crusty and tasty.

2. The Traveler

Today, the cost of air travel can skyrocket with each extra bag and overweight bag that a traveler checks. A portable travel scale is one way keep tabs on luggage weight — saving time, money, and surprises.

Leifheit option: Soehnle Luggage Travel Scale – MSRP $20.
A packable little scale with a high load capacity, additive weighing function, sturdy strap with metal hook, and kg and lb options.

3. The Fitness Fanatic

Fitness-minded individuals know that body weight alone is not an indicator of physical fitness. Fitness-smart bathroom scales provide weight along with body composition data, painting a more complete picture of fitness.

Leifheit option: Soehnle Easy Control Digital Bathroom Scale – MSRP $40.
A digital scale that displays body weight and body mass index at a glance.

4. The Nutrition-Savvy Cook

Nutritional facts. Manufacturers have them for their packaged goods. Many health-conscious individuals want them for their own home-prepared foods. Fortunately, there are nutrition-smart kitchen scales that do the nutritional math so those at home don’t have to.

Leifheit option:  Soehnle Food Control Kitchen Scale – MSRP $50.
Digital scale containing data (calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat, cholesterol, fiber calcium) for 950 common foods, tare function, and total sum memory.

5. The DIY Devotee

An over-the-top gift for do-it-yourself types? A safe and stylish step ladder that will see them through years of projects. Your traditional holiday gift? No. Sure to be remembered and appreciated? Absolutely.

Leifheit option:  Hailo L60 4-Step Safety Ladder with Multifunction Tray – MSRP $110.
Keeps tools, paint buckets and cables within easy each. Slip-resident feet; wide, deep steps.

6. The Canning Enthusiast

Those who take food preservation seriously can never have enough canning jars. Those thoughtful enough to give these canning folks pretty jars as holiday gifts might later find themselves the lucky recipient of some delicious preserved goods.

Leifheit option: Preserving Jars ranging from .25 liter (1 cup) to 1 liter (4 cups) –  MSRP $15 to $23 for sets of 6.
These German-manufactured jars are a delightful break from the ordinary. The unique marquis shape makes them the perfect showcase for special batches of preserved foods.

Click here to download a sampling of what’s new in 2011

Download a PDF sampling of these new products or visit the media high-res photo collection.

Kitchen tools and gadgets

Soehnle kitchen scales

Food serving

Soehnle personal scales

Laundry

Cleaning

… and Travel!

Leifheit International USA is all about creativity. In fact our tag line – Always a Better Idea – pretty much sums up our philosophy and commitment to innovation.

For the upcoming holiday season, we offer some creative ideas for those hard-to-buy-for folks who are on everyone’s gift list.

All these products are new this year. All are available at select retailers and online at LeifheitUSA.com.

Click below for a look inside our gift idea guide …

If you are attending this event, please come by and see  us! If you’re unable to attend, e-mail us for a 2010 holiday media kit.

Every year, on April 19th, Project Laundry List joins together with hundreds of organizations from around the country to educate communities about energy consumption. National Hanging Out Day was created to demonstrate how it is possible to save money and energy by using a clothesline.

You can support the cause and get a good deal on drying racks, too.

About the Twister Mop:

• Revolutionary mop system uses centrifugal principal
• Dirt and water are tumbled out with minimal effort
• You can determine the level of dryness by the number of twists – the more you spin, the drier the mop!
• Includes strip mop and Twister bucket system
• Entire system packed in compact retail box
• 3 year warranty
• MSRP $40

The types of scales available to consumers today are astounding. There’s a scale that will tweet your weight to everyone via Twitter. There’s the doormat scale. And the scale designed as a box of chocolates.

There are scales that speak, scales that connect to wi-fi networks, and scales that pass for fine furniture.

In short, anyone entering this new decade with a resolve to closely monitor weight and fitness has countless options — from humble, low-tech analog scales to scales soaring sky high on function and design.

Soehnle scales by Leifheit are world-renowned for reliability and futuristic features – and a fascinating history that spans 132 years of innovation, including:

• The world’s first diet computer,
• The world’s first personal solar scale, and
• The world’s first solar kitchen scale

Today, Leifheit offers nearly two dozen Soehnle personal scales, including the 2009 Housewares Award finalist, the Body Balance Slim FT5.

Indeed, something for everyone in 2010.

Zen and the Art of a Bathroom Scale
The story behind the Sohenle 2009 Housewares Design Award Finalist

Can a high-tech personal fitness scale possess both beauty and brains?

Leifheit set out to meet this challenge. The result? The Soehnle Body Balance Slim FT5, a scale that enjoyed a hearty reception in the marketplace and was honored as a 2009 Housewares Design Award finalist.

The goal behind the creation of this scale was to pack as many comprehensive formulas and reading abilities as possible into one easy-to-use scale, while maintaining the ultimate ease and design elegance.

Soehnle scales have long been lauded as accurate, simple, slim, easy-to-clean, design-savvy additions to the modern home.  Embracing innovation along the way, the 141-year-old company has incorporated advanced technology with each model engineered.

What makes the Soehnle Body Balance Slim FT5 scale so special?

First, the technology. Of course, the Body Balance Slim FT5 possesses the accuracy in weighing for which Soehnle is world-famous; but this scale also has the ability to determine body fat, body water, muscle mass and energy consumption (kcal) through Body Impedance Analysis (BIA) technology. It then goes the extra step with an athelete mode that offers helpful recommendations based on these measurements (drink more water, exercise recommended, etc.). A trend display permits long-term tracking of body values. The scale stores the data and automatically recognizes up to eight individual users (max. load capacity: 330 LB/150 KG).

As for the stunning design of the Soehnle Body Balance Slim FT5, design team member Markus Dombrowsky explains, “Soehnle has always developed scales with the design, zeitgeist and form in mind. This philosophy fell into alignment with observing trends in modern lifestyle, involving less clutter, new materials and a focus on wellness, Zen and organic forms.”

Leifheit is no stranger to the esteemed Housewares Design Award. The Soehnle Comfort F5 Body Balance Scale won “Best in Category” in the 2007 Housewares Design Awards.

The suggested retail price for the Soehnle Body Balance Slim FT5 is $110; it is available through select retail stores and online at www.leifheitus.com.

Today, Leifheit USA is witnessing a surprising return to products that beckon back to simpler times – though with a decidedly contemporary twist.

Leifheit’s sleek, Euro-style housewares – such as canning jars, kitchen scales, push sweepers, laundry lines, step stools and nifty kitchen tools –are all finding their way into modern homes, where the economy and the environment are top of mind.

And the Leifheit tagline of “always a better idea” is as true today as ever.

To celebrate 50 years of innovative housewares, Leifheit International USA is giving away five $50 shopping sprees on their new e-commerce site, http://www.leifheitus.com.