New Home Goods Offer Simple Solutions for Stay-at-Home Lifestyles

Many new and featured products at The Inspired Home Show had the simple purpose of making life around the house easier, more relaxing and even more fun.

Home has become more things to more people over the past few years. Products that let consumers make the domestic environment more pleasant for everyday tasks and leisure activities can generate immediate consumer interest. A study in the Journal of the American Planning Association published late last year demonstrated a permanent shift away from out-of-home activities and travel to spending more time in and around the home. Remote work, online education, streaming video, e-commerce and Zoom gatherings all play a role in keeping people in the domestic space.

Although accelerated by the pandemic, the trend was evident in the period from 2003 to 2019, when, each year, consumers were spending almost two minutes less out of the home than they had previously. In the pandemic, time out of the homestead dropped by half. In the post-pandemic period up through 2023, the rebound only amounted to about 10 minutes a day. The overall reduction in time spent out of the home from 2019 to 2023 was just 53 daily minutes.

Under the circumstances, consumers have time to think about making their dwelling places homier.

The Munchies

For mealtime fun, the KitchenSupply Old Stone 4-Piece Pizza Stone Set (pictured above) prepares pizza, bread and other baked goods. Each set includes four 7.5-inch by 7.5-inch square stones that work individually for personal-sized pizzas or in combination to form one large, family-friendly 15-inch by 15-inch stone for full-size pies. Consumers can choose a traditional cordierite version or a glazed version with a non-porous surface for easy cleaning.

Only a few things can buoy a home’s mood as much as ice cream. The Gourmia Cravy Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker, introduced in Chicago, comes in two models: the one-quart GSI1010 and the two-quart GSI1020. It uses built-in freezing technology, so neither model requires users to pre-freeze bowls overnight.

Tech Boost

One day, we may be talking to all our kitchen appliances, but it’s still a novelty for now, so it might be fun to discuss a cup of tea with the Salton Variable Temperature Voice Controlled Kettle. In a sleek glass, stainless steel look, the kettle provides convenience with audio commands and a bright digital temperature display for precise control. The voice recognition capacity allows for commands in three languages: English, French and Spanish. In addition, a three-level automatic safety system shuts off the kettle when it boils, runs dry or leaves the base even as it encourages multilingualism among those tempted to check their pronunciation as they prepare beverages.

Of course, technology can make things easier, as in the case of the Anova Precision Oven 2.0 featured at The Inspired Home Show. Anova combined the restaurant-level versatility of a traditional combi oven with enhanced technology of the company’s Guided Cooking, which uses a high-definition smart camera to sense what home cooks are preparing and automatically adjust the oven controls for the best results. The Precision Oven 2.0 offers enhanced steam injection, upgraded bottom heating elements and one-touch Cook Mode on the oven interface to make use simple.

Prep Play

FinaMill’s 2025 models make it easier to season meals with motors that are faster, stronger and quieter than ever. The company also noted that the mills have dual LED spotlights and an ambient light ring that can illuminate spices as they flavor food. Besides function, the company wants to help with home aesthetics, leading it to add four seasonal colors. The new Cotton Candy Pink, Canary Yellow, Mint Green and Ocean Blue colors complement FinaMill’s classic Sage, Midnight Black, Stone, Soft Cream and Sangria Red tones.

Of course, looks can be deceiving, which is the idea behind the Mobi Wine Bottle Peppermill. Mobi developed the wine-bottle-sized peppermill to surprise a thirsty diner and provide a novel twist on eating occasions. But it’s fully functional, using a ceramic grinding mechanism that eliminates the metallic taste a metal alternative might, and Mobi asserted it’s easy to fill.

The Kitchen Mama Orbit One Electric Can Opener brings ease to meal prep with a pop-on-and-let-it-work functionality. The product effortlessly opens cans with its patented tilted blade design, cutting 360 degrees along a lid without touching the food inside. The patented tilted changeable blades make the Orbit One compatible with almost any can type and size. Sleek and lightweight, the opener is conveniently rechargeable.

Life on the Range

What home wouldn’t be more fun if it had a Rodeo Buddy? The Umbra Rodeo Buddy Bottle Opener is all about horseplay, given its wild rider design in cast metal clad in an eye-catching polished chrome finish, As it straddles the opener base with one hand waving in the air and the other holding on for all it can, the Rodeo Buddy is a unique decorative piece. It even performs a bit of a rocking, spinning dance when placed on the base, making it fun and interactive.

For the home chef who is happier cooking out in the open air, the Cuisinart Outdoors 2-in-1 Griddle & Broiler can do a lot of different meal prep with its flat-top griddle for cooking and a high-heat broiler, which also has the additional purpose of searing what’s under preparation. The griddle has a 504 square-inch surface to cook up to 24 burgers at once. Underneath, the broiler cabinet features a three-level adjustable cooking rack and a viewing window to keep track of what’s cooking. The patent-pending broiler uses direct heat downwards when closed, providing high-heat searing, and opens to release heat for toasting, warming or melting, so it can make it simple to whip up breakfast, lunch and dinner outdoors.

Clearing the Air

A nice atmosphere is conducive to relaxation. Aromality Life has launched a unique waterless diffuser line using its patented Smart Particle Technology that can fill up to 2,500 square feet with consistent and even fragrance. The Aromality Life Aroma Blanket has a motion detector that can start and stop operation, so it works when desired. A cartridge-style diffusion chamber simplifies the installation and replacement of fragrance oils. The Aroma Blanket designation covers three models: the wall-plug Aura, the smaller wall-plug Base and the Stand, which can be mounted on surfaces and gets its power from a USB Type-C connection.

Then, the app runs Objecto H10 Smart Humidifier, which not only makes breathing easier but also makes things even more atmospheric with seven LED-assisted mood lighting options. As to the main function, the mist reaches a height of three feet, so the H10 is effective across a wide area. The sophisticated design makes the humidifier fine to leave out in view and a snap to refill. 

Fun Furnishings

So all household members can join in on the fun, the Renew by Trinity Hide + Seek Dog Crate and End Table is made from 2,129 reclaimed bamboo chopsticks. The end table is part pet comfort furniture and part conversation-starting home décor.

Finally, what could be more emblematic of easy living than a combination wine fridge and humidor? The Havana Vino Ultimate Wine & Cigar Preservation System can handle up to 49 bottles and 680 cigars and has independent precision climate control for each section. The cigar humidor design maintains humidity levels for optimal cigar aging while sturdy, smooth, gliding Spanish cedar and birch wood shelves preserve cigar quality. A smart digital touchscreen control switches from normal to booster, silence and eco modes. With two 5/16-inch thick sound-dampening panels for quiet operation, Havana Vino has a recessed handle that finishes a sleek look for a showcase appliance available in Traditional Stainless Steel and Black Stainless Steel.