PRODUCT STORY

What's Hot in Maison & Objet?

2012-02-02T18:07:00.000+09:00

The international-famous show for design in lifestyle, Maison & Objet, was ended on Tue. last week. At the show, we met more than 100 of new customers and many of repeat customers. Thank you so much for visiting us. Here, the top 3 new products which the buyers are interested in. For your reference....

Maison & Objet in Paris

1. CAFEPRESS (↑photo)

2. FIKA

2. CAST jug

Our show reports are here.

New Product For 2012--CAFEPRESS--

2012-01-13T10:41:00.042+09:00

KINTO will showcase new products at 3 exhibitions, and we are pleased to introduce CAFEPRESS as our top recommended series. For more new products, check our new catalogue before the show!

1. It's New Rule for Coffee and Tea

By preparing tea leaves or ground coffee, pouring hot water, and pressing the plunger, only simple steps to drink a cup of tea or coffee. Without teapot and dripper, you can enjoy rich aromatic coffee and tea instantly. CAFEPRESS combines the function and the simple design.

2. Instant but Tasty Way

The mesh of the plunger is very fine stainless, so the CAFEPRESS fits both tea and coffee. When you prepare the ground coffee, the medium grind would be the better. As the pressing way let the coffee or tea soak in hot water to brew simply, it brings truly pure taste and flavor to you.

3. How to Make

Put the ground coffee or tea leaves in the cup without the plunger. Then, pour hot water up to the inside line and put the lid on to brew it for a while. Take off the lid and set the plunger. Finally, press it down slowly and ready to drink!!

3. Press and drink in one cup

Since its cup is double-walled, it retain the heat well. Also, it's easy to hold and great to walk around.

Further new products are displayed at 3 exhibitions: Maison & Objet in Paris, Ambiente in Frankfurt, and Houseware Show in Chicago. Hope to see you there!

Message Lasting Forever --porcelain message card--

2011-12-16T09:09:00.002+09:00

Have you written a message on porcelain card? It was a very interesting and unique experience for me, and the card turned into a special message for my friend. As the message on the porcelain is hardly erase, I thought my friend and the message over for a longer time. The card is very small, but it's enough to express our heart because it's made of porcelain. Also, the card itself become a small gift.

You can wirte messages by marker pens and pencils. Using stickers may be a good idea, too. Let's look at how to present the cards.

1.With a ribbon and hanging

2. In the small box

3. As a charm

If you paint with your kids, it will a beautiful Christomas ornaments.

4. At the shop

At your shop, these paper display stand are available. Placing them close to your gift items or greeting cards, your customer may be surprised.

RICE COOKER --How to Cook Steamed Rice--

2011-11-14T18:57:00.009+09:00

Why don't you try steamed rice for your meal? Once you get to know how to cook, you will be surprise how easy and healthy it is! Let's find out how to cook the basic steamed rice.

1.Wash 300g* of rice in the RICE COOKER and drain well.

You can use a bowl to wash and colander to drain. *300g is for serving 2.

2. Pour water up to the higher line and leave it for 30mins

Inside of the pot, there are 2 reference lines, lower is for serving 1 and higher is for serving 2.

3. Put the inner lid on and heat it about 8 mins with medium high heat

4. Don't panic when the water boil's out

If you see the water inside at the end of heating time, boil it away with low heat.

5. Turn off the fire and leave it to steam for 12mins

Keep the lid on while it's steamed.

6. Mix it and finish

When you mix, use the spoon as a knife to cut the steamed rice and try to turn the bottom rice over to the top. Too much mixing will be a cause for badness of the taste.

Please adjust the boiling time and the amount of water depending on the kinds of rice and your preference.

RICE COOKER --Arranging Recipe--

2011-11-14T18:57:00.007+09:00

If you cannot eat all of the steamed rice, you can keep it with the upper lid in the fridge and re-heat it in the microwave later. For the next day, we recommend arranging recipe with vegetables, seafood, and even meats like a risotto.

1. Add water/soup and put it on fire

Stew it with vegetables and other foods you like.

2. Season the rice and add some cheese

3. Enjoy instant risotto!

The BRIM "More Stylish & More Useful"

2011-10-17T13:58:00.000+09:00

The BRIM is developed to become your best teapot in your everyday's tea time. There are lots of small but distinguished ideas are put into this teapot, and they are the keys to high usability.

1. Strainer's Scecret

a. The size of strainer halls are small (0.5mm), so it's enable to strain almost all kinds of tea leaves, even broken type.

b. projections on the bottom of strainer help to drain water smoothly when taking it out from pot.

c. It's easy to hold after the strainer gets hot since the strainer's rim is covered by ABS resin.

2. Easy Handling

a. Thin porcelain is succeeded in producing a "light weight" pot, and it won't be heavy with full beverage.

b. Lid and strainer is stably connected with, so you can pour the tea by one hand.

c. This structure prevents from dropping the lid off when you pour.

3. Opening the Lid

a. Push the lid brim lightly.

b. Pull to open.

The Best Item Ranking 2011 Aug.-Sep.

2011-09-26T16:12:00.002+09:00

Have you checked our new products at 2 exhibitions in NY and Paris? This is the Best Item Ranking from these 2 shows, and clearly the drinking items and tea items are the popular among the visitors. However, the other new items, such as RICE COOKER, CAN CAP, and ARTISAN, caught many attentions, too.

In case you didn't have chance to visit us, please download our new catalogue and visit our product page to find our brand-new products. It's already updated!

Maison & Objet 2011 Sept.
1. BRIM new
2. Floating Tea Strainer
3. UNITEA

NY International Gift Fair Aug.
1. ReCUP glass (drink tumbler)
2. ReCUP porcelain (drink tumbler)
3. Floating Tea Strainer

OVA, the minimal design carafe

2011-08-10T17:53:00.003+09:00

The gently curved form is designed to fit your hand softly and to hold easily. The lid fits tightly, so you can pour by one hand. The sharp spout form can prevent dripping. It's convenient to store cold drinks, such as liced tea, lemon water, or fruits juice in the refrigerator.

On the table.

In your hand.

In the refrig.

COOK ON COCOON --Steamer on the Gas--

2011-06-14T18:24:00.009+09:00

As Japanese diet is know as healthy, and seam cooking is one of popular methods in our lifestyles. 2 main advantages of steam cooking is "Healthy" and "Tasty."

Healthy reason: 1) You don't have to use any oil.
                            2) The nutrition is kept in the foods.
                           3) Extra fat of meat can be removed.

Tasty reason: 1) The moisture of foods is kept well and fresh.
                        2) You can feel the natural taste of food itself.

In addition to "Healthy" and "Tasty", it's very "Easy" to steam foods with COCOON. Nothing is better than these 3 advantages for our diet. Let's learn the COCOON and how to cook by the following illustrations. (Click the photos to read the instructions)

With KINTO's COCOON, smart ideas making your steam cooking enjoyable are designed. The lid can be used as a bowl. When you don't use the pot, turn the lid over and keep it compactly.

6Steps for Steam Cook Master

mus. Multi-Usuable-Steamer

2011-05-16T17:19:00.021+09:00

mus. is a steam cooker at your kitchen but useable as plates and bowls on your table. Your cooking and serving can be done with one set of "mus." Cook simply, enjoy simple taste!
First, let's show you the basic way to cook with mus.

1. Put the foods just like serving on the plate.

2. Cover it and heat in the microwave.

3. Serve it to your table!

When you eat, we recommend preparing various kinds of sauce. You will be amazed how tasty steamed vegetables are!!

Next, let's find out the 3 kinds of basic cooking ways with each part.

A. Steam with steam plate (colander)

Because the steam plate drips the extra fat from meat, the meat becomes healthy. Vegetable is condensed and juicy because they're cooked by only the foods water. No additional fat & water, we can enjoy the taste of itself.

B. Steam and boil with shallow plate

When you want to flavored stronger, remove the steam plate and put the foods on the shallow plate directly. You don't have to move to another plate after heated, so it's very convenient for the cooking of something soft like a fish.

C. Boil with deep bowl

If you want a cooking more boiled or simmered, use a deep bowl to put the foods with sauce & spice together and mix during/after heating. Don't forget using shallow plate as a lid for quick preparation. Microwave saves your time for cooking!

3way Hand Juicer Meets Fresh Fruits!

2011-04-15T18:42:00.204+09:00

Fresh fruits and vegetables are the best supporter of our health and beauty. KINTO's new product, 3way Hand Juicer, is a handy tool to help us to eat much more fruits and vegetables easily everyday. No need to heat but use the whole foodstuffs, we can take their nutrition, fiber and everything. Futhermore, you don’t need a heavy electric juicer to prepare and wash later, but you need simple steps and minimum power for your 1 cup of fresh drink. Let's find out how easy to prepare fruits mix drinks with 3way Hand Juicer.

1WAY. SQUEEZE

Pick up the squeezer and tumbler and prepare orange and soda.

a. Cut the orange in half and squeeze

b. Drop some pieces of ice and pour soda

c. Mix gently and your Orange Soda is ready!

(This squeuzer is good for orange, mandarin, grapefruit, lemon, lime etc.)

2WAY. GRATE

Use grater and tumbler to prepare your apple soda.

a. Grate some pieces of apple

b. Pour soda and stir slowly

c. Alpple soda with 100% natural flavor!

(This grater is good for charrot, ginger, apple, pear, radish, tomato (hard), celery, cucumber etc. )

3WAY. MASH

Use these items to blend kiwi fruit and yogurt.

a. Chop kiwi and mush in the tumbler

b. Add yogurt and milk

c. Healthy & easy kiwi yogurt for everyday.

(This is good for banana, kiwi fruit, strawberry, tomato, mango, papaya, basil ect.)

UNITEA, the universal teaware design

2011-03-16T16:50:00.001+09:00

We wish to thank you for sending us warm messages and kind concerns after the terrifying earthquake. Although many glasses and porcelains drop and were broken, nobody was hurted fortunately. Our best wishes to the earthquake stricken area.

KINTO's one of flagship product

UNITEA is the remarkable teaware series. UNITEA marks stably high sales in Japanese market and won the Good Design Award in 2008. Moreover, it attracts many international buyer's attentiona throughout the 3 exhibitions in this winter season even though it's not so new item series (2006~ ). We can now say the design of UNITEA is the universal, so let's find out the functions and designer about this series!!

Q&A to find out the UNITEA

Q: The origin of name?

A: UNIT + TEA = UNITEA

Q: How many units are there?

A: 14 units

Q: What kind of material are they?
     A: Heat-resistant glass for cups, jugs, strainers, and lids.
          Stainless steel for strainer and lid
          Plastics for strainer and lid

Q: What's the unique point of the design?

A: Because the size of diameter is same in jug, strainer, lid,

and cup, you can choose and set up the original tea pot

with your favorite material items.

Q: Which combination is the best?

A: It depends on how you use.

If you love to enjoy the color of tea, glass is the best.

If you are going to use UNITEA at restaurant and cafe,

stainless steel and plastic is better.

Who is the designer?

The designer of UNITEA is Fumie Shibata. After gaining many experiences in TOSHIBA as an in-house designer, she established "Design Studio S" and has designed many outstanding products in various categories. She won the high recognitions to her gentle and warm design.

The official web site is here.

The Best Item Ranking

2011-03-02T12:40:00.004+09:00

This is the top 3 items that visitors are interested in buying
throughout the exhibitions in 2011 winter season.

Have you checked them? No?? You must!

Maison & Objet in Paris

1.Floating Tea Strainer (photo↑)

2.UNITEA

3.Mobile Tea Strainer

NY International Gift Fair

1.couture (photo↑)

2.Floating Tea Strainer

3.UNITEA & Mugtail

Ambiente in Frankfult

1.Floating Tea Strainer

2.ReCUP (porcelain series)

3.UNITEA (photo↑)

The Floating Tea Strainer is the best of best in this season.

Product information of these items are available from here.

**Reminder: The next "Newsletter" will be issued in about March 15th.

New Items Arrives for Coming Spring and Summer!

2011-01-11T17:14:00.011+09:00

What’s Floating?

It’s a tea strainer floating in the cup. This is one of our new products in the spring and summer collection 2011, which includes more than 30 series with reworked designs and color ways. First, we’d like to introduce the new tea strainer series, Floating Tea Strainer. The 6 bright colors, cute spherical shape, and the combination of silicone and nylon make your tea time more enjoyable.

How to Use?
Pull to open the silicone cap and fill in your favorite tea leaves. Simply put the strainer into hot water and it will naturally float. After the appropriate brewing time, just take the strainer out and keep it on the saucer, which is also made of silicone. It's really fun to look at the floating orb.

Where You Can Find our New Items
MAISON&OBJET starting from 21 Jan. will be the first fair to showcase our new items to the international market. If you have plans to visit either of MAISON&OBJET, N.Y. International Gift Fair, or Ambiente, please come to take a look at our new items. For stand locations of these fairs, please visit our Event page.

The Pair Cup for Winter Gift

2010-11-17T16:31:00.002+09:00

What does “HO-N-NE” means?

HO-N-NE is the string telephone shaped pair cups. The “HO-N-NE” named after a Japanese ward “honne.” This means real intention or true feeling. It often occurs that we can’t tell our real intentions to somebody you care. Secret, love, or ….? It might be the telephone to seize an opportunity to convey your real intention. For your romantic winter, HO-N-NE is one of the charming items to present.

Story of Package on HO-N-NE

The package design is also the big issue when people choose the gift items. On the HO-N-NE package, there is a story of the secret talk between cat and mouse. What are they talking about? It’s up to your imagination! KINTO’s design items can extend your idea. We are hoping to see somebody’s little smile on their face when they see HO-N-NE.

The uniquest pair cup "dandan"

2010-11-17T16:27:00.000+09:00

Where did the dandan name come from?

The name “dandan” is named after Japanese word. Dandan is the Japanese sound symbolism word of “stairs.” If you turn the cup upside down, it looks like stairs. It might be easy for you to image the sound of “dandan” as “dump-dump” or “down-down.” This is very rare shaped porcelain cup because of the technique’s difficultness. We can enjoy the design uniqueness itself. On the other hands, this design stands out and become an accent on the table, so it’s suitable for your home party.

How to use dandan cup

Because it has a unique shape like stairs, it seems to be limited the usages? No! There are many ways to use practically in your daily life. For example, the small cup is good for snack, appetizer, and dip sauce. On the package of dandan, we show the recommendations of how to use. If you are looking for something distinctive, this is the one for you.

For White Christmas!

2010-10-18T15:03:00.012+09:00

The Birth Story of couture
It was one and a half years ago when our product planner, Sayaka, had started working on her idea. From the beginning the main focus in developing this couture series was double wall cup. The strong points of double wall cup are keeping hot & cold temperature longer and keeping the surface from dew condenses, and they are perfect drinkware in book reading, business scene etc. There are some designed double wall cups in the market already; however, her intention was to create women’s taste cups keeping its functions and to spread its worth widely through women’s support. After she repeated trial and error, she set the design to form the outside of porcelain into lace and knit, and it looks real.

At first sight, we feel warmth because the cup looks like covered by lace and knit. Then, if we hold it, we realize it made of porcelain and doesn’t keep temperature as much as it covered.... However, the truth is this is the heat retainable double wall cup, so it does have the same function as the cover. In this winter, couture gives your customers double impressions!

What do you arrange?
In couture series, there are flower vases in 2 sizes. Even though they are not double-walled, they bring you the feminine and gentle atmosphere just like the cups do. The warmth of the lace and knit texture enhances the beauty of anything you arrange.

TUTTI -- a casual partyware with many colors!

2010-09-17T11:11:00.002+09:00

What is TUTTI for?
TUTTI means “altogether” or “everyone” in Italian. Our designer targeted to produce a casual tableware to enjoy meals together with many friends and family for this fall/winter season. In Japan, when people get together, they tend to use disposable paper plates and cups, and thin plastic cutlery. Those disposable items are very easy to clean up afterwords, but they are not earth-friendly. Paper is made of forest trees, and those actions increase wastes. With TUTTI, the designer's aim was to produce a reusable casual tableware which can be replaced by disposable items.

What TUTTI made of?
TUTTI is made of two materials; acrylic resin for plate/tumbler/wine glass, and AS resin for spoon and fork. Both are beautifully colored, light weight, and tough. Especially, acrylic resin has a high transparency like glass, so people might think it is glass at the first sight.

Colorful Package to Catch People Eyes
TUTTI is packed in a colorful printed box designed by Akira ODA (ODDA design). 4pcs of cutlery are in one blister package, and 6pcs of cups and plates are in one box each. Image the stacking up those boxes at your store. It surly brighten shop atmosphere. In this coming party season, TUTTI is the best items to sell.

Mugtail's Concept Tales

2010-07-16T17:55:00.006+09:00

A scatty squirrel falls from the tree....

A hasty rabbit hits her head....

A greedy cat is caught in a mouse's trap....

A lost fawn falls into a trap....

....And here are our mugs

Pick your favorite one, and your animal will make you relax

as if you would take a rest in the shade of trees.

Hope these mugs are always with you.

FARO, the Coffee Maker

2010-06-15T11:36:00.002+09:00

Don’t stare, coffee will be self-ready

FARO is very convenient coffee dripper. What’s convenient? It only needs simple steps, but you can enjoy quite good taste coffee for instance.

1. Put the ground coffee up to the lower line and make it even.

2. Pure a little of hot water and wait for 30 sec. to macerate.

3. Pure hot water up to the upper line.

4. When it’s finished dripping, remove the dripper and enjoy your coffee

Isn’t this easy enough? For better taste, we recommend warm the cup, dripper and filter previously.

Stainless filter brings the rich taste

Because the dripper and filter is Non-conical shape, poured hot water stay for a while in the filter and gently extracts coffee. Consequently, the long contact time of coffee and water brings out the rich taste. Also, use of stainless filter enables to bring you much pure aroma and flavor compared to paper filter. Usually, paper filter takes off oil from coffee, but some coffee lovers say the oil is the strong source of richness. Stainless filter do leave the oil, so FARO’s coffee may capture coffee lovers…!

The hidden functions

There are many parts where we should mention. The smallest but considerable part is the lid…unexpected? It can be a lid of dripper, cup, and even holder of dripper. After you pour hot water, you can take FARO where you like to drink and relax to wait. Take the lid and use it as a saucer of dripper, you can enjoy fresh coffee with no more action.

The handle for mugs and pots are also our favorite parts. Look at the shape closely, you may find the arched one in order to grip and fit your thumb naturally. Of course, the double wall is one of great functions. It keeps hot/cold temperature of beverages, and this construction makes easy to hold the cup with hot coffee. We hope you become a FARO fan.

ReCUP --vivid 9 colored cup series--

2010-05-10T15:50:00.000+09:00

The combination of porcelain and silicone gives an active and creative atmosphere on your table. At home, office, and for business use, they are widely usable it.

Not plastics, Taste better

The charms of ReCUP drink is the shape and the materials. The lip-touch of porcelain is greater than plastics and stainless steel tumblers. The lid is fixed by silicone ring, so you can drink by one hand, and it’s O.K. to take it outside. Of course, you can bring it to the coffee shop for refill. It’s also nice to use tea bags.

Noodle Cooking Instruction

The concept of this cup is noodle cooker as your snack or side menu. Put the dried noodle snapped into the cup and soup powder. Poor the boiled water and wait for a few minutes covered with lid. Then, stir well and enjoy noodle instantly. Although this is named “noodle cup,” you can serve anything you like. The porcelain and silicone are microwave oven safe, it’s very convenient to heat cooking.

Power of Silicone Sleeve
The silicone sleeves are not only expressing your color but also have functions of slip stopper and heat-conduct protector. For iced or cooled dessert, it works great, too. Keeping cups in the refrigerator without sleeve and setting up sleeves when you serve desserts on the table.

How do Japanese use ReCUP? --Tip for Healthy Instant Life--

2010-05-10T14:47:00.000+09:00

Packed Chinese noodle, powder soup/drink mix, and canned food. The “instant food & drink” have wide variety and getting close item to our lifestyle. As long-lived Japanese, we’d like to introduce easy 3 tips to enjoy instant food & drink in a joyful and healthy way.

TIP 1: Nutritious Noodles
Do you concern about nutrition balance of instant food? Here is our tip for your healthy life. For Chinese noodle, plus your favorable vegetables, mushrooms, and/or herbs on the noodle. Then, you poor the boiled water and wait for a few minutes leaving the lid covered. Quickly and easily, you can enjoy healthy noodle with ReCUP noodle.

TIP 2: The Golden Combination
From ancient times, it’s said that ‘one soup and three dishes’ are the ideal and healthy for Japanese meal style. However, it’s true that many people do not have time to prepare the ideal balanced menu everyday and every meal time. If you were a busy business person, here is our tip to bring your lunch close to Japanese ideal style. It’s to add the powder soup mix to your sandwiches for instance. Even if you were busy, please do not use mug cup for coffee! Use ReCUP of your color and enjoy your lunch time.

TIP 3: For Your Supplement
Instant food & drinks are not only ‘convenient’ way to have a meal, but also some of them have additional functions, such as calcium and vitamin supply. It may wise to adopt them to your lifestyle intentionally. ReCUP will be the best partner to cheer your nutritious life.