The winners of the Housewares Design Awards are the cream of the crop in the housewares, cooking equipment and kitchenware industry. Winners are chosen based on such criteria as innovative technology, unique design, environmental benefits and social impact. The 2009 Housewares Design Awards were announced at a luncheon in January in New York City.
In the cooking equipment category, the winners included:
Jura-Capresso's ENA5 Automatic Coffee Center won the Best in Category award for Cooking Electrics. This espresso and cappuccino maker has a single button operation and energy-saving features, such as a "Smart Zero" feature that ensures the machine does not use electricity when it's turned off but still plugged in.
In the Cookware & Bakeware Category, World Kitchen picked up the Best in Category prize for its CorningWare SimplyLite Glass Bakeware. Made of Vitrelleglass laminate, this bakeware is more durable than single-layer glass bakeware, and has a similar performance to traditional stoneware or ceramic bakeware, but it is half the weight.

PriceGrabberWusthof-Trident won the Best in Category award in the Cutlery category for its Wusthof Classic 8-inch Panini Knife. It has a contoured, offset handle and a serrated blade, which cuts through hard, crisp crusts without compressing soft, delicate fillings like melted cheese.
Dual-Sensing Probe Thermometer/Timer by Component Design Northwest

PriceGrabberThe Food Preparation Electrics Best in Category award went to the Dual-sensing Probe Thermometer/Timer by Component Design Northwest. The gadget measures both oven temperature and the internal temperature of the food that's cooking.

PriceGrabberMicroplane won the Best in Category award for Kitchen Hand Tools, as well as a Gold Metal for its Box Grater, which can grate in both direction, has removable cutting blades for easy cleaning, and has soft-grip, ergonomic handles and rubber footing.

PriceGrabberThe Best in Category award in Kitchenware and Barware went to OXO/Helen of Troy for the OXO Good Grips POP Container, a line of airtight, stackable and space-efficient food containers designed to store dry foods. A push-button mechanism creates an airtight seal and doubles as a handle.

PriceGrabberIn the Tabletop category, the Best in Category award was given to Bodum USA for its Biasca Iced Tea Jug. Made of heat-resistant, lightweight glass, the jug has a filter that keeps tea leaves from escaping when tea is poured out.
Cuisinart netted a Green House award for its Countertop Filtration System, which holds 2 gallons of water and dispenses hot, cold or room-temperature filtered water.
A final Green House Award was given to the Preserve line of colanders, cutting boards, mixing bowls and food storage containers. The line is made from 100 percent recycled plastic and is 100 percent recyclable when no longer needed.
Another Green House Award went to NatureMill Inc. for its NatureMill Pro, for its automatic home composter, which mixes and heats the contents while a heavy-duty carbon filter eliminates odors. The energy-efficient product is made from recycled and recyclable materials.