With just over a week to go this year, the Chinese character for 2015 was "an," and I personally feel that I have spent a lot of time at home in search of "peace and quiet.

Perhaps this was also the case in the world, as many kitchen goods for enjoying "home cooking" became the talk of the town. In this issue, we would like to introduce three items that you should definitely keep in mind!

1. Takoyaki cooker

The takoyaki cooker was recently awarded the "Cookpad Award 2015" by Cookpad. Breaking away from the conventional "takoyaki only" image, various uses have been devised for takoyaki, such as ahi jjos, sponge cakes, and omelette rice, and the popularity of takoyaki has been centered on recipe sites. Many of you may have been looking for this takoyaki cooker from the back shelf for a long time.


The BRUNO Compact Hot Plate was a hit item that rode this wave of sales. With its A4 size that does not occupy a table and stylish design, sales have surpassed 200,000 units.



2. Mason Jars

Next is the mason jar, an airtight jar for food storage. The "jar salad" boom, in which ingredients are layered on top of each other, led to the disappearance of Ball's mason jars from store shelves for a time. Today, mason jars are readily available at 100-yen stores, and many people enjoy using them to store drinks and sweets.


3. Skillet

A skillet is a frying pan made of thick cast iron. Its high heat storage capacity makes it ideal for cooking steaks, hamburgers, and other dishes. It looks good even when served on the table as is, and the fact that it looks good on SNS is also said to be a reason for its popularity.


The skillet boom was sparked by the skillet sold by Nitori (a.k.a. "Nitoski"). At a reasonable price of 498 yen including tax (15cm type), it has become a big hit, selling more than 300,000 units.


Recently, a ceramic item that resembles a skillet has also appeared on the market. It is likely that the boom will continue this winter, when people will miss hot food.


The point of all of these items is that they do more than just cook and eat; they also play a role in the presentation of the dining table. Even meal preparation, which tends to become a routine task, seems to be an enjoyable way to communicate with family members if you incorporate these items into your meals. What recipes will be popular next year? I am looking forward to it!

Image courtesy of Angers web shop and Cookpad Store.