What’s Hot: Celebrities get cooking

The combination of celebrity chefs and cookware has worked, likely because brands—with a couple of exceptions—weren’t particularly strong, and differences between products, and price points, confusing. Chefs seem to reassure consumers and associated cookware with particular uses.

Recently, the Food Network and Kohl’s announced that they had signed cooking expert Bobby Flay to develop his first collection of kitchenware and casual entertaining products to launch exclusively at the retailer in spring 2008. Flay is the first celebrity talent to collaborate with the Food Network on a branded line of cookware products.

Of course, the link with television has been critical and ongoing. For example, Biró Cookware (pictured), manufactured by Regal Ware Worldwide, was featured on the QVC program, “In The Kitchen With Bob” recently, raising the profile of that relatively new chef’s brand.