“We’re braking the bank here with 30 dozen eggs,” joked Nick Ritchie, executive chef for the LG Signature Kitchen Suite (SKS) as he mixed a batch of Grammy’s Brownies in all their chocolatey gooeyness to showcase the brand’s new transitional wall oven series.
LG revealed new branding for SKS at the 2025 National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), but the brand’s AI-powered appliance with its built-in cameras and ability to recognize the dish inside for optimal cooking owed it to the mouthwatering live presentation—along with the scent of melting chocolate—to immerse the gathered crowd in the information.
Kitchen demos were table stakes at KBIS and IBS trade shows, part of the Design & Construction Week that took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Feb. 25-27, where kitchen appliance and home decor brands lean on full-blown cooking and baking stages for optimum engagement.
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So what else was cooking?
Celebrity power met deliciousness at THOR Kitchen, where Michelin-starred Chef Gordon Ramsay took center stage, treating attendees to a live demonstration of his signature mini beef wellingtons using appliances from the THOR Kitchen x Gordon Ramsay Collection designed to bring restaurant-quality performance to home kitchens.
Sharp took elevated flavors in a different direction, with caviar tots and truffle fries, but arguably, soft Bavarian pretzels with mustard and IPA cheese sauce were just as popular. When asked what types of dishes lend themselves well to trade show demos, the brand’s ambassador and Food Network judge Stephanie Boswell suggested staying with the cocktail party mindset. She says, “Everyone is walking around, and they’ve got bags and maybe a drink, so think about canapé-sized items—one or two bites, max.”
Over at Delta Faucet, strawberry-banana smoothies drew a crowd several times a day. Cut strawberries were soaked in the oxidized water that kills bacteria, a key selling point of the brand’s new faucet. As ice cubes were placed in the blender, the conversation shifted to the brand’s reverse osmosis filtration system and remineralizer cartridges. The result was as delicious as it was informative.
There’s no rule that it’s only a draw if everyone gets a taste. At Caesarsone, chef Andrea Mattasoglio crafted exquisite shell-shaped tartlets inspired by the brand’s countertops, drawing on the sand theme. Seeing that they wouldn’t get a bite, the audience still moved in closer as the chef took a blow torch to flambé the scallops before cutting into magenta-colored dragon fruit. Color and action never looked so good on trending earth-colored surfaces.
Later in the day, attendees got to witness the creation of a “sweet masterpiece”—an edible painting drawing inspiration from the colors and textures of the desert, featuring mango cream, papaya puree, Greek yogurt, chocolate ganache, and white chocolate crumble. Mattasoglio says, “It will be beautiful and completely edible. If you’re having guests at home, you can invite them to complete it together, and then grab a spoon and enjoy it.”
Photo credit: Anna Huddleston
