CHICAGO, March 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In a significant move, the award-winning brand OXO, recognized worldwide for its OXO Good Grips products, announces the introduction of a premium line of kitchen electrics to the categories of products offered. The Kitchen Electrics line, called OXO On(TM), comprises eight individual, intelligent appliances including toasters, coffee makers, a coffee grinder, electric kettle, immersion blender and hand mixer. The line, initially launching in the U.S., offers several never-before-seen features as well as thoughtful design elements and Universal Design, two hallmarks for which the brand is recognized and credited as a leader. Some of the unique features of the line include intuitive interfaces, innovative digital controls and backlit LED displays. OXO On appliances provide the simplicity, functionality and thoughtfulness consumers have come to expect from the brand, all with the touch of a button. The line is expected to arrive at retail stores in the 4th quarter of 2015. OXO makes up the housewares segment of Helen of Troy Limited (NASDAQ, NM: HELE), designer, developer and worldwide marketer of brand-name housewares, healthcare/home environment and personal care consumer products.

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The initial launch includes eight items under the OXO On collection: a 9-cup coffee maker, 12-cup coffee maker, conical burr coffee grinder with integrated scale, cordless glass electric kettle, 2-slice motorized toaster, 4-slice motorized toaster, illuminating digital hand mixer, and illuminating digital immersion blender. The sleek line features mainly stainless steel and black styling, in keeping with the clean look of OXO.

"We are delighted to introduce OXO On at the International Home & Housewares Show," stated Alex Lee, President of OXO. "This launch is the culmination of more than two and a half years of research and development efforts. Our goal was to take the design philosophy and processes we've developed over the past 25 years and apply them to the small kitchen electric appliance category. We are offering an intuitive, easy-to-use line that gives great performance results. People often ask what the 'OXO factor' is when looking at a product. OXO On is in keeping with what OXO is all about - the consumer - and has the type of features consumers have come to expect from our brand."

"This introduction is highly consistent with the strategic plan for Helen of Troy, which includes accelerating organic growth," commented Julien Mininberg, CEO of Helen of Troy Limited. "OXO On represents yet another example of expanding into adjacencies, exactly the kind of launch that propels us forward. For 25 years, OXO has been a consistent leader, with entering new categories a key element of its exciting powerhouse growth and development of the brand into what it is today."

The eight items in the initial launch include:

Barista Brain 9-Cup Coffee Brewing System
Microprocessor-controlled brew cycle makes 2-9 cups of coffee. The boiler heats up water to the industry standard temperature, as defined by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, for brewing coffee and then pumps it in timed cycles over to the brew basket for optimum coffee extraction. Easily makes one single mug of coffee.

Suggested Retail Price: $199.99

Barista Brain 12-Cup Coffee Brewing System
Microprocessor-controlled brew cycle makes 4-12 cups of coffee. Water is heated up in the removable borosilicate glass kettle to the industry standard temperature, as defined by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, then uniquely transported through a precision pump over to the brew basket in measured cycles to extract rich flavors and aromas from coffee beans. The removable glass kettle heats water for tea and other hot beverages as well.

Suggested Retail Price: $299.99

Barista Brain Conical Burr Coffee Grinder with Integrated Scale
Built-in digital scale is unique to ensure a precise weight of ground coffee with preset grams to cups programming. The Grinder has settings that also be used to fine tune personal preferences. Durable stainless steel conical burr grinds beans uniformly for optimal brewing of any type, from French press to espresso. Other thoughtful features include mess-free grinding with reduced coffee static.

Suggested Retail Price: $199.99

Clarity Cordless Glass Electric Kettle
Kettle is constructed from durable borosilicate glass which automatically heats up to 1.75 L of water to boiling temperature faster than a microwave and more safely than the stovetop. Illuminated LED power switch automatically turns off when water boils. Kettle has a removable stainless steel filter, a soft-open lid to control the release of steam and prevent splattering, and convenient measurement markings.

Suggested Retail Price: $89.99

Bright Illuminating Digital Hand Mixer
Soft-glow LED headlight illuminates so bakers can better see into a bowl and monitor mixing progress. Powerful but quiet DC motor self-adjusts like cruise control to consistently work at one of six digital speeds, even as batter thickens. Beaters compactly store on board and dough hooks are included.

Suggested Retail Price: $79.99

Illuminating Digital Immersion Blender
Also has unique soft-glow LED headlight to illuminate a pot to monitor soup, sauce or smoothie consistency. The Blender features six digital speeds, from delicate to powerful, with a DC motor to ensure consistent speed, similar to the hand mixer. Silicone covered stem and nylon head protect cookware from dents and scratches. 3-Cup Blender Beaker included and comes with a lid to serve or store for later.

Suggested Retail Price: $89.99

Up to You 2-Slice and 4-Slice Motorized Toasters
Up and down buttons work with the quiet motorized elevator to gently lower and raise bread. A special "Take-A-Peek" feature allows users to check the toasting progress without stopping or restarting the cycle. The backlit LED interfaces on the 4-Slice Toaster work independently. Removable crumb tray was designed with extra-high walls and toaster slots are generous and self-centering to accommodate all types of bread thicknesses. Toasters have 9 darkness settings to help deliver perfect toast to suit every user's preference.

Suggested Retail Price 2-Slice: $99.99

Suggested Retail price 4-Slice: $159.99

About OXO:
Founded in 1990 on the concept of Universal Design, OXO's mission is to create consumer household products that ease the tasks of everyday life for the widest range of users possible. Since the original 15 items were introduced, the OXO collection has grown to more than 900 strong, covering areas for cooking, cleaning, gardening, storing, organizing and baby. Today OXO Good Grips products are sold in 78 countries and are included in the permanent collections of numerous museums. The company has won more than 100 design and business awards worldwide. OXO is very frequently used as a case study on how a well-executed Universal Design philosophy can be a successful business strategy.

About Helen of Troy Limited:
Helen of Troy Limited is a leading global consumer products company offering creative solutions for its customers through a strong portfolio of well-recognized and widely-trusted brands, including: Housewares: OXO®, Good Grips®, Soft Works®, OXO tot® and OXO Steel®; Healthcare/Home Environment: Vicks®, Braun®, Honeywell®, PUR®, Febreze®, Stinger®, Duracraft® and SoftHeat®; and Personal Care: Revlon®, Vidal Sassoon®, Dr. Scholl's®, Pro Beauty Tools®, Sure®, Pert®, Infusium23®, Brut®, Ammens®, Hot Tools®, Bed Head®, Karina®, Ogilvie® and Gold 'N Hot®. The Company recently acquired Healthy Directions, a U.S. market leader in premium doctor-branded vitamins, minerals and supplements, as well as other health products sold directly to consumers. The Honeywell® trademark is used under license from Honeywell International Inc. The Vicks®, Braun®, Febreze® and Vidal Sassoon® trademarks are used under license from The Procter & Gamble Company. The Revlon® trademark is used under license from Revlon Consumer Products Corporation. The Bed Head® trademark is used under license from Unilever PLC. The Dr. Scholl's® trademark is used under license from MSD Consumer Care, Inc.

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SOURCE OXO