When people think of foodservice products you may live in the bubble that everything that could have been thought of has. That there is no new frontier for clever, innovative solutions to your day-to-day problems. Total Food Service sat down with Sue Pregartner of Magisso North America to discuss how this incredibly clever design company is eager to move further into foodservice with their wide range of products.
So who is Magisso? Magisso is a Finnish design brand on a mission to produce clever solutions to everyday problems. The co-founders from Finland, Juhani Siren and Anssi Hurme, established the company in 2008. Together the duo has conquered the design world with a wide range of amazing products. Magisso has been awarded over 27 design awards since their first idea in 2008. Since then Magisso has made a serious name for themselves with awards ranging from a variety of Red Dot Design Awards, Good Design Award, Fennia Prize Honorary Mentions and GIA Awards and Honorable Mentions. These companies understand the fundamentals of good design and are not afraid to step out their comfort zone.
It may appear that Magisso is trying to stay within the kitchenware retail game but recently the Finnish Design Company is expanding into new segments. Recently they released a series of products designed for your pet. These slow eating pet food and water bowls utilize their patented cold technology material and have a specific glaze that actually cools the bowls thus keeping the food or water cool for hours. Producing healthy happy pets. We are not here to talk about pets though. Magisso is also starting to step out of the retail game and explore the prospect of foodservice products.
“We saw the need, our products, specifically our wine chiller was a product that was needed in the residential marketplace but its application in a commercial setting was something that would give restaurants an energy saving, aesthetically pleasing wine bottle holder solutions,” Sue concluded. The reality is that when you go out to eat and order a bottle of wine you either get a marble or stainless steel wine holder that will keep your bottle cold but not for long or you will get the large steel standing ice bucket. Both these solutions will either create a clutter on the table or create an obstacle in the lane for your guests and wait staff.
Coopers Hawk Winery is a great example of the commercial application that Magisso can have on the restaurant industry. The Illinois-based Winery has been expanding recently with a chain of modern-casual dining spots. With 22 locations and growing fast, Coopers Hawk is quickly becoming a bigger and bigger name within the casual dining segment. Recently Coopers Hawk began working with Magisso to acquire custom cooling ceramic barware. Magisso is working with Cooper Hawk to create custom products with the Cooper Hawk logo. This is just one of the ways your business can benefit from Magisso.
The product list for Magisso may appear primarily retail but its application in the restaurant industry does not take a lot of creativity. Some of their multi-faceted products include their mess free balance butter knife. Place on a table and it shows uniqueness and creates less mess for your staff and keeps the table clean for your guests. The Magisso cake server is another useful household product that could completely be used within the restaurant industry. For obvious reason having a perfect cut of cake that creates less mess is a win-
win for your guests and your staff.
On the glassware side of things Magisso has a variety of incredibly clever products. There is their NEW GIA Award Winner – Pino Glassware collection, which is a gorgeous short-stemmed Pino wine and Pino pint glasses. These are all mouth blown by a classic Finnish glassmaker, Muurla. There are two versions of these glasses one is the classic short-stemmed look and the other offers a modern take on the classic shape. The important feature of these glasses is not even in the look it’s in the durability. These are thick beautiful glasses that are extremely durable and most importantly stackable. PINO means “a stack” in Finnish.
The next product that is ever popular in the industry is Magisso’s Mess Free Tea Cup, a personal favorite. These adorable food grade plastic cups have an angled base that are designed for controlling the taste – you place the loose tea into a clever filter that is included – add hot water – brew your loose tea to your taste and just move the teacup to the other-side to stop the brew process. Why didn’t I think of that….. ? Your tea remains in the filter on the side of the cup – no need to remove it and no mess to clean up. The cups come in a variety of colors from snow white to coral red. This award-winning product allows you to adjust the strength of the tea depending on your taste without making a mess. Once again, a brilliant retail product with a huge capability to 
be handed to your guests next time they come in. It has already been adopted from various restaurant chains like Haakasan. Magisso partners with tea companies like David’s Tea, who sees the potential in a custom branded cooling ceramics and what it would do for their clients.
Magisso continues to come up with innovate award-winning ideas and encourages anyone with an issue that needs solving to reach out and let them try and solve it. These levels of thought and follow through is what helps Magisso stand out as a brand and helps bring simple culinary products to the next level.
To learn more about Magisso and their innovative products, visit their website.
