New housewares with great design and function

The Housewares Design Awards were recently presented for products that featured innovative designs and creative technological advances. The awards, presented by HomeWorld Business, highlighted products created to make everyday life easier, more productive and, sometimes, more fun. Here are some of the best of the winning designs.

SHINE A LIGHT

Best in Category Home & Outdoor Decor

It's getting warmer, which means barbecue season is almost here. If you want to do a little after-hours grilling, the Grilluminate Extending Grill Light by Fulham Group ($29.99) will help keep your patio grill well lit. The light extends for use on large and small grills, and the bright LED lights burn for 10,000 hours. The clamp-on lamp operates on three AAA batteries, and the housing is designed to withstand high heat. Available at select Bed Bath & Beyond stores and bedbathandbeyond.com

CLEAN SWEEP

Best in Category Home Organization, Laundry Care & Non-Electric Cleaning

Get a broom and a dustpan in one with Casabella's Quick N' Easy Upright Sweep Set ($29.99). The set features a full-size broom and dustpan that disconnect from their poles to become a handy duster set that's perfect for small spaces. The freestanding dustpan also folds, or snaps onto the broom for storage. Available from casabella.com

DRINK UP

Best of the Best: Gold

Best in Category: Home Environment Appliances

Whirlpool's EveryDrop Water Filter ($19.99; replacement filters $23.99 for three) is a sleek, portable filter suitable for home or travel use. The company claims its super fast system can filter one gallon of water in two minutes, and each filter is good for 60 gallons of water. Available at everydropwater.com

CLIP ART

Best of the Best: Silver; Best in Category: Gadget & Kitchen Tools

Sometimes, a product comes along that you didn't know you needed until you discovered it. Such is the case with the twixit! Seal & Pour Bag Clip from Linden Sweden, Inc. ($11). Each clip seals plastic and paper bags and features a handy pouring spout to reduce messes, keeping food tidy and fresh. Dishwasher and microwave safe, and available in red, white or apple green from amazon.com

PRETTY SHARP

Best of the Best: Bronze Best in Category: Cutlery

With additional serration inside this knife's traditional serrated blade, this Wüsthof Classic 9" Double Serrated Bread Knife ($99.95) is designed to minimize the amount of crumbs produced when slicing bread, and also goes through loaves like, well, a hot knife through butter. Moreover, since the inner serration never touches the cutting surface, the knife stays sharp for longer than ordinary blades. Available at williams-sonoma.com

UNDER PRESSURE

Best in Category: Cookware & Bakeware

Save the stove for lazy weekends. During the week, Fissler's Vitavit Comfort Pressure Cooker ($280-$320) makes short work of dinner. Its innovative "traffic light system" claims to make pressure regulation easier to understand, and an auto-lock handle guarantees no steam will be released during normal use. Available in 6- and 8-quart sizes at williams-sonoma.com

WORTH THE WEIGHT

Best in Category: Personal, Health & Garment Care

Manage your weight effortlessly with the Escali's SmartConnect Body Scale ($99.99). The scale uses Bluetooth SMART technology and a proprietary SmartConnect app to connect its interactive touch screen to any mobile device. This device can also connect with the SmartConnect Kitchen Scale so users can create food journals, track BMIs and weight, and more. Available at bedbathandbeyond.com