Country Kitchen dishes

The holidays just got a bit brighter with the latest hues of kitchenware.

No longer do cooks have to polish their copper or buff their stainless steel to a mirror finish. From the looks of things, if you're a cook who always gets new cookware under the tree, this Christmas is going to be a colorful one — it's the buzz for culinary wares this season.

"Adding color through cookware is an easy and much more affordable way to express your sense of fashion and add personality to kitchen decor, " says Jeffrey Kruskall, vice president of business development at global cookware distributor Meyer Corp.

And it doesn't take an expensive lifetime commitment such as totally renovating your kitchen to match, he adds. All it may take is the simple addition of a brightly colored tea kettle on the stove or a colorful porcelain enamel skillet or stock pot. Any of these can add interest and flair to a kitchen previously lacking in color, particularly since white kitchens are the current trend, Kruskall adds.

When deciding on color trends, designers of kitchenware get their cue from designers of fashion and home decor.

"We look at what's happening in the marketplace and where it might fit within our brands, " Kruskall says. "There are also the Pantone colors of the year, color forecasting services and trade shows where we absorb information and apply it where we feel it's suitable. Color can differentiate and revitalize a product."

Popular colors for kitchenware this season run the gamut from neutral grays to navy, teal and denim blue.

"Grayish-green looks to be on the horizon, as well as moss green, shades of emerald and leafy plant greens, " Kruskall notes, adding that warm tones of orange and coral, along with metalic copper and gold, are also big this year.

With that in mind, here are some ideas that will add pops of colors to kitchens and make great gifts for the cooks on your list this holiday season.

* Rachael Ray covered casserole — She's long been known for her colorful cookware, and now Ray is dressing things up again with a 5.5-quart covered casserole that can go from stovetop to oven to table, thanks to a hard enamel exterior. The nonstick interior surface makes for easy cleanup, and soft-grip handles are cool to the touch and safe to 350 degrees. Price: $49.99.