Appliance Trends 2009 Archives

Appliance Trends 2009

Electrolux concept products for trends of tomorrow

Electrolux knows that the kitchen is The Place To Be when socializing in the home. Today, cooking is a collaborative effort. This means that appliances that provide flexibility in terms of time and space are more important than ever to consumers. This is the thinking behind the two visionary design concepts recently presented by Electrolux Global Design. These seemingly space-age concepts don’t exist as products, but all the technology exists to produce them. They are examples of where today’s lifestyle trends might be taking us in tomorrow’s world. And, in terms of design, they are stunning.

Click image to enlarge

Volare kitchen

Thinking and Insight: Smaller urban populations, crowded cities and smaller living spaces creates a greater need for cooking and food storage solutions for modern living that are flexible and sleek. Appliances should be convenient, intuitive and not take up more room than they has to.

Concept: Volare is an entire kitchen tucked away in an illuminated piece of art. Volare responds to the touch, and can be unfolded into an induction stove when the consumer wants to cook or an ice dispenser when she wants a cold drink. The modular system allows for customization so the unit to fits your individual needs. The unit is organized from cold appliances to hot and holds everything needed for an aesthetic, modern, and convenient cooking experience.

Benefits of the concept:

- the oven changes color based on temperature to make cooking intuitive
- spot light illuminates the unit making it look like a piece of art when it is not being used
- modular system allows you to build a kitchen that fits your needs
- a range of colors available for complete customization
- organized from cold to hot
- keeps your floor space clear

Click image to enlarge

Rendez-vous interactive table

Thinking and insight: Many consumers love to cook and entertain but don’t want to toil in the kitchen away from their friends, they want to be part of the party. And although they are not professional chefs, they want to make top-class food with the help of appliances that are intuitive.

Concept: Rendez-vous is the first interactive table that combines the living, eating, and entertaining space. The top of the table is a unique energy shield that brings the appliances to life without having to plug them in. The blender can be placed on the surface to charge or activate. The table top is also an inductive cooking system that uses sensor technology: cooking zones are not dedicated. Instead heat is dispensed wherever the pan is placed. Beneath the table are modular drawers that can hold a stove, refrigerator or almost any kitchen appliance that the consumer needs. Cooking becomes a social activity, but there is no need to be flawless. Programmed in the Rendez-vous is a virtual chef that guides the consumer through the cooking process, making it foolproof. When it is time to eat, the drawers tuck away beneath the table.

Posted May 18, 2009 8:36 PM

GE Appliances offers premium appliance line for the frugal consumer

Tough economic realities have forced more people to cut on spending, eat out less and cook at home, both for family meals and special occasions. GE Appliances meets these trying times with its enhanced premium appliance line, offering new possibilities for cooking, food preservation and cleaning with several affordable yet upscale stainless steel appliances that will be available in spring and summer 2009.

The new GE double oven range, JB850 allows you to cook 2 different dishes at 2 different temperatures at the same time, so you easily juggle multiple cooking times and temperatures creating a special family meal. The 2 self-cleaning ovens have a total 6.6 ft³ of cooking space. The upper oven, with heating up to 450°, is ideal for baking, broiling and roasting, or can serve as a convenient warming oven. It offers additional cooking space when you need it most. The large lower oven is big enough to handle a holiday turkey or racks of baking cookies. One of the 4 cooktop elements is a 9"/12"dual element that offers a larger and a smaller heating surface to accommodate a variety of cookware. The GE double oven range is available in stainless steel or color options of black or white. This range sophisticated styling includes real stainless handles and control knobs. Available in September 2009, the stainless steel model will have an estimated retail price of $1,300. The double oven range in white or black will retail at an estimated $1,100.

Also new from GE Appliances are 2 bottom freezer refrigerators - the 29 ft³ GE Profile refrigerator and the 26 ft³ GE bottom freezer with ice and water dispenser.

The new 26 ft³ bottom freezer refrigerator with ice and water dispenser brings all the glamour of the GE stainless steel refrigeration line right into your kitchen - from the contoured, real stainless steel handles to crown doors with hidden hinges - this elegant bottom freezer refrigerator makes convenience incredibly attractive. Temperature controls are located on the exterior for ease-of-use. Inside, the fresh-food compartment features a full-width deli drawer to accommodate party trays or meat and cheese platters, with adjustable temperatures from 32°F for deli items to 38°F for fresh berries or salads. The ClimateKeeper dual-evaporator system maintains a moist environment in the fresh-food section, while electronic sensors and temperature controls help extend the life of food. A convertible fresh-food shelf adds flexibility of shelf and storage space. The GE water filtration system has a 6-month capacity. The Energy Star qualified refrigerator will be available in May with a suggested price of $2,400.

The 29 ft³ GE Profile refrigerator now features an impressive 19.7 ft³ of fresh food storage for produce, cheeses, meats and seafood. The advanced ClimateKeeper food preservation system has 2 evaporators that maintain separate climates, moist and cool in the fresh food compartment, dry and cold in the freezer to keep food at its peak. The 8.8 ft³ freezer stores plenty of frozen meals or cook-once-eat-twice casseroles. An innovative media center with a 7" LCD screen above the water and ice dispenser displays nutritional information, recipe substitutions, and even family photos. Models PFSS9PKYSS and PFSS9PSKYSS will be available in July at suggested prices of $3,100 and $3,300.

Posted April 29, 2009 11:47 PM

New built-in appliances from Glem

Some forward looking appliances by Glem Gas SpA, a family owned company, based in the northern Italian city of Modena, which is where car makers Ferrari and Lamborghini are also based.

Origine cooktop

Riflesso vent hood

Posted April 12, 2009 7:50 PM

KitchenAid appliances for high performance cooking

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From KitchenAid Appliances comes new high performance, commercial style line of cooking appliances, which includes high performance cooktops, dual-fuel ranges and powerful ventilation hoods, all designed to enable chef worthy results at home. These most powerful, best performing cooking appliances ever offered by KitchenAid include premium features such the exclusive 20,000 BTU Ultra Power Dual Flame Burner, the most powerful burner among leading manufacturers. Its dual-flame stacked burner design with two flame levels is versatile enough to handle both the high temperatures needed for quick searing and the precise, low temperatures required for gentle simmering. Additional burners found on all models include 15,000 BTU professional burners and 5,000 BTU simmer/melt burners that can be lowered to as little as 500 BTUs.

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Cooks will also appreciate an Even-Heat True Convection System that combines a 1,600 watt hidden oven element and unique bow-tie shaped baffle design to promote more even airflow. This advanced system allows for consistent temperatures and even cooking whether using one or all three racks simultaneously in the oven. An EasyConvect Time and Temperature Conversion System automatically converts conventional times and temperatures to their convection equivalents. Exclusive steam-assist technology/convection combination from KitchenAid Appliances offers yet another way to help cooks achieve professional results and the latest ranges offer this option in a full size oven. The easy to use Auto Steam function introduces steam into the oven at precise intervals and offers preprogrammed settings for everything from meats, fish and vegetables to desserts. The dishes retain more internal moisture while allowing for the browning, crisping and caramelizing that enhances the flavor, texture and appearance of many foods.

Posted March 27, 2009 11:43 AM

Neff Appliances 2009 product range

To meet growing challenges posed by UK consumers, Neff updated its dish washing and cooking appliances, further enhancing its renowned combination of ergonomic design and desirable cooking benefits, to provide customers with an unbeatable cooking experience. Neff ovens feature the unique SlideAway oven door that disappears from view under the oven, giving unparalleled access to the oven interior. New in 2009, the five next-generation SlideAway door ovens, Series 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, with a larger 58 litre capacity. Neff built-in ovens also showcase a new design style with one frame, making the fascia appear like a continuous unit. Featuring an elliptically shaped bevelled glass insert, the frame is open towards the top, delivering a clear linear design statement. Now when selecting an oven from Series 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, consumer can choose either a drop down door and a SlideAway door.

Posted March 26, 2009 11:01 PM

Manhattan Cover by Fratelli Onofri - new Home Design idea

Fratelli Onofri presents its Manhattan Cover set - the new system of easily interchangeable appliance covers as a tribute to New York, allowing you to change your kitchen decor in minutes.

Posted March 14, 2009 10:40 AM

Celsius modular refrigerator of the future

Designed by Angeline Meloche, student designer from University of New South Wales, the Celsius is a modular refrigerator that consists of full-extension drawers and pantry-style cabinets, and can be configured by the consumer, according to his or her desire. Each cabinet comes with a touch-sensitive control panel, allowing to select from 5 temperature settings for proper food storage. The design idea was to maximize space usage and usability, while maintaining the footprint of a conventional fridge. Celsius also offers custom inserts for fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, dairy, bottles and jars, pantry and wine as well as optional shelf space. Additional modules can be purchased to meet changing needs. This modular refrigerator offers professional food storage right at home and minimizes food wastage by separating foods while creating a hygienic and convenient storage environment. Double-glazed tinted doors, LCD screen, adjustable feet, recessed handle grooves and streamlined glass panels.

Posted March 10, 2009 9:38 PM

BlueStar range - 24" Residential Nova Burner

The 24" BlueStar range is one powerful and fully customizable all gas range cooker, equipped with highly advanced and versatile porcelain-enameled Nova, UltraNova and Simmer Burners. You can get a swing oven door, add brass trims, or finish your range in one of 190 different colors. BlueStar 24" RNB range also offers largest oven capacity available on a 24" range and 24" depth for compatibility with standard kitchen cabinetry. The Nova and UltraNova burners provide up to 15,000 and 22,000 BTU's of respective cooking power, while the gentle 130°F simmer feature is ideal for delicate sauces and soups due to superior temperature control and flame disbursement. The full motion over sized grates allow you to easily reposition pots and pans from front to rear burners without lifting.

Oven cavity of this BlueStar range provides incredibly precise, even heat distribution and easily accommodates a half-size commercial 18" x 13" baking sheet. The fully recessed, direct-fired ceramic infrared broiler produces 1850°F of intense, searing heat close to the burner, but provides a gentle broiling for foods placed farther away. Heavy-duty, commercial stainless steel construction, automatic electronic ignition and re-ignition system, interior oven light, commercial quality oven control, heavy-duty oven door and control knobs, removable drip trays with steel roller bearings.

Posted March 6, 2009 3:13 PM

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet predicts outdoor kitchen trends

It's the time of year when everyone is making their predictions for 2009 - and, as the leader in outdoor kitchens, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet has something to say as well. Trends in outdoor kitchens typically begin at the most upscale end of the market and then permeate their way down. Because of this, Kalamazoo is uniquely positioned to see where the design trends are headed.

Bringing the Outside In
Outdoor kitchens began as a trend of bringing the indoors outside, but now homeowners are bringing the outdoor kitchen inside, or at least under a roof. More and more outdoor kitchens are sheltered by an architectural structure - either attached to the home or as a free-standing pavilion. A full roof on an outdoor kitchen provides a number of advantages:

- Keeping out the rain
- A convenient attachment point for outdoor kitchen lighting which is often a design challenge
- Hanging ceiling fans cool the kitchen in the summer and help discourage insects
- A roof partially contains the heat from radiant heaters so the kitchen is more comfortable in the spring and fall or even winter
- Curtain-like roll-down screens can help with insects
- A roof can keep die-hard outdoor cooks from having to clear off snow before grilling in the winter

Kalamazoo is seeing a significant increase in outdoor kitchens designed under a sheltering structure. The first wave was pergolas, which provided not only shade but also increased definition of the space. Pergolas have now saturated the market all the way to entry-level outdoor kitchens and prefabricated spaces. Full roofs have taken over at the upscale end of the market; some even have a retracting roof.

Features Abound
At the infancy of this still-growing trend, an "outdoor kitchen" was really just a built-in grill. Built-in grills have predictably filtered down to the less expensive end of the market, while the top end of the market has continued to add functionality. Even some of the least expensive outdoor kitchens feature beverage chillers and a sink these days. Therefore, Kalamazoo continues to see the trickling down effect and new luxuries added at the top end. Here are a few of the features to be seeing this year in upscale kitchens, and at more modest levels in years to come:

- Separate wine chillers for whites versus reds, each maintaining the right temperatures
- Freezers and freezer drawers: with the right units, ice cream can be served from the outdoor -kitchen even in a Tucson July
- Keg tappers serving multiple kinds of beer with up to three taps on Kalamazoo 48" units
- Pizza ovens continuing to grow in popularity
- Wok burners are broadening the types of outdoor cooking, as are lobster and crab boilers
- Specialized storage and a broader variety of outdoor kitchen cabinets

Posted February 26, 2009 3:56 PM

This Valentine’s Day - Electrolux launches first-ever virtual bake sale to raise funds to help fight ovarian cancer

This Valentine’s Day, Kelly Ripa & Electrolux Appliances Offer Americans A Sweet Way To Show They Care. The Appliance Brand Used in Europe for More Than 80 Years Launches First-Ever Virtual Bake Sale to Raise Funds to Help Fight Ovarian Cancer

For anyone unsure about how to express their feelings this Valentine’s Day, Kelly Ripa and Electrolux offer a temptingly sweet, yet calorie-free way to show you care: send a virtual cupcake.

This Valentine’s Day, exclusively at Electrolux Appliances, people can design and send a special virtual cupcake to a friend, family member or loved one. For every virtual cupcake sent, Electrolux will donate $1 to The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) as part of its $500,000 commitment to help fight ovarian cancer.

And, to drive participation and encourage people to help spread the word, everyone who logs on to the site and sends a virtual cupcake will be automatically entered for a chance to win a stylish new front-load Washer and Perfect Steam Dryer in "Red Hot Red" from Electrolux.

"Valentine’s Day is all about showing the people you love just how much you care. When you create and send your very own virtual cupcake, you’ll have fun, feel good and make a difference," said Ripa. You might even win a new washer and dryer from Electrolux - the heartthrob of all appliances."

In addition to the virtual cupcake campaign, Electrolux is selling "Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve T-shirts, designed by Ripa, on its Web site. For each T-shirt sold, 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the OCRF to support research to find a cure.

And to top it off, Electrolux is auctioning off a one-of-a-kind red kitchen suite on eBay. The bidding on the "Red Hot Red" kitchen – which includes a built-in range, dishwasher, refrigerator and microwave - starts Wednesday, February 11th at 3 p.m. EST and lasts until 3 p.m. EST on Wednesday, February 18th. All proceeds of the charity auction benefit the OCRF as part of Electrolux’s commitment to help this worthy cause.

"Electrolux is getting behind Valentine’s Day in a big way this year - with a great initiative to support the OCRF and the launch of our new front-load washer and Perfect Steam dryer in 'Red Hot Red'," said Keith McLoughlin, Electrolux Major Appliances President and CEO, North America. "We’re also launching a number of retail promotions designed to drive people in store in February."

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Posted February 11, 2009 8:30 PM

Electrolux Design Lab 2009 - innovative home appliances

The Electrolux Design Lab 2009 global design competition invites undergraduate and graduate industrial design students around the world to submit their innovative home appliance ideas for the next 90 years, deadline May 31.

A limited number of finalists will be invited to participate in the final event in London September 24, 2009, to present their entries to a jury of high-level designers and experts. The jury will review the entries based on intuitive design, innovation and consumer insight and then select a winner.

The Design Lab 2009 has a First Prize of € 5,000 and a six-month paid internship at one of the Electrolux global design centers. The second prize is € 3,000 and third prize is € 2,000.

Entry deadline is May 31, 2009. Students may enter one entry via the Design Lab website.

Posted February 7, 2009 3:41 PM

Joko Domus kitchen carts - new Italian furniture on wheels

The Trentino Alto Adige region in Northern Italy grows more than fruit, wine and their delicious speck ham. The Joko company gave the century-old local tradition of artisan woodworking a specktacular makeover. Brothers Josi and Franz Kosta, owners of Joko gmbh s.r.l, lifted the Joko company to a completely new level when they took over the family business a couple of years ago. Located in Salurn, province of Bolzano just south of the Alps in Northern Italy, father Kosta ran a local sawmill and workshop like generations of his ancestors before him. Living off the land close to nature in this rural area of the upper Adige river valley provided him and his family with continuous solid income and food. When Josi and Franz took over the company, they were inspired to seek new horizons. Their goal was to create a breathing product which reflects the century-old artisan craftsmanship of the region, and combine it with the sleek, minimalistic look of contemporary Italian furniture design. As Artisani they are very proud of their accumulated skills, which are still handed down from one generation to the next. 'I want people to not only see but feel the beauty of natural wood by running their hands over it. Experiencing the perfectly balanced mélange of natural and engineered materials, and enjoying the feel of silk-brushed stainless steel cannot be topped.' Says Josi Kosta.

Today each piece of excellence from the collections of Joko Domus kitchen carts tells a story about the materials being used, the people who crafted it and the region where it was made. Only the best ingredients are used to cook up this sophisticated concept. Grade A Hornbeam logs from trusted local sources are skillfully aged up to 4 years until they are ready to become an expertly crafted piece of furniture on wheels. Premium stainless steel, luxury hardware and carefully sourced quartz composite materials round up the blend of valuable components to create the lines of auxilium and cun kitchen carts and a variety of fine teppanyaki grill carts, as well as extraordinary cutting boards and butcher blocks. Every year in February Joko proudly presents their newest creations at the world-famous Ambiente fair in Frankfurt/M., Germany.

Eventually expanding across the Atlantic, Joko recently appointed Cook-N-Dine International, Inc. of Miami, Florida as the sole distributor of Joko Domus for The Americas and Caribbean. In the past, Cook-N-Dine has built up quite a reputation with the introduction of the patented line of Cook-N-Dine stainless steel teppanyaki grills and grill tables by CDS-Design GmbH, located in Munich/Germany. The Cook-N-Dine Marinyaki grill, a new line of marine teppanyaki grill tables made in Australia, also was widely applauded at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, held there in November 2008. Cook-N-Dine Joko Domus. See also interview with Cook-n-Dine.

Posted January 22, 2009 12:53 AM

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