Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.
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Product Trend Report The 15" Wine Cabinet from True Professional Series preserves nearly two cases of wine with professionalgrade refrigeration. Available with three door choices, the units feature TriLumina push-button LED lighting, digital temperature control, fve glide-out racks and zero-clearance hinges. It is UL rated for indoor and outdoor use. Circle No. 183 on Product Card Perlick's new Signature Series 24" Dual-Zone Refrigerator/Wine Reserve provides undercounter refrigeration options indoors and out. The unit is UL-rated for outdoor use and features the ability to properly store food as well as wine in two independently controlled temperature zones. Circle No. 184 on Product Card Range Hoods from RangeCraft Manufacturing are available in many designs and fnishes. The metal hoods are sanitary, durable and stain resistant, according to the company, and can be customized for any requirements. Circle No. 191 on Product Card efciency and simpler controls, enhanced performance of appliances and greater freedom for the home chef, who no longer has to stay in the room to monitor the progress of the meal. "There is tremendous pressure on appliance manufacturers to be frst-to-market with better, faster, more cost-efective and energy-efcient products. To remain competitive and to keep up with changing technologies, manufacturers must continually upgrade and reinvent their products," says Steigmiller. "Technology is continuing to be welcomed into the kitchen in a variety of ways, especially to improve cooking performance in appliances," adds Elkin. One example is the Freedom Induction Cooktop by Thermador, a full-surface induction appliance with a natural-mapping user interface that recognizes cookware size, shape and position. This cooktop, he says, ofers the benefts of traditional induction technology as well as added fexibility to move cookware around while cooking. Crump says people want electronic controls, but they must not be too complicated to use or program. "People want them to be simple to use, not so complex that you have to have your book out every time you want to turn on your oven or cook something in your microwave," she says. Connected appliances are also on the rise, like the newly launched Dacor IQ Wall Oven, a WiFi-enabled smart appliance that Henry says has released the home chef from the bounds of the kitchen. The oven has a built-in Android tablet that can be operated at the oven's interface or from another device, giving cooks the ability to download recipes, check their email, or be sent updates to their cell phone so they can monitor the meal from elsewhere within the household. The embracing of enabled appliances is the future, he says. "I think we're The Broan Elite RME50000 range hood combines European styling with an energy-efcient motor and fuorescent lighting that lasts up to 10,000 hours, notes the company. The Energy Star-qualifed chimney hoods provide quiet operation and ease of cleaning. Circle No. 192 on Product Card going to see this grow very quickly now that the technology has caught up with the concept," he adds. Johnson notes, "Consumers have become used to using things like touch screens and expect a user experience that is intuitive." This has infuenced some Jenn-Air appliance designs, she says, such as a collection of built-in wall ovens that features models with a 7" touch screen with a full-color LCD display and interactive, image-driven Culinary Center to help users achieve their desired cooking results. Technology has also contributed to a shift in the way people are cooking, including the rise of induction cooktops, manufacturers say. "Induction technology has also increased consumer perception of how quickly items can cook – some induction options will ofer a 90-second rapid boil…it is changing the market and what consumers expect from their appliance," says Haber. Bedard is also seeing interest in induction as a method of cooking. "Induction cooktops are 90% to 95% energy efcient and, as a result, no heat is wasted because energy is supplied directly to the cooking vessel," she points out. ECONOMY OF TIME AND ENERGY Consumers' time is precious, and appliances that provide features that allow them to do things faster and with greater ease are in high demand. At the same time, there's a desire for energy efcient, environmentally friendly products. Consumers who demand efciency from their everyday products expect no less from their kitchen appliances, says Haber. The expectation that they can prepare a gourmet meal in far less time than was once standard is pushing brands to new heights, and creating new and exciting trends to allow for convenience in the kitchen, she says. "Any feature that will increase the efciency of an appliance is in demand right now KOBE Range Hoods has redesigned its range hoods to include ECO Mode, which runs on QuietMode for 10 minutes every hour to remove excess moisture, microscopic particles and odors to promote cleaner kitchen air quality. The hoods feature six speeds up to 1,100 CFM, 3-Watt LED lights (3-Level lighting) and delay shut-of. Circle No. 185 on Product Card LG Studio ofers the best in LG Electronics' built-in cooking appliances and refrigerators. The line includes a sleek, state-ofthe-art Studio double wall oven, counter-depth refrigerators and dishwasher. The appliances feature a horizontally brushed stainless steel fnish, along with distinctive door handles. Circle No. 186 on Product Card As part of its entry into the North American market, Scholtes is introducing two 36"-wide refrigerator drawers that ft beneath the counter. The drawers feature diferent temperature zones to accommodate diferent types of food and beverages. Circle No. 187 on Product Card 48 | Kitchen & Bath Design News October 2013 The Freedom Induction Cooktop from Thermador is a full-surface induction appliance, with the fexibility of a natural-mapping user interface that recognizes cookware size, shape and position to deliver heat. It features 48 individual 3" induction heating elements below the surface of the appliance, eliminating conventional cooking elements. This feature allows users to place cookware anywhere on the cooktop surface for even cooking. Circle No. 188 on Product Card The Ingenious line of refrigeration from Summit Appliance features full-sized units with curved doors and platinum color. Features include a digital control panel on the door's exterior that lets users set an open door alarm, reduce the energy consumption and set the Power Cool function to rapidly chill the interior. A door-withindoor Smart Station feature lets users access commonly used items without opening the entire door. The units are available in 18 cu. ft. and 14 cu. ft. Circle No. 189 on Product Card The 4-Door Refrigerator from Samsung features 30.5 cubic feet of space, and includes an automatic sparkling water dispenser. The dispenser, powered by SodaStream, uses a standard SodaStream cylinder that rests in a small, concealed area inside the left refrigerator door. The canister ofers three levels of carbonation. Circle No. 190 on Product Card