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30 | Kitchen & Bath Design News | April 2015 R eaders of a certain age may remember a 1970s Saturday Night Live sketch featuring a faux advertisement for Shimmer. Shimmer was a fictitious – thank goodness! – foor wax/dessert top- ping. While that sounds completely unappetizing, albeit hilarious, the public's appetite for multi-tasking products has not diminished over the decades. The digital age has ushered in even more products that do double duty in the kitchen and bath, mainly to take advantage of smart phone and tablet features. Whether you welcome these trends or steer your clients as far as possible from them, it's important to appreciate their appeal for certain market segments. PROS AND CONS There are some defnite advantages in some of the multi-taskers to your design projects. They can cut an over- all appliance budget by combining multiple functions in one purchase, (e.g., a combined microwave-convec- tion-speed-cook oven-warmer rather than a separate oven, microwave and warming drawer). This has appeal for the budget-conscious client. They can also save space, as in the enhanced microwave example, which could appeal to your small kitchen client. Connected appliances will reso- nate with the connected homeowner and early adopter. Multi-taskers, both connected and not, come with some drawbacks. When one part of a multi-tasker goes out, chances are, the entire appliance does, too, multiplying the inconve- nience. They're more complex, which could lead to more issues, higher re- pair costs and fewer skilled repair professionals to fx them. They also tend to cost more than their basic equivalent – e.g., a micro- wave oven with convection will cost more than one without, and one with convection, speed-cook and warm- ing features will cost signifcantly more than one with just convection. Some clients may push back against the greater cost if they just want a microwave. From a design and installation perspective, the more a fixture or appliance does, the longer it takes to digest the specifcations and the more complex those specs will be. For example, a standard fxture doesn't care about your wif network, but a multi-tasking connected one does. Being a designer gets more technical every year. MULTI-TASKERS IN THE KITCHEN Some of these have become workhors- es over the years. The microwave with convection, speed-cook and warming settings is a popular choice. Combi- ovens with convection and steam settings are increasingly growing in popularity as homeowners discover the benefts of steam cooking. What's next in this category – already seen at European shows – is the built-in combi oven that features steam, convection and microwave technology. At least two brands are working on getting the combination tweaked for the U.S. market. (Sharp released a countertop model with this capability, but there needs to be a built- in option for the higher-end client.) Also on the appliance front is multi-tasking refrigeration. The conver t ible f r idge-f reezer-w i ne drawer is not new, though there are now oferings from more than one manufacturer, and in more than one confguration. What is new is a refrig - erator that also dispenses cofee and other hot beverages. GE introduced its Cafe Refrigerator at Design & Con- struction Week 2015 that will appeal to the Keurig fan; owners can make cofee from their favorite K Cups in this new appliance. Several brands have shown of fx- tures that blend water fltration and hot water dispensing. This is a boon for the sink area, which can now ben- eft from both without having multiple units to dispense them. Rohl and In- SinkErator are two brands that have displayed these multi-tasking features and have upped the style quotient on both fltered and hot water dispensers. You no longer have to choose between form and function. Aff luent coffee fans can also multi-task with TopBrewer, a versatile beverage dispenser that makes java, as well as tea, hot water, sodas and milk drinks. It, too, ties into a smart phone and an app to dispense a cli- ent's liquid pleasure. Freddy is another high-end multi- tasking kitchen appliance. It made its ofcial debut at the WestEdge show in 2014, but is just now shipping to the U.S. This premium Italian product is a bl ast chiller to fast-freeze meats and leftovers. It will also defrost and slow cook meals. Blast chillers have been a commercial kitchen staple for decades. The afuent home chef can now also enjoy their convenience. Solid surface countertops that double as wireless charging stations for smart phones and tablets have been featured at recent KBIS halls. This year, the technology expanded to the quartz segment with Viatera's TechTop from LG Hausys, which took best of overall show honors. By Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS Trend Spotting The Multi-Taskers Convection and steam are a dynamic cooking duo. TopBrewer is barista, soda jerk and milkman all in one. First residential blast chiller freezes, defrosts and cooks dinner. Durable quartz tops now double as charging stations. Photo: TopBrewer/Purcell Murray Photo: Bosch Home Appliances Photo: Irinox Photo: LG Hausys Surfaces