Hot New Appliances

Among the many benefits of being home improvement journalists in print, radio and television is the opportunity to attend the major building industry trade shows that feature the latest and greatest in building and remodeling products and services. One such show that we attended was the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. To say that we were like a couple of overall-clad kids in a candy store would be a gross understatement!

Convenience, comfort, space and energy savings are what manufacturers had in mind when creating each of the three state-of-the-art appliances that follow. Fasten your seat belt as we take you into the next generation of home appliances.

According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association, an industry trade association, over two thirds of American Homes contain a 30” freestanding slide in range. Traditionally, this appliance has consisted of a four burner cooking surface, a single oven and a pot drawer below. Incidentally, rarely is the pot drawer used for pots. More often than not, it is chock full of lids.

The greatest disadvantage to this space-efficient appliance is the fact that it contains only one oven. This can be a real negative – especially when it comes to holiday entertaining when more than one oven is critical. Thus, a main dish can cook in one oven, side dishes in the other.

Enter Maytag’s Gemini Range! Its one-of-a-kind two-oven design lets you cook two different foods at two different temperatures. Best of all, it fits in the same space as the traditional 30” range, but with more cooking capacity. Accordingly, no remodeling is needed!

And that’s not all. The cooking surface on the Gemini Range has a sealed burner system for safe and easy cleaning. Not to mention that the unit has the latest in digital controls and an LED readout that makes you feel like your behind the controls of a 747 – with none of the confusion, yet all of the power.

Possible disadvantage – loss of storage drawer below. Solution – most of these drawers are not used efficiently anyway. Put the pot lids somewhere else – perhaps a decorative pot rack. Look at it this way, your not losing a storage drawer, you’re gaining an oven!

Maytag’s Gemini Range retails for $1399. For more information, contact Maytag at 877-436-4642 or visit them on the web at www.maytag.com.

Did you ever wish that you didn’t have to carry that heavy pot of pasta-filled, boiling water from the stove top to the kitchen sink to drain and rinse and then back to the stove top again to finish it off? Your wish is Kohler’s command! Kohler, a leading manufacturer of products for the kitchen and bath, has just the answer – its new PRO CookCenters and PRO CookSinks.

These revolutionary products meld stovetop cooking with the kitchen sink to create a high-performance, multi-task unit that eliminates the boundaries of traditional kitchen task areas. The result is an enhanced kitchen sink that provides an efficient, compact space in which to clean, cut, steam, boil, poach and braise food – improving the overall efficiency of food preparation and cooking, while insuring a professional level of cooking quality.

No more dangerous water transfers from stove to sink – effortless, push-of-a-button drainage of cooking water – improved kitchen workspace – and, best of all, a great conversation piece when entertaining at home!

How do these state-of-the-art appliances work? In simple terms, PRO CookCenters feature a cooking vessel in conjunction with a kitchen sink – you get the best of both worlds. It is truly a sink that you can cook in situated immediately next to a sink that you can use as you would any other traditional sink. PRO CookSinks, on the other hand, feature a standalone vessel ideally positioned near a stovetop. The 8-quart cylindrical, 18-gauge stainless steel cooking vessel resides beneath the counter with its opening flush to counter level. In either case, a 240-volt power circuit and a standard base cabinet are the only requirements for easy installation.

Cooking at home – for the everyday cook to the gourmet chef – will never be the same again with these ingenious additions to the kitchen. Comfort, convenience and safety don’t come cheap. Depending upon what your little heart desires and your pocket book can afford – prices for these products range from $375 to $2900. Add another $550 to $838 for a high-tech faucet designed especially for use with these appliances.

For additional information call 1-800-4-KOHLER or visit their website at www.kohlerco.com.

Are you “space-challenged?” If you live in a small home or apartment there is generally barely enough room for you to hang your clothes, let alone have a washer and dryer to keep them clean. Wouldn’t it be great if there was one compact machine that could wash AND dry your clothes in one unit? Eureka! The Equator Corporation’s EZ-3600 Clothes Processor is a combination washer/dryer that can be installed free standing or under a counter. This compact unit is only 23 ½ inches wide (about the size of an automatic dishwasher) – it loads from the front, connects to a single water source and features a space age ventless drying system.

The hot air used to dry your clothes is water-cooled internally and the condensed water is then flushed from the machine by the water pump, thus, no dryer vent is needed – another plus. However, this ventless method results in longer drying time. So, you can’t be in a big hurry when it comes to laundry. Conversely, if you are really space-challenged, it will probably take less time than a trip to the Laundromat.

Another bonus — the manufacturer reports that many electric utility companies throughout the country are offering energy-saving rebates ranging from $50 to $375. That can make the “just under a thousand bucks” price tag a lot easier to swallow.

Technology – you gotta love it!

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