Can’t stand the heat? Make your kitchen cooler with these appliances
Science meets art in the kitchen, where designers are constantly whipping up new appliances to improve the way we cook — and make it look oh-so-beautiful, too.
Each year, the leaders in the industry gather in New York for the Architectural Digest Design Show, where they show off their state-of-the-art wares and whatnots. A refreshing tour through the crowd-packed show revealed these top trends: Here’s what the chicest kitchens are wearing right now.
Color Your World
If color makes you happy, then smile with ILVE’s ranges and cooktops, crafted in Italy. The Majestic line comes in five standard American sizes, two of which have dual fuel options; all are available in seven standard colors and 213 custom colors. The all-gas Nostalgie collection comes in three standard sizes, eight standard colors and also 213 custom colors. ILVE is also showcasing appliances with mixed chrome and brass trims; mixing metals is another hot design trend. http://ilveappliances.com/ranges.
Retro with a High-Tech Twist
If you love a vintage look but want state-of-the-art technology, turn to Italy’s SMEG, a company that collaborates with architects to create distinctive appliances. The new FAB32, a refrigerator with a frost-free freezer, comes in eight great colors. Also new for SMEG’s popular toasters and blenders are the colors pink and pastel green (above). And for those who want a completely retro kitchen suite, SMEG is adding new appliances to the line: a retro-style dishwasher and 24-inch ranges. www.smegusa.com. Big Chill, from Boulder, Colo., debuted its line of retro-gone-modern refrigerators back in 2001; it now has a full line of products in more than 200 colors and additional custom colors. For 2016, it’s introduced turquoise as a bright and bold new color option. It’s also launched a midcentury-style meets cutting-edge-technology induction range. https://bigchill.com.
Oven Door Re-do
What? You’re still cooking with a wall oven where the door drops down? Bosch’s Benchmark side-opening wall oven (above) is an award-winning design offering increased accessibility to the oven and also featuring something called EcoChef, that uses residual convection heat to cook food, saving energy and money. www.bosch-home.com/us. Viking also has a new French door single oven inspired by commercial kitchens. The extra-large oven also has 11 high-performance cooking modes (including convection roast and bake, convection defrost and four levels of broiling) and steam-cleans in 20 minutes. www.vikingrange.com.
Hot and Steamy
Fry vegetables without oil and use steam heat so powerful that it can brown the skin on a chicken with Sharp’s new SuperSteam+ combination steam and convection oven. Sharp says it’s the only oven that can grill foods using steam heat, as temperatures climb as high as 485 degrees — twice as hot as regular steam. You can use the SuperSteam+ setting to grill, roast or saute foods that will be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, or use the more standard convection and regular steam options. A touch-screen interface gives advice for healthy cooking with built-in recipes in 16 categories, including low-carb, low-sodium and vegan. www.SharpUSA.com/supersteam.
Are You Smarter Than Your Kitchen?
Refrigerators only used to have to be cool. Now the best of them have the right connections, too — as do ovens. Last fall, Jenn-Air introduced a dual convection wall oven with wireless connectivity. Through an app for smartphones and tablets, busy homeowners can preheat or control the temperature in the oven while enjoying cocktails on the back porch — or make sure they have turned it off when they are halfway to the airport for that vacation. Use the app in conjunction with the oven’s wire probe and your appliance will let you know when your food has reached the right internal temperature. This year, Jenn-Air is adding a wirelessly connected new 72-inch French door fridge to its kitchen repertoire. Your app will let you know if the power’s gone out or if you’ve left the door ajar. Or, order up some extra ice for a party, or plunge the temperature so when you get home from the CSA farm you can leave the fridge doors open while you organize your fresh veggies. Jenn-Air also just announced it is partnering with Nest, known for beautifully designed, user-friendly technology; details on what exactly this means for users will come with the app’s upgrade this summer. http://jennair.com/planning. Meanwhile, Dacor, a California-based company whose appliances are recommended by the master chefs of Le Cordon Bleu, continues to upgrade the software for its connected appliances and has added voice-activated technology in its Discovery iQ products, including its 48-inch Dual-Fuel Range (above), which features an integrated, wireless tablet. When your oven texts you that dinner is ready, just tell it to shut itself off, and you’ll be there soon. For more info and a price quote: www.dacor.com.
Bringing Sexy Black
Jenn-Air’s new 72-inch, counter-depth French door fridge isn’t just smart. It’s also sexy. The interior is a rich black. Jenn-Air started its Obsidian option with built-in models and found that customers found the distinctive look “sexy,” a service rep told me at the AD Design Show. So, it began expanding its Obsidian line, making black the new black. Also new: black floating glass panels for the refrigerator doors. http://jennair.com/planning.
Size Matters
While some appliances are downsizing to fit with the small homes trend and urban living, others are touting the advantages of size. The Thermador 60-inch Pro Grand Range (above) has three different cooking zones, making it easier to have more happy cooks in the kitchen. Each range includes six burners plus either a grill and a griddle or a 24-inch dual zone griddle. For the two ovens, there are also choices: The Ultimate Culinary Center features a convection oven next to a steam and convection oven with a warming drawer, while the Ultimate Entertainer’s Center gives you a 36-inch convection oven next to a 30-inch convection oven, making it the largest double-oven on the market. www.thermador.com. The True 48 (left) is a side-by-side refrigerator freezer that ups the fridge space to give more space for fresh, organic foods. You’ll get 20.7 cubic feet of refrigerator and another 8.7 cubic feet of freezer storage; the doors offer a 120-degree stay-open feature. http://true-residential.com.
Cooking at Record Speed
Viking says its new Professional TurboChef double-oven (above) is the fastest in the world, letting busy consumers cook 15 times faster. Airspeed Technology will cut that turkey roasting time from four hours to 42 minutes (no reason to miss the Cowboys kickoff ever again). Celebrity chef Joe Arvin cooked up some 45-second grilled cheese sandwiches for the crowd at the AD Design event, and they were hot, crunchy, melty and downright delicious. www.vikingrange.com. Induction cooktops, which heat foods faster and also allow for long, slow simmers, continue to evolve. Using electromagnetic energy that turns the cookware into the source of heat, induction gives precise temperature control and also keeps the area around those cooking elements cool-to-the-touch.
Jenn-Air will introduce the first downdraft induction cooktop (aove) this summer, combining induction’s convenience with powerful ventilation that erases the need for a hood. Look for it in that sexy new black floating glass style. http://jennair.com/planning.
Bosch is introducing its Benchmark 36-inch induction cooktop (above) this summer. Using PowerMove, cooks can set up preset heating zones and simply move pots around without having to adjust element temperature settings. A PreciseSelect interface will make operating the cooktop simple and easy. Watch for more news and shopping information at www.bosch-home.com/us.
This story was originally published August 3, 2016 at 11:56 AM with the headline "Can’t stand the heat? Make your kitchen cooler with these appliances."