Latest news with #BlackOre
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Appliances get even smarter
KBIS 2025: The international kitchen and bath industry's annual showcase offers a preview of what's coming to an appliance store near you The annual Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, held each February, is the place to see the latest innovations, breakthrough technologies and gorgeous new looks laid out over the half-million square feet of the Las Vegas Convention Centre. We were particularly interested this year in what's new from the major appliance companies, where ingenuity and function are often front and centre. Here's a taste of what we saw. Beyond stainless While some domestic and many status European models foresee a return to enamelled steel exteriors in rainbow colours (Italian luxury brand Officine Gullo showed several models in what can only be called 'ice-cream' shades), white and other light shades do seem to be making a comeback. Jenn-Air showcased a number of very un-kitchen-y finishes, of which leather is the only one confirmed to be available in Canada. But for us, the unofficial winner of most beautiful update to stainless stee – which is still everywhere, by the way – has got to be KitchenAid's two newest shades, Juniper and Black Ore. Juniper, a smoky green that shifts from mid-teal to near-black depending on the viewing angle, is a perfect companion to last year's 'it' kitchen cabinet colour, green, while Black Ore is a softer take on black stainless steel with a slightly mattified finish that's pure glamour. AI grows up Artificial intelligence has been a feature of higher-end kitchen appliances for several years now, but the newest generation goes truly space-age. Cameras inside fridges can tell you via app what's in there: great if you can't remember whether you bought milk or not, or when there are leftovers getting furry in the back. AI-connected cameras are equally handy inside ovens: they can identify what food you've put in there and suggest the precise time and temperature to cook it, and can send pictures of the cooking food to your phone – great for checking a turkey, or posting to Instagram. Induction takes centre stage Far more efficient than electric and safer and cleaner than gas, induction is fast becoming the go-to technology for cooktops and ranges. Dacor has a model whose glass top is so scratch-resistant, it rates an 8 on the ten-point Mohs hardness scale. One version of Jenn-Air's induction cooktop incorporates a downdraft fan that can eliminate the need for outside venting, by channeling smoke to a built-in recirculating system. Really cool fridges One of the newer and more popular features seen at KBIS was one or more 'convertible' compartments that you can set to operate as either fridge or freezer space, depending on your needs. One model from Maytag takes that idea a step further with its 'PowerCold' compartment, which can super-chill beer or pop, quickly prep meat for the freezer, or firm up ice cream that's been left out on the counter. Solutions to real problems While modern technology has been known to come up with solutions to problems that don't really exist – after all, many of us have settings on our dishwasher or dryer we've never used – KBIS overflowed with great light-bulb ideas. Maytag's Pet Pro laundry pair is specially designed to remove every trace of pet hair, even if your pet is a Yeti. Whirlpool, for its part, has finally solved the problem of having to leave the washer door open to dry after a load by installing an interior drying fan, backing it up with an antibacterial coating. Meanwhile, oven interior coatings make it possible to clean the oven with nothing more than a damp cloth, or to wipe fingermarks and smears off stainless steel the same way.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Home shows: Black stainless, oven cameras and more
With half a million square feet of exhibits, the annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Show held each February in Las Vegas is a Disneyland for design watchers. KBIS is where manufacturers, contractors and other insiders come together to see what's new in fixtures and faucets, sinks and solid surfacing, and the ways modern ingenuity can improve our homes' hardest working rooms. It's also where the major appliance brands pull out all the stops. This year, refined finishes, sophisticated colours and new methods of meal prep dominated, even among moderately priced brands. Last year's standout colour — green — has morphed into a subtler version, at least at one manufacturer's booth; and AI is proving itself central to smart kitchens. Here's a glimpse at what's coming to an appliance showroom near you. Black stainless and a new take on green Not that long ago, the only colour consumers wanted was stainless steel. (Before that, it was white, notwithstanding a brief foray in the seventies to earth tones like avocado, harvest gold and brown.) But stainless steel, which came out of professional kitchens, soon proved its limitations in consumer kitchens with its tendency to scratch, attract grease and fingerprints, and finally because of its very ubiquity. The major brands have been introducing variations on stainless for several years now, with varying levels of success. But some of the newest shades really are beautiful. The current favourite, at least from the manufacturers' standpoint, is black stainless steel. Known variously as Graphite (Dacor), Black Ore (KitchenAid), Midnight Steel (Maytag) and similarly atmospheric names, it's a newer, sleeker take on stainless. Some companies are presenting it in a matte finish for an extra level of glamour, along with improvements such as easy-clean surfaces that require only a swipe with a damp cloth to maintain. Last year, designers were bullish on green with everything, from surfacing to tile to appliances. KitchenAid is introducing a rich, subtle green this year called Juniper that, like a sharkskin suit, shifts depending on the viewing angle from milky mid-green to near-black. Appliance design continues to favour clean lines. Knobs and handles — what the industry calls jewellery — are being offered in new metals from warm bronze and brushed gold to cool matte stainless or black. KitchenAid's handles are actually interchangeable by the user, should you get tired of them and want a different colour. Pet laundry, add-a-freezer In their zeal to update products with new features, some manufacturers have been known to offer solutions that don't really have a corresponding problem. But a number of the innovations seen at KBIS this year appear to be genuinely useful. Pet parents will appreciate Maytag's Pet Pro laundry pair, displayed at the show in a booth lined with deep-pile shag walls. The washer/dryer is specially designed to tackle hirsute laundry loads: the washer has an extra water/agitation cycle, while the dryer uses steam and extra tumbling to get out any remaining fur. Several companies offered modified French-door fridges with an independently temperature-controlled middle drawer that can be used as either a fridge or freezer. In other models, such as GE Profile's version, the fridge is divided into four compartments with independent doors, with the lower right a convertible fridge or freezer. Several companies modified the hinges on their appliances so that doors would take up less room when open or stay flush with the counter depth for a more streamlined look. One standout that addresses a small but long-standing consumer pain point is Whirlpool's front-loading washer with a built-in drying fan and antimicrobial coating, which allows users to close the door immediately after removing laundry instead of having to leave it open for an hour or two till the inside is dry. AI Gets Personal Artificial intelligence has been making itself at home in major appliances for several years now, and the range of productivity it can add to everyday appliance use is getting more and more impressive. Some modern AI-equipped refrigerators contain cameras in their interiors that, through an app, can tell you what's in there, what you are running out of, whether you remembered to buy milk, what's getting furry at the back of the fridge and make suggestions for recipes based on what you have on hand. Samsung's Bespoke fridge line features several sizes of in-door screens that catalogue the contents of the fridge, act as a 'smart' hub for connected devices, and can also be programmed to play a TV while a homeowner cooks. AI-controlled cameras are gaining in popularity inside ovens as well. At least one model, from LG's Studio line, can recognize individual foods, calculate the temperature, weight and size, and how long it will take to cook it to perfect doneness. In-oven cameras have other futuristic uses: cooks can get a visual on the progress of cookies or a turkey by sending a picture to an app, so there's no need to open the oven door or even get up off the sofa. It also allows the user to take a picture or a video of the food as it cooks and put it on Instagram. One job, done better Some of the most impressive new models take one good idea and make it better. The latest incarnation of Jenn-Air's downdraft ventilation unit, first introduced about 10 years ago, is a good example. The newest models are as powerful as any full-size standard range hood and whisper-quiet. One version comes built into the centre of a standard 36' induction cooktop, with optional ductless venting; in other styles, the works are shallow enough that you can use the cabinet underneath for extra storage. Getting inducted Induction cooking is becoming the new normal in home kitchens, and experts predict it will replace gas cooking altogether within the next decade or so. Safer, faster, more precise and vastly more energy-efficient than either gas or electric, it's even winning over diehard gas-range users, including professional chefs. As its appeal spreads, appliance designers are coming up with innovative improvements. Most notable: new ranges such as Dacor's that use smooth-operating knobs instead of the more common touchscreen or sliding controls to set temperature; and a super-durable induction cooktop, also from Dacor, that's so scratch-resistant it rates 8 on the Mohs hardness scale. Induction units with convertible burners that will heat either two separate pots or one rectangular pan simultaneously are also popular. Some of SKS's induction ranges offer 'free zone' capability, allowing you to place one or multiple pots anywhere on the cooking surface. And some built-in configurations are designed to transfer heat directly through the countertop, removing the need for a cooktop altogether.
