The Kitchen & Bath Show was held in Chicago this year. For three days I walked the floors from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. It was exhausting and exciting. Once again we saw the prototypes and latest products ready for release with the emphasis, this year on speed cooking and computer interfacing. Wow! The kinds of innovations that we saw are going to change forever the way we do kitchen and the way we live in our new spaces. We are entering a very exciting time in the evolution of the kitchen. When refrigerators replaced iceboxes and toilets replaced outhouses, didn't life change for the better! The latest design innovations coupled with the new product developments are paving the way for a new era of kitchens.
I thought you might be interested to hear about some of the new items. The Rhode Island School of Design's five-year project to develop the Universal Kitchen (see Fine Homebuilding, March 1999, p. 50) certainly has contributed to the arrival of these new products, but so have the NKBA with its educational programs, the design professionals with their concern for making the kitchen a better place to live, and homeowners who want/demand kitchens that do more for them.
Here, then, are my picks from the last two shows:
(Please be alert to the fact that these items, while exciting, may not be readily available in your area. Also, it is wise to think about service before purchasing any piece of equipment.)
KitchenAid has come out with quartz technology! It combines quartz, microwave, and convection heating to deliver fast oven cooking.
Maytag working with TurboChef has also come up with a rapid cooking oven. It uses a controlled, smoothly flowing field of hot air that wraps the food along with microwaves to produce foods cooked five times faster than conventional oven.
GE has come out with lightwave technology! It combines lightwaves and microwaves to deliver fast, moist, browned foods. No preheat, four times faster than conventional oven, great tasting foods for those of us watching fat intake.
Gagganau, too, has come up with new technology: an oven which has a water source for steaming in combination with electric convection cooking. This means plumbing and electric in the same unit. Awaiting UL approval for US shipment. Does wonders for puff pastry.
This is an originial Italian wood-burning oven which can be installed outside or inside the home. It is manufactured in Tuscany and made of quarried cotto refrattario. These thermally efficient ovens function with a natural convection airflow and maximum heat retention, resulting in minimum wood consumption and consistent cooking results. They fuction well for all baked goods, including breads, pizzas, and meats.
Delivers even, moist convected heat: the best of both worlds. From England.
Totally new design allows for extremely quiet, yet efficient, ventilation with a non-intrusive design (slim and trim).
Originally made for yacht use, they feature high-end design, one- and three-burner configuations. These boast rapid heating and a safety turn-off feature.
The first 30" free-standing range with two ovens. Perfect for smaller spaces and lower budget jobs.
Reads bar code: reorder or inventory for home use. Although this is just a prototype today, look out, it's coming.
From New Zealand: the splash of the show: these drawers are computerized and easy to use, make no noise, and are of molded material so there are no leaks.
A non-electric, water-driven disposer. It can quietly dispose of most food items.
One unit which combines the sink and a steamer sitting next to it. Both are plumbed. The steamer is easy to use: lift and fill, no steps, great for our health-conscious society.
An engineered stone that resembles granite, yet harder and stronger and more uniform.
Made from recycled plastic, rather than particle board, this base material is the high-end product choice and seems to answer the worst of the laminate flooring problems.