The commercial kitchen look and performance is extremely popular and is becoming more and more affordable. An entire KitchenAid Pro Line suite, for instance, costs right around $6,000.
Home appliances continue to get sleeker and smarter, with new models boasting attention-getting designs and energy efficiencies that pay for themselves in a few years.
“The last few years the manufacturers seem to have been holding back and the market had been boring,” says Matt Burkholder, sales manager for Martin Appliance in Brownstown, “but this year we’re seeing exciting innovations.”
Sam Gregory, vice president of sales and marketing for Appliance Distributors Unlimited in York, noticed a similar trend in homeowners holding back on remodeling projects for the past two years.
“They were more on a budget, doing partial remodels instead of full,” he says, “but judging from the crowds we had this past weekend, that’s changing.”
This pent-up demand is finding a welcome number of new appliances that promise to save homeowners money through new, greener technological advances.
GREEN HEAT
“The most exciting new innovative appliance for me is General Electric’s new GeoSpring water heater,” says Burkholder. “I know it’s hard for people to get excited about a water heater, but this is 65 percent more efficient than a traditional electric heater.”
Burkholder is so enthusiastic about this electric heat pump innovation that he recommends everyone replace old water heaters, even if the current one is still working well and is only a few years old.
“There are a lot of green products out there that don’t make financial sense,” he says. “They make you feel good, but they really aren’t worth the extra cost in terms of a payoff of bigger savings.”
But Burkholder says that this new water heater (which costs around $1,600) pays for itself in less than three years, and is also eligible for various rebates from electric companies as well as for federal tax credits.
“I know that people don’t look at water heaters; they just tuck them in their basements, but literally, this is the coolest looking water heater,” he adds.
GET COOKING
Everything old is new again in kitchen cooktops and ovens. The 30-year-old technology of induction cooking is the hottest trend, cooking food efficiently without heating the cooking surface.
“It’s not new technology, but it’s becoming more popular now that it’s becoming more affordable,” says Burkholder.
Gregory says that’s because more manufacturers have entered the market, pushing the price down.
“It also helps that you don’t have to buy special expensive cookware anymore, because now so much of the cookware is already designed to be induction compatible,” he says.
Induction cooktops cost around $1,000, with ranges around $2,000, says Burkholder.
Comparable quality electric smoothtop ranges cost about half as much as induction.
Burkholder adds that convection ovens “are now mainstream,” driving their costs down to the $700 range.
But Gregory complains that many homeowners haven’t figured out how to use convection ovens to their full capacity.
“We still cook one dish at a time, not learning that you can cook it all at once and keep it all hot in a convection oven,” he says.
This slow adaptation to new technologies is keeping home cooks from using all the features of their computer-driven ranges, which often have recipes and cooking times pre-programmed.
Burkholder says that prices are also coming down for professional-looking kitchens.
“There are several lines of restaurant-inspired appliances that look similar to professional lines, but have a much more reasonable price point,” he says, adding that a full professional-looking appliance package can be had for $6,000 for homeowners who want the look but don’t need the performance.
PARTY ALL THE TIME
The hottest trend in keeping cool continues to be the French door refrigerator, says Gregory.
“People have just gone crazy for it,” he says. “Personally, I don’t like bending down for ice. I like the side-by-side, but people really like the concept of being able to slide big party trays in their refrigerators.”
Gregory adds that tower lighting, lights along the sides of the refrigerator rather than in the back, is a subtle new improvement that his customers appreciate.
Burkholder likes water dispensers that can be programmed to exactly fill your container, from water glass to coffeepot.
COLOR ME MINE
Metallics still rule the kitchen color palate.
“In the ’80s, it was all about the white kitchen, but since 1988, the constant color has been stainless, and it still remains strong today,” says Gregory.
Burkholder adds that black is a popular runner-up shade, but he sees the latest oiled bronze hue generating excitement.
Of course, in the high-end market, manufacturers offer a broad range of custom colors.
“Viking has a total of 24 finishes, from reds to oranges to greens to blues,” says Gregory.
WASH & WEAR
Laundry room innovations are easier on your clothes and on your electric bill.
“The incredible phenomenon of the front loader and the pedestal continues,” says Gregory. “But now we’re seeing more innovations in top loaders that are getting rid of the agitators and are also easier on clothes.”
Gregory credits the 1992 Energy Star program with kicking off these innovations.
“The energy requirements of washers have really changed a lot,” agrees Burkholder. “They’re using half the water, half the electricity, and clothes are lasting four times longer than in the past.”
Burkholder adds that “steam is almost standard on higher-end machines” to remove allergens and prevent wrinkles.
“We have to do a lot less ironing now,” adds Gregory.
GET SMART
Next on the horizon are appliances that will be able to communicate with your home’s new smart electric meter. As electric companies begin to roll out the new meters, manufacturers are doing the same, introducing home appliances that will turn on during off-peak times.
The new GE water heater is already equipped with this technology. Next up are refrigerators that can postpone their automatic defrost times, ovens that can adjust their cooking times and temperatures, and dishwashers that can delay their run times for off-peak hours to take advantage of lower rates. Appliances will also be able to show you real time energy use data.
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You will be able to remotely control your heating and air conditioning system by phone, or have your refrigerator self-diagnose a problem.
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Refrigerators’ LCD display screens will also help keep an inventory of food items and store a grocery list that will be accessible remotely by smart phone, in addition to storing photos slide shows and notes to the family.
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Robotic vacuums will continue to be a hot innovation by branching out to scrub bathroom floors and even feed pets.
