K/BIS Promises Plethora Of Premium Appliances
By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 4/10/2006
Chicago— Attendees at this month's Kitchen/Bath Industry Show, which opens its doors April 20 for a four-day run at the McCormick Place exhibition center, here, will be treated to a gangbuster cluster of fully featured and margin-rich majaps in response to heightening consumer tastes.
Here's a preview of what's in store for dealers:
Danby: The company continues to focus on the expansion of its Silhouette line in 2006. One of the first of these introductions, planned for K/BIS, is Danby's entry into the built-in beverage center category with its new DBC514BLS. The contemporary, integrated beverage center will accommodate up to 110 beverage cans and 11 bottles of wine, and boasts three frosted-glass slide-out shelves, a tempered glass door that is designed to filter out harmful UV light, accenting stainless steel door trim and an all black interior.
New design elements include our a “cool blue” LED lighting system that provides enhanced display lighting for the interior for without the heat of traditional incandescent bulbs that can warm stored contents, a unique fan forced interior cooling system that maintains temperatures better than conventional “cycle defrost” systems, and a discreet integrated door lock and reversible door swing for left or right hand opening.
Available later this month, the unit will carry a suggested retail of $799.
Gaggenau: The BSH subsidiary is introducing its first refrigeration series in the United States. In a unique design twist, the refrigerators and freezers are comprised of freestanding, mix-and-match modular columns that enable the consumer to chose refrigeration placement based on need and the configuration of the kitchen. The columns can also be fully integrated into custom cabinetry or can stand out with a stainless steel door.
The units feature stainless steel, aluminum and glass interiors with full-length halogen light pillars, and each column has its own evaporator and compressor which operates independently without air exchange to prevent odor transfer between refrigerator and freezer. The independent operation allows for precise temperature control, the company said.
Haier: Unlike other wine cellars with dual temperature zones, the company's new Flex-Zone wine cellar with vari-temp controls (models HVZ035ABS, HVZ040ABH, HVZ040ABH5S) allows the top and bottom compartments to each be set at a temperature between 39 and 65 degrees, independent of each other.
The unit is available in 35- and 40-bottle capacities, with automatic settings for red and white wine, soft interior lighting, and a dual function LED readout that displays the temperature in each temperature zone.
Samsung: The manufacturer will showcase the first washing machine to employ its patented SilverCare technology. According to the company, its new front-loading washer uses silver ions in its wash and rinse cycles to kill nearly 100 percent of tested bacteria and sanitize laundry in cold water without the use of bleach — yielding a 92 percent energy savings over hot water sanitization.
The unit itself has a 3.8-cubic-foot capacity, two-step baffles, a slanted drum for easy loading and unloading and an angled display panel located on the front for easy control. Available in white and metallic, the washers with will carry suggested retails of $1,099 to $1,399.
