It’s commonly said that the kitchen is the heart of any home and that’s generally true. It happens on a day-to-day basis as families prepare meals, kids do homework, and it seems that everyone congregates in the kitchen for conversation on every topic imaginable. Even social gatherings tend to migrate into the kitchen as hosts and hostesses welcome guests as they prepare food and drink.
Kitchen gatherings are traditional but there are a couple of relatively recent technological trends that emphasize the kitchen as a gathering place. They include the rapidly expanding availability of smart appliances and the desire for luxury appliances. Smart appliances are becoming the norm even in moderately priced kitchens. Beyond that, though, high earners with a passion for haute cuisine have created an emerging market for the best of the best.
Why Are Luxury Appliances Worth The Price?
The term luxury implies high cost and luxury appliances certainly live up to that presumption. They’re generally several times the price of more mainstream products but there are advantages that make the price acceptable to many consumers. First is their durability. Typical major appliances just don’t last as long as they used to. But it’s not uncommon for luxury appliances to last three or more times longer than their more modest counterparts.
When it comes to selling a home, those equipped with well known luxury appliances help houses sell faster and for more money. Real estate giant Zillow found that houses that list specific luxury brand appliances in their ads sell both quicker and for a higher price than those that don’t.
Most importantly to those who love to cook, high end appliances simply work better. They feature higher and more consistent heat settings and ovens generally are insulated better.
Expert Sales And Service Are Critical
Retailers that specialize in appliance sales are often the best suited to meet the demands of luxury appliance buyers. Though discriminating buyers of luxury appliances often do their preliminary research online, when it comes to making the final purchase decision, specialty stores have the edge. Consumers demand expert sales personnel when buying high big-ticket appliances. They are not likely to be satisfied by a salesperson who can’t readily answer their questions and offer valuable advice.
Service, too, is a major issue for luxury appliances. Factory service is unavailable for most brands in most areas so the retailer who makes a point of offering top quality service after the sale is attractive to buyers.
Features You Can Expect From Luxury Appliances
When it comes to options, lesser appliances can’t compete with luxury brands. While not an all-inclusive list, these are some of the most intriguing attributes available.
- Larger and variable sizes. In a typical American kitchen, the range is often just thirty inches wide. Ranges offered by luxury manufacturers come in thirty-six, forty-eight, and even sixty in sizes.
- Column style refrigeration is popular among luxury brands. Rather than buying an integrated refrigerator, separate columns include independent refrigerators, freezers, and wine and beverage coolers.
- A dizzying array of cooking surfaces is available on many luxury ranges, cooktops, and range tops. Some are available with a combination of gas and induction burners plus griddles and grills. French tops are available from Wolf, Blue Star and La Cornue. This feature lets you cook with several pans at different temperatures on the same surface unit. Additionally, La Cornue offers the option of a teppanyaki surface which allows for cooking directly on an iron plate, reminiscent of entertaining Japanese restaurants. SKS, a premium mark of LG, has a sous vide cooker built in to its 48-inch pro range.
- Sub-Zero refrigerators feature air filtration and an air scrubber that removes ethylene gasses that are emitted by many fruits and vegetables. Reducing these gasses keeps produce fresh longer.
- Convection ovens are offered by most manufacturers and steam ovens are available from most.
- Many manufactures offer color choices as well as other aesthetic features. Standouts among designs are Gaggenau and La Cornue. Gaggenau appliances are designed by Bang & Olufsen, famous Danish modern designers who made audio gear in the 1960s that still looks futuristic by today’s standards. La Cornue styling is in a class by itself. Though very expensive their offerings are perfect if cost is no object and style reigns supreme.
The products featured in this article are true luxury in nature. For those consumers who want the best in smart technology without the extravagant prices, the emerging category of Affordable Luxury Appliances may be a better choice.
See also: THOR Kitchen Introduces Premium-Featured French Door Refrigerator
