LAS VEGAS – Samsung Electronics introduced at International CES a premium Chef Collection kitchen suite and two super-capacity laundry pairs.
The Samsung Chef Collection was developed in collaboration with world-class chefs under the company’s Club Des Chefs program to create what the manufacturer describes as “a suite of premium professional chef-level appliances.”
The platform includes a four-door, 33.3-cubic- foot refrigerator (model RH9900) and a Food Showcase fridge (model RH22H- 9010SR); an electric slide-in range (model NE58H9950); an over-the-counter (OTR) microwave oven; and a dishwasher (model DW80H9970).
The four-door fridge features a metal cooling plate on the back of refrigerator compartment to help maintain interior temperatures; a lower-right compartment called the “fridgein- freezer” that can be converted from a refrigerator to a freezer and back again; and Chef Pan, an oven- and dishwasher-safe multi-use container that can be used for marinating and storing food.
The metal finish Food Showcase model provides practical storage and organizational solutions such as an exterior door compartment, reminiscent of LG’s door-indoor feature, that’s divided into three zones for cooking items (like cheese and sauces); drinks and snacks; and a lower kids’ level for juice boxes and fruit cups. The refrigerator’s interior compartment provides longer storage of larger, fresh food items, and a metal cooling guard on the inside of the front door captures cold air and maintain optimal temperatures.
The range brings back last year’s “Flex Duo” feature – dual compartments that can set to different temperatures – and adds more precise temperature controls and a custom, built-in finish, while the microwave oven features an improved filter which eliminates smoke and odor while cooking, and a premium, streamlined look.
More revolutionary is the dishwasher, which dispenses with traditional rotary spray arms for a linear “WaterWall” mechanism that moves along the bottom of the tub with sufficient water pressure for the spray to reach all contents. The unit also features dual cleaning zones, for normal and heavily soiled contents.
Observed Kevin Dexter, home appliance sales and marketing senior VP for Samsung Electronics America: “By working closely with Samsung Club Des Chefs, we’ve created kitchen appliances that offer an awe-inspiring level of flexibility, organization, ease of use and premium style to meet the needs and wants of even the most discerning home cook.”
The expanded laundry line includes the front-load WF9000 series, a 5.6-cubic-foot washer and 9.5-cubicfoot dryer. The former utilizes a larger drum size and “SuperSpeed” technology to reduce the wash cycle to 30 minutes, even for extra-large loads like two king-size comforters, the company said.
In addition, the pair was ergonomically designed with four inches of additional height, shallower depth and larger doors to enable users to load their laundry without bending, which can lead to discomfort and backaches. Outside, the WF9000s feature a white or onyx finish, chrome detailing and a more decorative control panel design. The series ships this spring.
Within top-load laundry, Samsung showed what it described as the industry’s largest washer and dryer in that configuration. The WA9000 similarly features a 5.6-cubicfoot washer and 9.5-cubic-foot dryer, as well as an “EZ Reach” washer design, featuring a lower top and a shallower, wider tub that’s at least three inches wider than comparable models, that puts all areas of the drum within easier reach.
The washer also features proprietary “AquaJet” cleaning technology that delivers detergent with a concentrated water spray for fast and uniform fabric penetration, while outside the series offers ice blue LED display lights, chrome detailing and stainless platinum and white exteriors. It too will ship this spring.
Added Dexter: “Consumer passion fuels Samsung product innovations and we’ve become America’s fastest growing appliance brand through a deep understanding of what our consumers need and want in their homes. We are poised for another groundbreaking year.”
