BENTON HARBOR, MICH. – Black has long been verboten among consumer product companies in connection with food, but it’s enjoying a new heyday in kitchen appliances.
KitchenAid, the premium Whirlpool brand, has added a new twist to the color with a variation on a popular finish for its latest multi-door refrigerator: black stainless steel.
The freestanding 36-inch fridge, shipping now, is also available in traditional stainless, and features a unique five-compartment configuration that provides greater control for organizing and preserving the freshness of foods, the company said.
The upper portion of the refrigerator is built with two sideby- side compartments, similar to a traditional French door style. But inside, adjustable shelves make it easy to fit food and ingredients of all shapes and sizes, and a finely-textured surface on shelf edges helps contain spills and prevent them from reaching other parts of refrigerator.
The unit also boasts premium crisper rollers for smooth opening and closing; a dedicated herb storage container with an angled floor to allow stems to rest in water at the bottom; and two external drawers that sit side-by-side in the middle of the refrigerator, the left drawer featuring five preset temperatures for different foodstuffs, the right drawer featuring a produce preserver with optimal humidity.
A bottom-mount freezer drawer serves as the fifth compartment, with a three-tier design that helps keep items organized and easy to reach.
The refrigerator also has a platinum interior; a measured fill feature that can pour precise amounts of water; and LED lighting that gradually increases light levels in both the refrigerator and freezer to provide a sharper view with fewer shadows.
“Both the food-preservation technology and organizational advancements found in our newest KitchenAid refrigerator were inspired by the many cooks who tell us they want the freshest possible ingredients and the ability to find them quickly and easily,” said Beth Robinson, senior manager of brand experience for KitchenAid. “It’s truly a cook’s refrigerator and another KitchenAid tool for exploring culinary creativity.”
Suggested retail prices range from $3,699 to $3,999.
