Specialty of the Day

When consumers thought about getting appliances for a kitchen 10 years ago, they simply thought of a refrigerator and a range, plus a dishwasher, if they were lucky.

Well, that basic combination has completely changed and expanded, especially in the last few years. Appliances now include everything from drawer dishwashers and refrigerator and freezer drawers to convection microwave ovens – not to mention a whole host of other specialty appliances that run the gamut from the smallest countertop dishwasher and most compact induction cooktop, to a huge walk-in wine vault complete with its own inventory tracking system.

Indeed, there now are warming drawers that keep dishes and meals hot, icemakers that cool things down and wine coolers that keep varied vintages at just the right temperature. Then, of course, there’s the latest specialty appliance specifically geared for the Starbucks generation: the built-in coffee maker, a must-have among coffee connoisseurs.

Beyond appliances that add that special gourmet touch, there are also a few items that are specially geared to help consumers monitor the security of their homes and keep them connected to the Web. There are even those appliances that bring normally outsourced conveniences, such as dry-cleaning, in house.

Here and on the next two pages, Kitchen & Bath Design News showcases a sampling of the most innovative specialty appliances on the market today.

1. Perlick Corp.’s wine cabinets feature a variable-speed compressor, as well as multi-zone refrigeration that’s accomplished through the company’s patent-pending convection cooling technology.

2. Miele’s built-in coffee system brews coffee, cappuccino, espresso and latte. It can be specified atop or near other appliances in the kitchen, as it does not have any special plumbing or electrical requirements, notes the company.

3. The latest wine cellar from Haier America, the Dual Zone Distinction Series Wine Cellar (model #HVCD24BBH), has dual electronic temperature control with humidity settings that allow the temperature in each zone to be set between 39°F and 65°F.

4. The compact dishwasher from Equator Advanced Appliances fits in an 18”-high space on the counter, and washes up to four place settings. It has three wash programs: normal, fast and rinse.

5. Brew Express from Lance-Larkin is a fully plumbed and self-filling coffee maker that mounts into the wall. It currently comes in 12-cup model, with a four-cup model on the way. It’s programmable, and has an adjustable cup selector (single cup, half pot or full pot). Hot water from the unit can also be used to make hot cocoa, tea and oatmeal.

6. De’Longhi/EuroChef offers 12" electric cooktops and 12" and 24" gas cooktops. The electric models have two heating zones on a ceramic cooktop, and the gas versions two and four (respectively) electronic-ignition stainless steel burners.

7. The Benvenuto Gourmet Coffee Machine from Bosch features the company’s AROMASWIRL System, a stainless steel brewing chamber and a built-in water filter. It’s available in two models: B20 and B30.

8. As part of the ICON Designer Series of appliances, The Electrolux Group/Electrolux Home Products, NA offers the E30WD75ESS Smooth-Glide Full-Extension Warmer Drawer. Features include stainless steel interior design, humidity control, flexible temperature control and half-width rack.

9. The Ice’NEasy by Danby Products Ltd./Danby Products Inc. is a portable icemaker designed to produce 33 lbs. of ice every 24 hours, the company notes.

10. fci Home Appliances offers an integrated, automatic coffee machine with push buttons, two heat exchangers, a programmable display and multiple coffee-brewing modes.

11. The Westinghouse-branded iCEBOX from Icebox, LLC/Salton, Inc.’s Beyond Home Initiative is a Web-enabled kitchen entertainment center available in undercabinet-mount and countertop versions.