Manufacturers are betting there is no end to the American appetite for high-tech, high-priced appliances to put in our ever-expanding kitchens and bathrooms.
Forget Macs, iPods and electronic gadgets. Bring on the fancy new kitchen and bath appliances.
Today’s manufacturers are betting there is no end to the American appetite for high-tech, high-priced appliances to put in our ever-expanding kitchens and our ever-increasing number of bathrooms.
And they are probably right.
Manufacturers’ shipments of major appliances shot through the kitchen ceiling last year. In 2003, manufacturers shipped a record 73.7 million appliances to distribution centers and retail outlets, up 8.5 percent from 2002, the Washington-based Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers said.
The sizzling housing market was only part of the story. Last year’s record was just the latest in a decade of record-breaking years for appliances. In 1994, the industry shipped 49.2 million units; by 1999, that number surpassed 60 million.
The kitchen, home to most of those appliances, is one of the two most important rooms in today’s houses, according to research compiled for the National Association of Home Builders.
And the bath, the other important room, has its own growing number of new-fangled fixtures.
More than half of homeowners in a recent poll conducted for the builders’ group wanted 2 ½ or more bathrooms in their next house; more kitchen amenities are now considered essential by homeowners, the poll showed.
As the number of appliances Americans buy soars, so does the sophistication — and cool quotient — of those appliances.
”Consumers are incorporating appliances a lot more into their social and entertainment lives,” said Jill Notini, director of communications for the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. “Appliances have become status symbols. It’s not just the car you drive anymore. It’s `what fridge do you have?”’
At the annual International Builders’ Show last month in Las Vegas, several manufacturers unveiled new appliances that were eye-popping both in what they do and how much they cost.
A sampling:
TV REFRIGERATOR
The new high-tech refrigerator from South Korea-based LG Electronics is a television and refrigerator combined.
The 26-cubic-foot side-by-side fridge incorporates a flat-screen 13 ½-inch digital television into its right-hand door. The left-hand door houses an automatic icemaker and water dispenser.
The fridge has a built-in AM-FM radio and two speakers.
”This is a fashionable, sexy appliance that also saves space,” said Daniel Lee, director of marketing for LG Electronics USA. “Yes, it does cost more than a side-by-side refrigerator and a separate 13-inch television. But it’s not an appliance for people counting pennies. … It’s a fridge you can be proud of.”
The TV Refrigerator, which has been available in South Korea for six months, is scheduled to be on sale in U.S. stores in April.
Initially, the appliance will come only in a stainless steel-look finish. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $3,250.
KITCHEN CENTER
If you think that staring at a television-refrigerator all day will just make you hungry, Salton Inc., the maker of George Foreman grills and other small appliances, offers its Beyond Icebox kitchen entertainment center, which features a flip-screen television that can attach under a kitchen cabinet.
The entertainment center, with a screen that swivels for easy viewing in the kitchen and flips up underneath a cabinet when not in use, includes television, a DVD and CD player, FM radio and home-video monitoring capabilities. It can connect to broadband Internet access and some dial-up Internet access.
The entertainment center comes with a remote control and a wireless keyboard, both of which are waterproof and can be tossed in the dishwasher for cleaning.
The Icebox entertainment center comes in a black or slate finish. It is available in stores now with a suggested retail price of $2,299.
AIR BODY-DRY SYSTEM
You know how you get a little chill after you turn off that hot shower? Well, that’s all history. And so are towels, with this new Jacuzzi bath drying tower.
The air body-dry system, which so far comes only in Jacuzzi’s Summer Rain double shower — the manufacturer says its studies have shown that 30 percent of consumers like to shower with someone else — is a six-foot tower with 12 hot-air jets in the middle of the two showers.
The jets can turn on when the shower is activated, heating the shower area while you wash. When you turn off the water, the enclosure is warm.
You can stand in front of the head-to-toe jets and dry yourself while still in the shower. The heated jets are adjustable. Temperatures and airflow can be controlled. Temperatures can go up to 150 degrees.
The Summer Rain double shower measures a hefty 6 feet by 4 feet by 7 feet.
”This isn’t for your standard 8-by-6-foot bathroom,” said Aly Johnson, vice president of baths and showers at Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Jacuzzi Whirlpool Bath. “This is for people building large, custom, upscale homes.”
The Summer Rain features two shower columns, each with four adjustable body-massage jets, a shower diverter and a thermostatic control that enables each bather to personalize his shower. Curved double shower doors open in the middle.
The shower with the air drying system is scheduled to be available in June. The retail price for the double shower and air drying system is about $10,000.
Kent Baker, president of Jacuzzi, said many consumers are not afraid to drop big bucks on their baths. ”They think they’ll get a better return on their house if they have a great bathroom,” he said.
Kohler’s new toilet, the Cimarron, is not just any old toilet. It is a toilet that gets rid of ”extraordinary” waste, such as lots of waste instead of just the normal amount.
Kohler’s advertising for the new toilet features three rather large men eating an extra, extra-big sub. This toilet is for those guys.
Kohler representatives say the toilet is also designed for families with children who stuff lots of toilet paper down their commodes.
”It’s for big people,” Jim Kukla said. He said the toilet would also be useful in commercial applications.
The Cimarron is scheduled to be available sometime this year. Suggested manufacturer’s retail price is to be $272.
Quebec City-based Julien Inc. makes high-end stainless steel sinks that are more than just vessels for holding water and dishes. These sinks can also be sleek knife-holders, sponge depositories, dishwashers, pan drawers, utensil holders and cutting board and colander bases. The company’s Aquacenter sink features an integrated dishwasher mounted underneath the sink.
”The once-unnoticed sink has now earned a place of honor,” said Richard Paradis, a sales representative at Julien.
The Aquacenter, which is supposed to be available this year, comes with a suggested retail price of $7,500. Faucets are extra.
From miamiherald.com