In appliance trends, nothing is boring.
Authored by Susan Fornoff
Good luck finding plain old stainless steel. Today’s kitchen appliances are coming with mixed metals like brass and copper on rails and handles, or in color options from Bluestar like Ruby Red or, shown, Pigeon Blue. Dacor offers any color that Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams make in paint! We checked in with Mountain High, Ferguson, and Specialty appliance experts for more on what’s trending locally in 2020 kitchen appliances.
1. A is for automated
The top trend in high-end kitchens, culinary technology, has brought us closer than ever to the kitchen that will do your cooking for you. Fridge cameras from Dacor can tell you if you need milk or beer, and apps like this one from Whirlpool can start the oven while you’re still stuck in traffic.
2. The wow
If you’re one of those appliance geeks with budget and square footage to burn who must have the latest and greatest, here are three for you: the Sub-Zero Pro 48 refrigerator, with large commercial hinges and no plastic anywhere, $18,000; the Viking TurboChef Speedcook Oven, which can cook an 18-pound turkey in an hour and 45 minutes, $17,000; and the GE Monogram Smart Hearth (shown), a pizza oven that does not need outside venting, $11,500.
3. Local love
Cooking is different at altitude, so shouldn’t we choose appliances accordingly? Two to consider: the new extra-large steam ovens (like the Miele shown), which can come with a water reservoir you fill or connect to a plumbed line and are big enough to cook a turkey; and induction cooktops, which work with magnets and are 80 percent more efficient than gas at a mile high.
4. The extras
How about a wine system, like the one shown here from Dacor? Viking allows you to grow your own herbs under the counter in its Micro- Green and Herb-Growing Cabinet. No more reaching high with new microwave drawers from Sharp. Miele’s latest coffee center also accommodates the height-challenged, with a side swing door for easier access. And, if you’re into sous vide, Miele offers a wall drawer for vacuum sealing.
