(Reading, PA – August 8, 2012) – Can even the best kitchen survive 3,600 hours of cooking time, 1,200 meals from pasta to Porterhouse, and 18,000 enthusiastic chefs in one single year – and still maintain its top performance and rugged good looks?  It could if it was a BlueStar™, the preferred cooking equipment for the home.

BlueStar recently celebrated its one-year anniversary as the exclusive provider of stoves, cooktops and wall ovens for The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE®) recreational kitchen classrooms.  These BlueStar appliances have seen more gastronomic action in 12 months than most appliances experience in a lifetime.  ICE is New York City’s largest, most active center for culinary education and uses a variety of kitchen appliances multiple times a day.  This vigorous daily testing is a testament to the quality engineering and superior performance of BlueStar.  Handcrafted in Reading, PA since 1880 to the highest standards, BlueStar pro appliances bring proven, unmatched cooking performance into the home.

Power, Performance & Distinction for the Home Chef

BlueStar cooking products are designed for discerning home chefs who demand restaurant-quality results in their own kitchens.  Built with the highest-quality materials and the distinctive workmanship that comes from 130 years of expertise, BlueStar offers a fully customizable line to suit the specific needs of the home chef.  The BlueStar trademark UltraNova™ burner produces 22,000 BTUs of cooking power, resulting in shorter cooking times and an even simmer.  Its full motion grates make it easy to maneuver pots and pans between burners.  The open burners provide better heat distribution for even cooking, and an infrared broiler produces 1850° of intense, searing heat.  BlueStar ranges offer the industry’s largest oven capacity and can accommodate a full size commercial 18″ x 26″ sheet pan.  Its heavy duty, durable design offers sturdy, all stainless steel construction.

What’s more, BlueStar pro appliances are available in 190 different colors as well as custom-colors in endless configurations.  A full spectrum of designer hues – from vibrant Ruby Red to subdued Stone Gray – help to reinvent the kitchen as a work of art.  BlueStar lets you unleash your inner designer with ranges, wall ovens and hoods available in a painter’s palette of color shades to complement any kitchen decor.

“BlueStar was developed for people who love to cook and so was ICE – a perfect match,” said ICE President Rick Smilow.  “Its professional performance and durability has become apparent as BlueStar pro appliances continue to be enjoyed by thousands of students.  Now, visiting award-winning chefs, students in many of ICE’s 1,500 yearly recreational cooking classes, as well as guests attending our special events, will have a chance to experience the quality and performance of BlueStar firsthand.”

ICE’s demonstration kitchen, equipped with BlueStar ranges, cooktops and wall ovens, has hosted chefs such as Red Rooster’s Marcus Samuelsson, Modernist Cuisine’s Nathan Myrhvold and ICE alum Marc Murphy, among many other culinary luminaries and chefs.  It frequently hosts media events and has served as a set for shows such as Top Chef, Next Food Network Star and Celebrity Apprentice.  Distinguished Iron Chef Jose Garces recently previewed selections from his upcoming cookbook “The Latin Road Home” at ICE and prepared a South American feast on his cooking equipment of choice, BlueStar.

Founded in 1880 under the Prizer-Painter name, the company introduced it own professional ranges to the residential market under the BlueStar name in 2002.  With technology and performance usually only found in professional ranges, BlueStar is a true genuine restaurant range for the home.