Freshness Tracker
Samsung’s Wi-Fi–enabled, Web-surfing refrigerator with built-in, 8-inch color touchscreen practically cooks for you. Its Grocery Manager app tracks the expiration dates of perishable food, and the four-door model (it also comes in a two-door, side-by-side version) has a customizable counter-height middle drawer, making it more accessible for kids. A Twin Cooling Plus System helps keep fruit and vegetables fresh longer than usual. Samsung; 800-726-7864; www.samsung.com/us.
Big Laundry
Whether in-unit or in a laundry facility, LG’s 5.1-cubic-foot WM8000 Mega-Capacity TurboWash gets people on with their lives. By combining spin and rinse cycles, the WM8000 saves 20 minutes per load, according to LG. LG’s 6Motion technology uses six wash motions in various combinations, and its Inverter Direct Drive motor has fewer moving parts than conventional models to reduce energy consumption. In fact, the WM8000 was named an Energy Star 2012 “Most Efficient” appliance. LG Electronics; 800-243-0000; www.lg.com.
Freezer Down Below
For those in apartments, condos, or otherwise small kitchens, space constraints often mean being left in the cold. Whirlpool’s solution is its new 30-inch French Door Bottom Mount refrigerator, which fits into a standard top-mount opening—no kitchen remodel required and still enough capacity to hold party platters. Other perks: a patented produce preserver to extend freshness, and adaptive defrost, which senses when to run the defrost cycle and thereby saves energy. Whirlpool; 866-698-2538; www.whirlpool.com.
In-Home Cafe
Bosch has developed the Benvenuto built-in coffee maker. It integrates with almost any kitchen, grinds beans, and makes everything from espresso to a two-cup serving of regular coffee. As with Bosch’s freestanding models, the Benvenuto features a digital display, separate chambers for beans and ground coffee, automatic cleaning and descaling, automatic rinsing, and quiet operation. It also has a programmable timer and a removable water filter. Bosch; 800-944-2904; www.bosch-home.com.
Power Clean
Miele’s Futura dishwashers include the Diamond line (pictured) and the new high-end ProfiLine, which has a ProSpeed cycle that blows through dirt and grime in just 23 minutes (when used with hot water and 240V power). Both lines feature Miele’s new FlexiCare Deluxe Basket system, which adjusts to accommodate stemware, serving platters, and other large or fragile items, and Perfect GlassCare technology, which employs a balance of fresh and softened water to care for fragile glasses and dishes. Miele; 800-843-7231; www.mieleusa.com.
Top and Bottom
Upgrading to popular double ovens often requires a kitchen redesign. Or you can go with what GE says is the first-available slide-in electric double oven. The range fits flush in common 30-inch kitchen cutouts for a custom-kitchen–like appearance. The double oven includes GE’s NextStep illuminated glass touch controls, which are ADA-compliant and lead users through the correct settings for meals. The combined oven capacity is 6.6 cubic feet. GE; 800-626-2005; www.geappliances.com.
