More Visual Aids

When I was an appliance lad, our display was very similar to what you see everywhere....rows and rows of stuff lined up by category. That's fine if people want to buy just one piece....if they need to renovate a space, however, you need to create an environment...

I always partner with a granite shop (Adamo in Boston, great guy) and try to show people radically new products and ideas for their consideration

This is our latest environment...

Cooktop is a Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau steamer...Look at the downdraft, it is self circulating and is vented back through the toe kick

36 inch pizza ovens from Gaggenau

Cool monorail track and pendants from Tech....I like track as an option to recessed lighting, especially in modern spaces

Cool faucet

Stainless island counters look good, but we will see once they have been used(and abused)...interestng rock backsplash

What I Learned Yesterday

Every once in awhile, I will visit contractors or long time customers to gauge our companies performance and customer satisfaction. Most of the time, I will simply listen and learn.

Yesterday was no different. Have a look at this picture, You probably don't notice anything different at first glance.

This is a modular wall, which is a radically different and new construction technique to personalize space by some MIT grads. Instead of a 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom you can theoretically change the configuration as you see fit.

This pic shows 2 great ideas from the folks at Architectural Kitchens.

First, they undermounted the Wolf cooktop, so it is level with the counter instead of being 1/2 inch above. Also look at the deckmounted faucet. This is a great idea for filling pots without having to walk to the sink, especially if that sink is on the other side of the kitchen.

Anyone see paint applied like this.....

Definitely have to leave the office more.

Cooktops

Occasionally, I will sell on the floor, which is perhaps the reason they kicked me to marketing. I see people drive themselves into contortions for really simple distinctions.

Let's look at a cooktop and try to take the mystique out of this buying decision. Personally, I like the new Bosch with a 17,000 BTU center burner, which is double the power of your older unit.





But what is a cooktop really, its a piece of flat steel with high and low heat settings. Find the price/heat setting requirements which fit your lifestyle and budget. Yeah its that easy.

Remember, I am still on vacation...you will only be launching invective at poor Pat

A Week of Buying Smart

This week will focus on intelligent buying. Its about buying products not necessarily names. So pay attention to these next two induction cooktops(as a review induction is the fastest and most energy efficient cooking surface):









Top piece is the ultra chic Gaggenau cooktop complete with knob control. The other is the ever popular Thermador cooktop with didtal controls....The Gaggenau is $4159 and the Thermador is about $3000.

Its the same unit....Total savings $1159

What Happened To JennAir Downdrafts?

Look at this JennAir Expressions unit





Back in the day (about 15 years ago), we sold a ton of these in single, double and triple units. It was a state of the art product with convertible burners, inside grill and a flush design.

So what happened?


Like anything else, the product hasn't changed, but everything else has. These cooktops are induction, which is not available in the Expressions.

Componentary downdrafts like this Electrolux have allowed people to buy exactly what they want for a cooktop rather than being pigeonholded into a grill or a particular design.





Back to the drawingboard, Whirlpool (owner of JennAir)

Free With Purchase.

You remember Cracker Jacks. Back in the day, I would buy boxes of that stuff just for the free prize (still love caramel popcorn).

Anyway, in a recession manufacturers have two solutions to declining sales. They could build more compelling products, which is a long range fix.

In the short term, however,they could package current products and bonus an item at no charge. Have a look...

Dacor..Buy a wall oven and a cooktop, and the $1300 warming drawer is yours for no extra charge.



Thermador...This company seems to have a whole bunch of promotions. For simplicity sake, buy any 36 or 48 inch professional stove, and receive a integrated $1300 dishwasher with their compliments.



Starts in February....

Great Lighting...Part 8

The YaleBlog is probably 70% appliance related. In this sequence, you will see a SubZero integrated refrigerator, Wolf cooktop, Bosch dishwasher, Franke farm sink, Best hood and Bosch dishwasher in an island setting.

Looks great.

Now look at the lighting. As I have posted previously, task lighting can be accomplished with recessed or track. In this slope ceiling application, we used bendable monorail track with cable supports and track heads with custom color accessories.



In an upscale environment, lighting sets the mood.

Small Spaces For Less

Meet Dave Kiley. Dave serves many purposes. He is (the best) part friend and part customer. Dave is also my next door neighbor and is a nut about home improvement, especially lighting and appliances.

He is also extraordinarily talented and perhaps the best contemporary renovator in Boston. Look what he does in a small space.



Samsung French door refrigerator, Miele dishwasher, Bosch cooktop, Thermador wall oven and Best hood.

Dave is a style conscious, upscale guy. In a $4500 per month rental, it is somewhat expected...but lets spend less and still have a great look.



By replacing the Thermador with a Bosch oven, Zephyr for Best, Bosch(or GE Monogram) for the Miele and LG for Samsung, we can save about $3500.

Inexpensive, Not Cheap

According to most blog experts, I have to connect to readers with short bursts of compelling info. In the last 2 months, I have shorten the narratives to be more hard hitting. The old stuff, in my opinion, is better for people who are looking for the nuts and bolts on renovating, etc, especially the very first blogs up to early 2007.

Shifting gears, there seems to be more housing inventory on the market lately. Unlike years previously, there are, however, tons of ways to distinguish your home inexpensively....


Let's spend less than 2600:

Complete Frigidaire Gallery kitchen with 2 colored Tech Pendants.



GE Profile Range and wine cooler.



For about $2800, how about an induction cooktop, 5 LED replacement trims and 2 low voltage french optic pendants.

What Happened To This?

About 10 years ago, JennAir introduced their expressions lineup of downdraft cooktops. After initial success, Expressions has stopped selling. Without question, as a subsidiary of Maytag, JennAir was at a marketing, R&D and manufacturing disadvantage, there were, however, other contributing factors.



Better downdrafts: These units were better at venting with CFM ranges of 50-150% greater. Also, the component downdrafts are compatible with any cooktop.




Better Hoods: The Italian companies actually manufacture beautiful products...that vent.

Dirsruptive Technologies, BU And Consumer Goods

I have to teach a class at BU this evening about disruptive consumer goods, and how we merchandise and market new technologies to the public. I know these kids are watching this blog as part of the assignment, so I will not tip my hand (hopefully I can keep up.)

Disruptive technology is really anything that changes the status quo. It could be partial like Red Bull energy drink or it could become the status quo like an Ipod.

Tonights discussion is a curveball for these MBAs to be. It is about the disruptive product which blew up the once proud Maytag Corp. Anyone have an idea?


We are on the cusp of some very interesting products, which could be the status quo in the future. Here is my view on some potential disruptors in our industry.


LED



Still on expensive side, but LED has massive potential, because it does not generate any heat, has a 20 year lamp life and at present is about 7 times more efficient. One day soon a 1 watt LED will be equivalent to a 100 watt incandescent.


Induction



Induction has already claimed nearly all the upscale electric cooktop market. In 5- 10 years, induction should be the cooking standard.


Speed Cooking



TurboChef and Advantium are the only examples in a market ripe for disruption, but presently there are no products with mass appeal and none on the horizon.


BU grad students....See you tonight.

Yale PSA..Outlet

About 6 months ago, we turned our first floor into an outlet for all returns, minor scratch and dent, discontinued and obsolete products. With our hassle free return policy, products can start to accumulate. After all, we deliver about 175-200 appliances per day.

Luckily, this part of our business has developed a quite a following with the locals even without any advertising. The logis is simple. I look at this as sunk costs, and 60-80% of something is better than 100% of nothing. Customers seem to like paying 20-40% less, because the unit does not have a box or has a minor scratch...So it seems to work for everyone

Outlet is open Saturdays 9-12. We will be opening it during the week as well.


Here is a small sample of product and pricing:

GE white cooktop $125
Bosch white integrated dishwasher $499
GE black glass 36 inch cooktop $200
FRigidaire Gallery electric convection stainless range $499

Please Don't

Quick Question: Can you place a downdraft behind a professional cooktop like this Wolf?



Although some manufacturers approve the application, the combination will not vent properly. The smoke, heat and grease cannot be adequately captured by the downdraft.

In a downvent application like an island, try induction. Induction is faster to boil and simmer. More importantly, it is 90% efficient versus 60% for gas, so there is less heat to vent....

Meet Ed

Ed is a customer who finally decided to replace his 50 year old Frigidaire drop in range. A drop in range is a product which is supported (dropped in) on a base cabinet. There are still tons of these stoves around the area especially from the 1950s and 60s.



How do you replace a 50 year old stove without spending a fortune on renovation?


Try this:

Slide in...To switch, the electrical must be converted and the base cabinet eliminated.




Wall oven/cooktop: Decent option, but the countertop needs to be reworked.




GE: GE still manufactures the style. Easier option since the cabinet just needs some modification, but the product is not as compelling as the others.

Cool New Stuff

The Monogram from last post is certainly new. There are plenty of other new products now available to early adopters of the appliance industry.


Thermador 5 burner 30 inch cooktop....Hey 5 is better than 4.





Remember Thermador has $1000 package rebates.


Electrolux 4.7 cubic foot washer and dryer. Front load is now twice larger than top loader and still uses a fraction of the electricity, water and detergent.





42 inch built ins have been around for 18 years....Electrolux is the least expensive at $4959 with a trailing rebate program.

Culprits....Number 3.5

Over the last week, the Yale Blog has detailed different products to save electricity and of course money. For new construction and remodelling, induction is the greenest cooking technology and a great way to save both.





Every day, I eat oatmeal and have the choice of boiling water on a Thermador 22,000 BTU wok, a Viking prfessional cooktop or an induction burner. Induction is by far the fastest to a boil...

Other attributes:

1. Simmer: Boil to simmer in seconds
2. Control: Induction is immediate response
3. Child safety: Induction is instant on/off, so there is much less residual heat
4. Efficiency: Induction is 90% efficient, gas 60% and electric 55%.
5. Less Venting: Less heat escaping means less venting as well as less of a drag on HVAC systems, which is a further savings of electricity


Induction cooktops now start at about $1399 versus $2200 for a pro cooktop.

Newest, Latest and Greatest

Yesterday was the regional show where the manufacturers showed their latest products.



Winners:

Electrolux now has a 4.7 cubic foot front load washer(that's over twice bigger than a top load.)

GE Profile single, double oven: Its two ovens within a single oven foot print.

GE Profile computerized french door: This is an unbelievable refrigerator, down to the calorie counts of the food items.

Frigidaire all refrigerator/freezer: Flick a switch for one or the other....Great idea.

Bosch 5 burner 30 inch cooktop: 5 is better than 4.

Venting...Downdrafts

As we have said in previous posts, islands have become popular with the merging of kitchen and dining area into one room. People not only cook, but also live in the kitchen. This shift in lifestyle has changed ventilation considerably.

Most consumers want their cooking products in the island. They can face their guests while entertaining or keep a more watchful eye on the kids while playing. There are two ways to vent an island properly: downdraft or overhead hood. We will focus on the downdraft for today.





The advantage of a downdraft is simple. It disappears. There are a number of choices with my favorites being Best, Broan and Electrolux. The actual CFM(cubic feet per minute) can range from 500-1000.

Unfortunately, a downdraft can never handle alot of smoke, heat and/or grease. It simply doesn't have the capture area. Ventilation is after all capture and CFM.

A couple of tips:

1. Downdrafts are for basic, not professional cooking only

2. Consider an induction cooktop. It is faster than gas and emits much less heat.

3. For heavier cooking consider an overhead hood

The Worlds First Induction Range

As you know from earlier posts, I am a fan of induction. Electric is 55% efficient, Gas 60% and induction is 90%, and this has ramifications in kitchen planning. Less residual heat means less venting required.

Induction is also the fastest to boil, easiest to simmer and child safe. Unfortunately, induction has only been available in a cooktop until now

Behold, the new Diva 36 inch induction range. Just as a FYI, the 5 induction burners are the equivalent of a 90,000 BTU top or a 6 burner professional cooktop.



Great post on the benefits of induction.

The True Cost of Appliances

The answer to that question is: I don't really know anymore. One of the minor benefits to any economic downturn is pricing becomes more flexible from manufacturers to consumers. In our industry, this is manifested in rebates. Even car companies are not as bold as appliance manufacturers in rebating products.

Even a brand like Bosch is not aloof anymore. Have a look at the pictures below.



You are looking at a double oven with convection, integrated dishwasher, over the range microwave hood and gas cooktop. What was $5,200 last year is now $3,999 after rebates.