Thermador Pro Harmony PRG364GDH
There comes a time when some homeowners make the bold decision to take their kitchen up a notch. Lately with all these reality cooking shows like Top Chef and Kitchen Nightmares, pro-style and designer-style appliances have been getting a lot of hype. Over the next two weeks, I will highlight the two styles of home appliances and point out my favorite products.
If you’re a master of the culinary arts, or just have a penchant for large, shiny metallic cavities and surfaces that can easily cook turkeys (plural) and boil ice (yes, ice) in under 4 minutes, then professional-style might be the right direction for your kitchen. Professional-Style appliances are made in a similar vein to what’s used in commercial kitchens around the world. Though their functionality does not differ greatly from designer appliances, the look of professional-style appliances is quite distinct. Many range, cooktop, oven and refrigerator manufacturers almost always make pro-style products with stainless steel cabinets and hardware, with die-cast iron knobs usually serving for controls. It also helps if one has a spacious kitchen, since professional-style appliances tend to come quite large in order to accommodate practically any cook’s needs. Read more…
Scott S. Home Appliances
If you are thinking about investing in a new major appliance for your home, you may want to consider getting at least a second appliance to qualify for bigger discounts. Broken washer? Upgrade to a new laundry set. Buying a new range? Complete the look with a new hood as well. Buying in bulk saves money with steeper discounts and saves time spent on deliveries and installations. (It is also a more eco-friendly option, saving paper and fuel.)
Manufactures and retailers consistently reward customers who buy in bulk – which is especially ideal for those renovating their kitchens. For example, AJ Madison provides free delivery on all orders over $1999! And now through November 29th, Electrolux’s Amazing Kitchen Event awards $75 to $750 cash back when you buy an appliance package. Shop around for other package deals at AJ Madison’s Rebate Center to bundle up and save!
SavingsSeeker Rebates
PowerMeter Phone
Google has joined forces with Energy Inc. to create a device for consumers to monitor their home energy usage and upload it into colorful charts and graphs via Google’s free web tool PowerMeter, according to a New York Times article. Appliances usurp energy when the appliance is not running, but still plugged in.
The [Google] device’s sensitivity makes it ideal for detecting a home’s so-called “phantom load” — the energy being drawn by appliances and home electronics that are ostensibly turned off, said Mr. Sly.
This just proves that Google does indeed have an app for everything. In all seriousness, monitoring your home energy usage and buying energy-efficient Energy Star appliances can help conserve energy and lower your monthly utility bill.
JenP Home Appliances
GE Spacemaker GMR06AAP
Hello. I’m starting a new column here on the AJ Madison Blog. Every Monday, I will discuss the latest and greatest product news and information.
Since students are weeks into the fall semester of college, and as a recent graduate myself, there is no better topic to discuss than dorm and apartment living. Going into freshman year, one expects to face the horrors of dining room food and, when need be, your run-of-the-mill microwavable/instant meals. This myth is not necessarily true, for as long as there is an outlet and a space about the size of a standard night table, dining rooms can be avoided entirely thanks to compact appliances.
Freestanding compact refrigerators have been a dorm room staple in the last few decades, with manufacturers such as GE, Summit, Danby and Avanti producing “mini-fridges” in configurations typically averaging 1-6 cubic feet. During my time as a student, I owned a GE Spacemaker Refrigerator, which served as my means of survival during thesis studies and finals. With 6.0 cu. ft. and a built-in manual-defrost freezer, I was able to store milk for breakfast when time permitted. In the freezer compartment, I stored pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts I later used to make dinner.
Read more…
Scott S. Cooking Products
I found this graphic that shows what kitchens past and future kitchens look like. In the past, kitchens of course were smaller. They also were utilitarian and didn’t have a lot of cupboards, counter or storage space.
But what about the future? What will kitchens look like? Will kitchen appliances all go touch screen and integrate with your iPhone-like device? So you’ll have a stove app that will warm up your oven for the pizza you picked up on the way home? Will your kitchen become a theater with flat screens, music and videos? Will you view your “newspaper” on a screen while you eat breakfast?
With the emphasis on user-generated content, perhaps you’ll be live-streaming your own cooking show straight from your kitchen and posting it so your friends can see.
Here are some other ideas of what the future kitchen will look like:
Let us know what your vision of the future of the kitchen. Leave a comment!
wise.blogger Home Appliances
Buying home appliances can at times be a hefty investment, so finding ways to save is important. Mail-in rebates are a great way to get a deal on appliances with only a few easy steps.
If you want to save even more without having to buy more – look for items that have multiple rebates. In some cases you can combine rebates for double the savings! Check out the double rebate offer on Bosch appliances happening for the month of October. Just be sure mail in both rebates forms!
Rebate Tips:
• First, find the rebate form. On AJMadison.com look on the product page and click on the rebate tab. There you can click to download the form.
• If you are having trouble finding a particular appliance or want to browse for rebates, check out our Rebate Center.
• Read the fine print. Sometimes to qualify for the rebate you have to buy multiple items, and the product SKUs, or product ID numbers, must exactly match the product numbers listed on the rebate form.
Read more…
SavingsSeeker Rebates
The New York Times reported yesterday that Whirlpool, in effort to do their part in this new green era, has announced that it will produce one million smart clothes dryers for sale in 2011 and make all their dryers smart grid compatible in six years.
“The company’s Smart Energy dryers will respond to peak-energy prices by lowering power consumption, saving money for homeowners and easing stress on the electric grid, Whirlpool said as it announced the initiative yesterday. For people who pay variable prices for electricity, the dryers could save an average of $20 to $40 a year, the company said.”
I read some reader comments to a Wall Street Journal article on the same topic that decried this movement toward energy-consciousness as “Big Brother” governmental control. To those people I simply have to point out the consequences of our energy hogging: New York 2003 Summer Blackout and the ongoing California electricity crisis. If we don’t “smart”en up our home appliances, then we risk more summers of blackness and leaving the next generation with the inconvenient truth of a planet without the energy to sustain itself.
JenP Uncategorized
The $300 million cash-for-clunkers-type federal program Cash for Appliances is intended to boost sales of energy-efficient home appliances. The government is also hoping to boost sales of companies that have struggled in this economy (such as Whirlpool, GE and Electrolux).
Late this fall, you can get rebates of $50 to $200 for purchases of high-efficiency household appliances. Details will vary by state depending on the amount of funds they receive. The Department of Energy (DOE) has set a deadline of Oct. 15 for states to file formal applications and expects the bulk of the $300 million to be awarded by the end of November.
You won’t have to bring in your old kitchen appliances to take advantage of this stimulus money, but you will have to buy appliances with the Energy Star seal. In 2008, about 55 percent of newly produced major household appliances met the Energy Star standards set by the DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Stay tuned to our blog for updates on the Cash for Appliances program!
wise.blogger Uncategorized
There was a fascinating article in The New York Times about how businesses use the principles of Six Sigma to design and improve their products. One of the companies mentioned is Whirlpool and how it used Six Sigma to design their Duet washers and dryers.
Six Sigma is a set of practices designed to improve manufacturing processes and eliminate defects. These principles are aimed to cut costs, shorten cycle-times, while increasing quality and productivity. Here’s how Whirlpool applied Six Sigma to their business:
“At Whirlpool, Mr. Jones first proved the value of design with the introduction of the Duet washer and dryer. Duet’s novel, easy-to-use, energy-efficient design made Whirlpool a player in the front-loader market. After that success, he invited Whirlpool’s Six Sigma experts to help him improve design processes. They developed various new metrics — for how customers evaluate product quality, for example — that allowed designers and Six Sigma types to understand each other better.”
wise.blogger Home Appliances, Laundry
To jazz up their 1940s-era kitchen, Jan and Richard Parker went totally stainless Frigidaire. For a refrigerator, the Parkers chose the Frigidaire Professional Series FPHI2187KF top-mount that has glass, spill proof shelves, two crispers, wine holder, as well as an ice maker.
The Parkers also chose the Frigidaire Gallery Series FGGF3056KF gas range specifically for the large fifth burner in the middle. Jan liked that it was the perfect size for a large stock pot since she likes making homemade chicken noodle soup. This range has true European convection, as well as a warming drawer and touch controls. Stay tuned to see what these new beauties look like back in PA. . .
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Frigidaire Professional Series FPHI2187KF
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Frigidaire Gallery Series FGGF3056KF
JenP Uncategorized
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