A blending of kitchen and living spaces, and intuitive, “smart” controls on cooking appliances are among the trends Paolo Bertazzoni recently said he’s seeing in 2013. The fifth-generation founder of 130-year-old Italian range manufacturer Bertazzoni also highlighted a kitchen design movement toward bold “vitamin colors,” such as poppy red and lemon yellow. Following in step, the maker’s updated Professional Series product line features a hot orange finish. “Arancio” is inspired by foods of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region where the company manufactures its products.
“The Arancio range creates a connection between Italian design and our regional cuisine,” says brand manager Valentina Bertazzoni. “Arancio’s rich new color, combined with our innovative technology, perfectly encapsulates the essence of the Bertazzoni brand.” The Professional Series is also available in all gas or dual-fuel models in 30-, 36-, or 48-inch sizes, and comes in five other colors.
An innovation from Whirlpool heating up wall oven installation is the new FIT System. With no standardized cutout height for wall ovens, the Flex Install (FIT) System incorporates a mechanism that helps ease installation. The system uses a set of small risers that let installers adjust where the oven sits inside the cabinet opening. Extra trim pieces are available for installation where a too-tall opening leaves a gap between the appliance and the cabinet front. The FIT System is available on a selection of Whirlpool, Maytag, and KitchenAid ovens, including Whirlpool’s newest Ice Collection.
Moving beyond cooking appliances, GE has introduced a hot new feature into its Café Series French-door refrigerator. In addition to cold water and ice, users can now get up to 10 ounces of hot water through the door. Four temperature pre-sets simplify the task of making everything from soup to hot cocoa, or users can customize the temperature to suit their needs.
