Appliance science

(This Old House) -- Bigger, smaller, higher tech, lower profile -- the choices in kitchen appliances are multiplying faster than the cooking and cleanup chores they're meant to simplify. Just in case you haven't wandered the appliance aisles in awhile, there's a whole raft of new problem-solvers out there. Here are some to be on the lookout for.

Flexible food storage

If you have: Custom food-storage requirements.

Consider: Modular fridge components, whether you need a drawer that adjusts from freezer to fridge temps to defrost your roast, available from Haier, or just want to customize the interior of your 48-inch fridge with, or without, freezer and wine-cooler compartments, available from Liebherr Appliances.

Sleek style

If you have: The urge for an appliance that's as sleekly designed as your iPod.

Consider: New single and double wall ovens from Siemens with lookalike "I-slide" controls set to hit stores in November. This Old House: 25 years of innovation: Stoves, cooktops, and ovens

Cooking capacity

If you have: Two holiday turkeys to cook.

Consider: The fuller-capacity 36-inch ranges, as more and more companies tout their products as having the most cubic feet of interior oven space.

Options are available from Kenmore and Samsung, among others.

Power protector

If you have: A home that's vulnerable to power outages -- and has wireless Internet.

Consider: Waiting till early 2008, when Miele debuts a new line of fridges equipped with "Remote Vision" hardware that will e-mail your local service center if it detects a fault (loss of power, water leakage), which in turn will call your cell phone.

Hide and seek

If you have: A kitchen that's open to a great room.

Consider: One of the new low-profile induction cooktops with a smooth glass surface that fades into the background and is a snap to keep clean. Since it only conducts heat directly into the cookware, it won't warm up the kitchen like conventional burners.

Coming in early 2008: a cooktop with gas burners that lower out of sight when not in use from Fisher Paykel.

Noggin-friendly

If you have: An issue with range hoods that threaten to knock your noggin.

Consider: A height-adjustable vent hood. There are plenty of downdraft models that disappear into the island, but due in stores this winter: a ceiling-mounted hood that lowers for optimum suction, then raises up for maximum headspace from Miele. This Old House: Hoods you can trust

Built-in entertainment

If you have: Trouble finding a suitable counter spot for the TV.

Consider: An appliance with an LCD screen built right in, whether an LG two-door refrigerator or the new pro-style vent hood from Siemens debuting in 2008. This Old House: TV dinner

Small space station

If you have: A kitchen that's a tight squeeze.

Consider: Creating a cooking center clustered with conventional, convection, speed-cook, and microwave ovens, and warming drawers, all in a space-saving 24-inch size, now available from a growing number of manufacturers.

Ariston offers a 24-inch convection oven, as well as a 24-inch warming drawer and steam oven.

Pro-style addition

If you have: A hankering for the very latest pro-style add-on.

Consider: A restaurant-quality salamander broiler with an adjustable rack system, either built in or freestanding from BlueStar.

Custom styling

If you have: The urge to color-match your appliances to your backsplash.

Consider: A pro-style range in one of 190 custom colors from BlueStar or a vent hood that comes ready to receive your own tile, glass, plaster, or paint, available from companies like Zephyr. E-mail to a friend

Get 2 Free Trial Issues

COPYRIGHT © 2009 THIS OLD HOUSE VENTURES, INC.