SO COOL, IT'S HAUTE...THE NEW INDUCTION RANGE BY DACOR

Imagine a range without boundaries or barriers, an environment free from conventional thought and restrictions, a range created to reflect the needs and lifestyle of today’s modern homeowner.   Dacor, the luxury appliance manufacturer, based in Southern California, has broken all the rules with the introduction of the Renaissance 30” Induction Range, which brings design and high technology together in a seamless ballet of form and function.  

Only Dacor could combine a state-of-the-art induction cooking surface, the fastest, safest and most efficient form of cooking, with the epicurean experience of a Four-Part Pure Convection™ Oven, add a glass touch-control panel with your choice of handles and you have a stainless steel range that will reflect your style and taste.

The Renaissance 30” Induction Range is the perfect blend of sophisticated styling, advanced engineering and quality craftsmanship.  The Induction Range uses electromagnetic energy to stimulate iron molecules to heat the cooking vessel itself.  Unlike traditional cooking surfaces that heat up and stay hot long after the meal has been prepared, the glass-ceramic surface of the Induction element stays cool to the touch as it is unaffected by the magnetic field.  Each induction element, hidden below the ceramic-glass surface, heats pots and pans quickly and consistently with precise control.

In addition, the induction range comes standard with Dacor’s exclusive Four-Part Pure Convection™ System.  The convection element, baffle, fan, and filter allow home chefs to cook with hot-air for even and consistent cooking without hotspots while allowing you to cook multiple dishes without flavor transfer.

If all of the above wasn't enough, Dacor allows you to personalize your range by selecting one of two handle options, the professional Epicure® stainless steel handle, or the proprietary Flush (as shown) stainless steel handle, which gives the range a clean contemporary look.

For almost 50 years, Dacor, three generations, family owned and operated, has been  responsible for many of the innovations that have changed the way we live and cook in the modern kitchen, 

Dacor's Discovery IQ, the future as it should be!

“Good morning Kevin” comes a disembodied voice, sounding very much like HAL, the self-aware computer from Stanley Kubrick’s, 2001, A Space Odyssey. “You're up early today…did you sleep well?” “Just fine Kitchen” I respond, “I have an early meeting at the office…so I’m in a hurry”. “Coffee or Cappuccino?” comes the voice…”Coffee please” says I…”Cereal or eggs?” asks the Kitchen.  “Just toast this morning” I answer…”CNN or Sponge Bob” as the screen on the Discovery IQ Smart-Oven by DACOR comes to life…and so my day begins.  Science Fiction?  No, just a glimpse of things to come.

Just imagine for a moment in the not so distant future when your “Wi-Fi” enabled home will permit your dishwasher to call you at work to let you know that it has sprang a leak…but not to worry, it has already informed the service company and they will be out between 9 and 12 on Tuesday. 

Or maybe you are caught in rush-hour traffic and you will be 30 minutes late for dinner…so you call your oven from your smart phone to recalibrate the cooking time on your roast to be ready at 8:30.  Even better your oven will be able to connect with the manufacturer to self-diagnose it-self as well as down-load new recipes and cooking instruction

With this new networking application your oven, via the refrigerator, will be able to take inventory and place an order for all pre-programmed items to be replenished automatically with an online grocery service.  It will also order a few additional items that will be needed for tonight’s dinner party.  It will even make a few wine-pairing suggestions for the evenings meal.

Networked appliances will be the next big thing to hit your kitchen…with smart phone  technology slowly creeping into all of our home electronics…it will be just a matter of time before the kitchen, once again becomes the central core of family life.

Dacor, the sixty year old, Southern California based luxury appliance manufacturer is no longer imagining the future as much as they are defining the future with the launch of their Discovery IQ smart-oven with Android OS based, integrated tablet controller. 

The Discovery IQ Controller with interactive cooking application and guide can also be accessed remotely by the chef throughout the home with the use of their own Wi-Fi enabled tablet or smart phone. The IQ eliminates the guesswork associated with preparing popular dishes and family recipes by way of a pre-programmed guide.  It enables users to prepare a wide range of dishes to perfection with the touch of a finger. Simply select the desired recipe from the display menu, insert the dish, initiate the program and relax as the oven takes care of the rest. Additionally, when the desired cook time has been reached, the oven will place the dish on warming mode, keeping food warm until ready to serve.

With Dacor’s proprietary IQ application, the kitchen takes on a life of its own. Once a dish is ready to serve, the IQ will notify the chef via text message or push notification. Should the wall oven encounter a problem or require maintenance, IQ will notify the owner with an error message and an automated report will be sent to Dacor for troubleshooting. To ensure optimal IQ and oven performance levels, automatic system updates and self-diagnostics will be downloaded directly to the IQ Controller via Wi-Fi from the Dacor server.

“The Discovery IQ is truly a revolutionary wall oven controller that has raised the bar for cooking convenience and performance, by combining oven technology with the insight of the IQ Controller and cooking application, Dacor is empowering the novice cook to perform at expert levels with a simple swipe of a finger. With control features such as Guided Cooking, Quick Start Guide, My Recipe Box, Slow Cook Mode, and Personal Recipe Storage, home chefs are almost guaranteed to cook all their favorite dishes to perfection.

The family calendar on the Discovery IQ smart-oven will update everyone’s calendar, from Mom’s computer at work to sis’s cell phone.  It will be able to download and update brother’s ipod with all of his favorites and Dad can check on the solar collectors on the roof as well as the energy consumption for the entire house…he will even be able to turn off lights from his tablet.  It will keep everyone informed with all of the days events and activities, including soccer practice and dental appointments…It will even remind Grandma to take her pills and Grandpa that he has a 7:30 Tee-Time. 

As for the other appliances…as they are connected to the internet…they will receive electronic up-grades and they can self diagnose problems and download cures. One day your kitchen will read your personal electro-magnetic field when you enter the kitchen and begin to brew your favorite beverage and up-date your portfolio, all while you wait for your bagel to be toasted. 

Eventually the kitchen itself will become one huge, connected appliance that reads your lifestyle patterns, anticipates your needs for food, lighting, entertainment, and cleanup, and performs functions automatically...all without an explicit human command.

Dacor believes that the modern kitchen will continue to be the heart, if not the hub, of the modern home, an essential element in our daily lives that touches and affects us both physically and emotionally, a place where we seek communion, rejuvenation, and sanctuary. Of all the items we will choose for our home, today’s kitchen will provide us with a unique outlet for creation and self-expression.

Dacor's Discovery IQ oven, available in both a double and single configuration, will be on the market by June 2013

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VALUE IS THE NEW BLACK…VALUE CENTRIC COOKING WITH ALL THE BELLS AND WHISEL

For nearly 50 years, Dacor has been the benchmark for design, manufacture and distribution of luxury kitchen appliances, announced the addition of the Distinctive™ 30” Gas Range and Distinctive 30” Electric Range to their successful Distinctive™ Series.  

Exclusivity and premium price tags have long been the hallmark of affluence, but the newest arrivals from DACOR redefine “luxury” and are focused on  quality craftsmanship and ease of use.  Whether you are looking for a stylish upgrade, or a complete kitchen remodel, the Distinctive Ranges are value-engineered to deliver unparalleled power and performance.

Whether gas or electric, these ranges offer exclusive features you would only expect to find in more up-market units, such as an angled control panel for easy viewing, dedicated Illumina™ Indicator Lights with Dacor’s signature flame-blue glow when a cooktop element or oven is on, and professional heavy-duty die-cast stainless steel knobs with a metallic finish to complement the décor of virtually any kitchen.  One of the standout features is the 4.8 cubic foot oven capacity, one of the largest oven interiors on the market today.  In addition, the oven is equipped with two GlideRacks™ with easy-pull handles to assist in managing heavy dishes in and out of the oven.  The Distinctive 30” Gas and 30” Electric Range will be available as free-standing and slide-in models. 

The Distinctive 30” Gas Range is fueled with efficiency. Two exclusive 14” extra-wide continuous platform grates allow home chefs the flexibility to prepare gourmet meals over the largest continuous cooking surface in it’s class.  Three sealed gas burners power-up to 15,000 BTU while one SimmerSear™ burner delivers between 800-18,000 BTU to delicately simmer at a food-safe temperature, or sear without scorching.  Dacor’s exclusive Perma-Flame™ Technology guarantees hours of safe, uninterrupted cooking by automatically re-igniting the flame should a burner unexpectedly go out. Optional interchangeable accessories include a 14” wide griddle, a 14” wide searing grill, and a wok ring, which maximize the cooking experience.

The Distinctive 30” Electric Range is the perfect combination of sophisticated style and expert engineering. A triple, a dual, and two single-circuit heating elements beneath an easy-to-clean black glass surface give home chefs seven cookware position options, with up to 2,500 watts of power.  Each element heats pots and pans quickly and consistently with precise control. The electric range ships standard with Dacor’s exclusive Four-Part Pure Convection™ System, a feature typically found in Dacor’s premium luxury Discovery™ Series Ranges and Wall Ovens.  The convection element, baffle, fan, and filter allow home chefs to simultaneously cook multiple dishes without flavor transfer.

And to top it all off, you can personalize your Distinctive Range by selecting one of two handle options, the professional Epicure® stainless steel handle, or the proprietary DACOR integrated stainless steel handle, giving the range a flush and clean contemporary look.  

The Distinctive 30” Gas and 30” Electric Ranges are designed and manufactured in California, along side many more core cooking products. Pricing for the Distinctive 30” Gas Range starts at $3,099 UMRP and the Distinctive 30” Electric Range at $3,299 UMRP. The ranges are now available through authorized Dacor dealers and retailers nationwide.

 

 

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Refrigeration Named the #1 Most Suignificent Invention in the History of Food!

 

The  UK's national academy of science. the Royal Society, has selected refrigeration as the #1 most significant invention in the history of food and drink. Some relatively modern appliances, such as the microwave and oven as well as barrels, fishing nets, and the knife, were in the top 20.

The Royal Society said the Top 3 items on the list - refrigeration, pasteurization/sterilization, and canning - were all Anglo-French scientific achievements in the 18th and 19th centuries. The society reported that:
1.  Artificial refrigeration was first demonstrated in Glasgow in 1748 and produced commercially in 1805
2.  The first pasteurization test was completed in France in 1862
3.  A British merchant patented the tin can in 1810 (although a year earlier a Frenchman applied a similar process with glass jars and cork)

 "Royal Society Fellows have played vital roles in improving people's lives for 350 years and science has a major role to play in meeting the global challenges of the 21st century," said Sir Williams. "We thought it appropriate to look at how that innovation has shaped what we eat and drink. The poll reveals the huge role science and innovation have played in improving our health and our lives. This is something to which the scientific community continues to add."

The Royal Society's Top 20 Most Significant Inventions in the History of Food and Drink:

1. refrigeration
2. pasteurization / sterilization
3. canning
4. the oven
5. irrigation
6. threshing machine/combine harvester
7. baking
8. selective breeding / strains
9. grinding / milling
10. the plough
11. fermentation
12. the fishing net
13. crop rotation
14. the pot
15. the knife
16. eating utensils
17. the cork
18. the barrel
19. the microwave oven
20. frying

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CENTRIES OLD ARTISAN TECHNIQUE IS THE CORNERSTONE OF MODERN DESIGN

BLANCO, the innovative German sink and faucet manufacturer has taken a modern spin on the traditional "farmhouse" sink with the new BLANCO CERANA Apron Front sink. CERANA is BLANCO's first Fireclay sink in the U.S., made of a natural material that is highly resistant to shock, heat and chipping as well as discoloration.

The newest twist in modern design finds its roots in a practice first used in the late 19th century. Fireclay sink is created by using intense heat of over 2100 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 20 hours. BLANCO CERANA keeps the tradition alive while adding modern benefits of computer aided kiln production that keeps temperatures consistent for high quality control, a tight radius and a smooth non-porous finish that is extremely durable, plus easy to clean. The hand-finished CERANA combines artisan technique, high tech automation and a special recipe of fine granular materials, which give the ultra slim, sink its high mechanical strength.

"The luxurious BLANCO CERANA makes a statement on many levels," states Tim Maicher, Director of Marketing for BLANCO. "We're seeing the fusion of traditional and contemporary in kitchen design today. Comfort and durability blended with sophisticated styling. The same is true of CERANA. Today, age-old fireclay artisans blend computer engineering to take fireclay to the next level in slimness and functionality. CERANA is also uniquely reversible which allows a designer or homeowner the choice of installing it with a traditional rounded or contemporary contoured look.

What's old is new - translating material function and traditional beauty into today's modern kitchen."

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Professional Cooking for the Home

Swedish based appliance manufacturer, Electrolux, launched Electrolux Grand Cuisine for the European market. The ultra-luxury kitchen appliance line is designed to be the first professional cooking system specifically created for home use and to make it possible to fully recreate a 5-Star restaurant experiences at home.

Electrolux consumer research has identified that there is an increased consumer interest in fresh ingredients, health, seasonality, provenance, and quality. This comes with an increased focus on culinary and restaurant experiences.

Up until now, there has only been limited possibilities to recreate top restaurant experiences at home, because amature home  chefs could not preserve the quality of food or use techniques employed by their professional counter parts.

Electrolux's professional appliances are used by almost half of all Michelin-starred restaurant kitchens in Europe. These same appliances are now being released for residential use. 

 

Grand Cuisine collection offers features to make it easier for the home chef to get professional results. "Intuitive and interactive touch screens make the products incredibly easy to use,"

The Electrolux Grand Cuisine line includes nine appliances:

Combination Oven

Blast Chiller

Induction Zone

Precision Vacuum Sealer

Gas Hob

Sear Hob

Surround Induction Zone

Stand Mixer

Bespoke Ventilation Systems

At the core of the collection is a Molteni, the iconic French stove

The cooking system is made to order and handcrafted according to individual requirements of the client. Starting price for a full range, excluding the Molteni stove, will be around $110,000.00USD. The cooking appliance system comes with an in-home briefing from a top chef.

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Imagine a cook top with no clearly defined boarders or cooking zones, just one large open surface where you can set any pot or pan down and begin cooking without restrictions of limited burner space.  Imagine no more...

Miele, the German based appliance company, unveiled the simple-to-operate but highly versatile FlexTouch induction hob (cooktop) during the IFA trade show in Berlin Aug. 31 through Sep. 5, 2012.

Miele designed the 90 cm (36”) wide FlexTouch to be adaptive to the personal preferences and cooking habits of users. An intuitive user interface allows pots and pans to be placed anywhere on the ceramic cooking surface which covers 36 individual induction coils combine to form overlapping power zones. The cook top recognizes the size and position of pots and pans automatically and shows their position in the display.

MultiMode covers most everyday needs: cooking vessels of varying size and shape can be placed and arranged anywhere on the ceramic surface. Up to five pans can be used simultaneously, a feature that is deemed exclusive to Miele.

SoloMode is designed for special occasions such as family gatherings - all induction coils under the cooking surface are united to form a single large zone. This makes it practical for cooking with several large pans at the same time.

TrioMode allows cooks to work with several different temperature ranges. For example: while meat is kept warm on the far right, the central zone serves to simmer vegetables and on the left water for pasta is brought to a rolling boil.

The cook tops will be available in the German market by the end of October 2012.  No release date has been set for North America.