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What's trending in kitchens

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 For those with a yen for the past, you can find modern, yet vintage-style appliances at Elmira Stove Works.
“When Elmira introduced its Northstar line in 2001, a large number of the appliances were going into stereotypical ‘retro’ kitchens,” said Tony Dowling, vice president of sales and marketing at Elmira Stove Works in Elmira, NY. More recently, though, customers want mid-century modern’s “much more subtle and understated styling.” Their appliances can be used as an accent piece or to create an entirely vintage-style kitchen or as an accent piece. 

If you just want a touch of nostalgia, A. Alport & Son in South Fallsburg sells single or double-bowl sinks; the latter is the traditional choice for hand-washing china and pots and reminds some of us of our grandmothers. Mostly. “Kohler is innovative,” owner Dory Alport said, “the twist is that the divider in the middle is lower, so large pots with handles can fit. It can also come in different arrangements, an 80/20 split for filling big pots,” or the 50/50 split for the typical look.

Photo contributed by Miele

Induction

Induction has been around for a while, but is now making its way into home kitchens, says Consumer Reports in its analysis. Induction uses electromagnetic technology that only heats the cookware. It’s fast, and depending on what you buy, you can get pretty precise control.

The downside, according to CR, is that the cooktops can get hot from the pot’s heat, not the burner itself. And you need induction-ready cookware, which is more available as induction gets more popular. (Cast iron, the best example, has been around for millennia.)

Miele offers induction cooktops with a smooth surface that makes cleaning easy. Child safety features keep small exploring hands from getting burned. Miele products are available at regional showrooms, or ask a local designer.

Photo contributed by Elmira Stove Works

Nostalgia

 For those with a yen for the past, you can find modern, yet vintage-style appliances at Elmira Stove Works.
“When Elmira introduced its Northstar line in 2001, a large number of the appliances were going into stereotypical ‘retro’ kitchens,” said Tony Dowling, vice president of sales and marketing at Elmira Stove Works in Elmira, NY. More recently, though, customers want mid-century modern’s “much more subtle and understated styling.” Their appliances can be used as an accent piece or to create an entirely vintage-style kitchen or as an accent piece. 

If you just want a touch of nostalgia, A. Alport & Son in South Fallsburg sells single or double-bowl sinks; the latter is the traditional choice for hand-washing china and pots and reminds some of us of our grandmothers. Mostly. “Kohler is innovative,” owner Dory Alport said, “the twist is that the divider in the middle is lower, so large pots with handles can fit. It can also come in different arrangements, an 80/20 split for filling big pots,” or the 50/50 split for the typical look.

Photo contributed by Formica

Surfaces

“Quartz is popular,” said Dory Alport. For those who prefer the easy-cleaning of metal, Alport offers a range of stainless-steel sinks with racks on the bottom to prevent wear and tear on the surface. Or if you want traditional, “You can get enamelled cast iron from Kohler, in a choice of many colors,” she said. 

Formica’s been around since 1912, but the laminate has changed a lot in over a century. Gerri Chmiel, residential design manager noted. “For homeowners, Formica embodies what we call ‘livable luxury,’” she said. “You can have a beautiful surface that is also affordable and achievable for any budget.” Easy to clean, too. Laminates are non-porous, she said, “which means that... laminate countertops do not need to be sealed and can easily be wiped clean with a soft cloth and gentle cleanser.”

Photo contributed by Hudson Valley Lighting

Lighting

“Industrial meets retro meets modern” says www.thespruce.com, which pretty much encompasses anything you could want. People want bright lights, so they can see what they’re cooking, and soft lights when they sit down to eat. Maybe the fixture is hidden, maybe it’s really out there, like the Troy Kokoro from Hudson Valley Lighting, featured above. But in the end, the lighting should reflect your taste and needs.

Photo contributed by Miele

Steam ovens

All baked things do not bake equally. Some like it hot, some like humidity, some like to bake in the whirlwind that is convection. Miele suggests that its Combi-Steam Oven can make this work in one oven, without fuss or waterguns (see: bread-baking moistening techniques going back decades).
With a steam oven, you can control the moisture level, steam-bake and you can use it as a convection oven. You can bake, broil and even roast accurately with the wireless probe, which monitors cooking so your prime rib is done to perfection.

Photo contributed by Kohler

Hands-free

For those careful about hygiene, Kohler offers Sensate, a touchless faucet. You’ve seen these things around: wave your hand under the faucet and it turns on. With Kohler’s version, you can set the temperature the way you like it. Plus, a 20-millisecond response time won’t leave you wondering if the faucet is broken as you haplessly wave your chicken-covered hands underneath. 

The sensor is designed to prevent “false activations,” meaning that only hands, and, interestingly, pets’ paws, will be able to start and stop the stream.

Plus, magnetic docking lets you park the sprayer easily.

In a time when people worry about contamination, touchless faucets let you control for a major source of bacteria: the casually-begrimed faucet.

The Kohler Sensate is available through dealers like A. Alport & Son or online.

Pretty things

 

 Even a piece of art can be useful. The Lichen Pond clay bowl by Susan Eisen can hold apples or a single perfect dragonfruit. Available at KARKULA in Callicoon, NY.

Beautiful objects have a place in the kitchen. Ginko stainless steel salad servers, available at KARKULA in Callicoon, NY.

Fill your vessels stylishly with an articulated Kohler Karbon faucet. It’s hard to hide the sink, so you might as well have an awesome faucet. Available at A. Alport & Son in South Fallsburg, NY.

Hidden appliances

Miele’s smooth cooktops are part of a larger trend in making appliances, well, less obvious. Smaller appliances like blenders have been tucked away for years, but now, says www.ofdesign.net, we can hide the bigger ones too, giving kitchens a clean, uncluttered look.

Sinks aren’t usually hidden, so the look of the faucet can be key. Kohler’s Karbon “Is unique,” says Dory Alport, “and it’s controlled by a joystick.” Karbon’s articulated design gives you three pivot points to fill large or small pots or wash dishes with ease.

Refrigerators blend into the cabinets around them. Panels conceal the fridge. Dishwashers disappear into drawers. Lots of cabinets hide everything. Easy to clean, easy on the eye, the kitchen of the future might, at first glance, be the one that doesn’t look like a kitchen at all.

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