Dishwasher

Viking Goes Commercial

September 30, 2007 By NightOwl

“Viking doesn’t make commercial ranges?” That has been the response to my very informal survey when people learn that Viking Corporation has recently announced their plan to release a line of commercial appliances.

Viking Range Corporation who originated ultra-premium commercial-type appliances for the indoor and outdoor kitchen has announced their intention to enter the commercial market.

The Viking Commercial product line will consist of a complete array of cooking equipment, including ranges of all styles, ovens, broilers, griddles, salamanders, cheesemelters, induction units and island suites, as well as under-counter refrigeration.

To request product information, please contact Viking toll-free at 888.845.4641, or visit the web site at vikingrange.com.

High End Appliances – Chef Included

September 5, 2007 By NightOwl

If you have recently spent some time feeling baffled by the many options on a new appliance, you are not alone. Some folks have even sought help with their entire kitchen. Maybe not a bad idea. The Los Angeles Times writes:

With sophisticated, professional-quality appliances and high-design gizmos going into residential kitchens, many would-be home chefs haven’t a clue how to operate the latest technology. The infrequent cook who wants to make a Thanksgiving turkey might stare blankly at the keypad and wonder: Convection, radiant, bake, roast, speed-cook or steam?
People are spending less time cooking in kitchens but more money remodeling them because they want the best to impress their neighbors,” says Mark Connelly, senior director of appliances and home improvement for Consumer Reports.

Connelly, a no-nonsense guy who’s been testing kitchen appliances for 18 years, says manufacturers are adding unnecessary options to differentiate themselves. TVs are embedded in refrigerators, toasters have convection-oven modes, faucets come with hands-free functions. “There are sanitary reasons for having one in an airport bathroom but not in your kitchen,” he says.

And those Starbucks-style coffee machines?

“You can spend $15 on a drip coffee maker or thousands on a fancy coffee maker,” he says, “and they both make a good cup of coffee — if you use quality coffee.”

As kitchen appliances become more complex, Connelly says, owners look for simple ways to use them.

“People spending a lot on an appliance want as many buttons as possible to justify the cost,” he says, “but most of the time they’re using the same selection as on their old appliance.
To read more, click here

The $2,000 Digital Post-it Note

August 21, 2007 By NightOwl

Are folks really willing to pay for what they say they want in an appliance? Apparently not. The OC Register has some thoughts on cool but pricy features that are appearing on kitchen appliances.

In 2002, for example, Whirlpool Corp. introduced Polara, which combined refrigeration with a convection oven. Polara would keep a casserole cool until a preset time then would start to heat the food in anticipation of your arrival home. If you were late, the oven would power down to keep the food warm and not overcook it.

“Our focus groups said they wanted it, but people wouldn’t pay $1,900 for the technology,” said Whirlpool spokeswoman Audrey Reed-Granger. “So we put the Polara on the back burner, and we’ll bring it back in a few years” when the market is ready. Read more about it here.

Whirlpool does Right – wins the Helen Keller Accessibility award

June 17, 2007 By NightOwl

Superman said it best “Truth Justice and the American Way”. The American Way – the secret to our strength? well you can follow it back to the days of barn raising, and follow it forward to the deep response of American’s nationwide to the victims of Katrina. American’s look out for each other. We want our neighbors, our friends, and even strangers to have better lives.

One of America’s great companies has been honored for keeping it sights on how to help all of its customers have better lives, even those with disabilities. The American Foundation for the Blind awards annual recognition to a companies or individuals that have made significant contributions to people who are blind or visually impaired. This year they honored Whirlpool for their tremendous focus on making their products easy to use for those with visual impairments.

Whirlpool brand is the 14th annual recipient of the Helen Keller Achievement Award, recognizing individuals and organizations who have improved the quality of life for those who are visually impaired. The award is named for the world renowned advocate for the deaf and blind, Helen Keller.

Recall: Asko Cylinda Dishwashers – Fire Hazard

June 15, 2007 By NightOwl

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Products: Asko DW95 Model Series Dishwashers

Units: About 130,000

Manufacturer: Asko Cylinda AB, of Vara, Sweden

Importer/Distributor: AM Appliance Group Inc., of Richardson, Texas

Hazard: An electrical component in the dishwasher can overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 21 reports of dishwasher fires. Product and property damage has been reported. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled dishwashers include the ASKO model series DW95 with model numbers 1355, 1385, 1475, 1485, 1555, 1585, 1595, 1655, 1805, 1885, and 1895 manufactured from January 1995 through April 2000. The model number, serial numbers and manufacture date are printed on the name plate on the right interior side of the dishwasher door. Asko dishwashers manufactured after April 2000 are not included in the recall.

Sold by: Major kitchen appliance distributors/dealers nationwide from January 1995 through April 2000 for between $750 and $1,300.

Manufactured in: Sweden

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the dishwashers immediately and contact Asko to arrange for a free inspection and repair or to participate in a rebate program.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Asko toll-free at (866) 309-9921 between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.askousa.com

Picture of Recalled Dishwasher

Picture of Serial Tag Location

It’s not your grandmothers silver – Ionized Silver appliances

June 14, 2007 By NightOwl

No its not your NANA’s silver its NANO silver from Samsung. silver nano from samsung Samsung, the monster Korean manufacturing conglomerate is taking advantage of silver’s ability to inhibit bacterial growth. By using Nano technology to drop create a mist of silver ions 1/75,000th the width of a human hair Samsung has created a surface coating resistant, and supposedly deadly to a wide variety of bacteria.

The folks at Samsung swear that

the home appliances where the Silver Nano Health System is applied have gone through a series of strict testing at such international agencies as the British Allergy Foundation and the SLG Pruef-und Zertifizierungs GmbH in Germany. While the silver lining behind these high-tech appliances has been certified as effective in killing bacteria, it is also reportedly absolutely harmless to the human body.

They’ve treated air conditioner filters, the inside of refridgerators, dishwashers and even a waterless washing machine which cleans your delicate clothing with a blast of silver filtered hot air.

They call it the Silver Nano Health System. Kind of cool, you can read more about it here:

The silver nano sterilizing washer

or check it out in Polish here:

Dangerous Ovens and Stoves That Tip Over

May 17, 2007 By NightOwl

stove tipping Those of us in earthquake and seismic-savvy Southern California realize that this is a serious concern, of which, I believe, most people are completely unaware. Of greater concern is the risk to families with children young enough to use simple leverage. A climbing toddler could easily become a crushed toddler. My advice would be to bolt the oven to the wall right away, and remember to always keep an eye on kids in the kitchen – there is no substitute for adult supervision.

KHOU has a video and full article.

Greek philosopher Archimedes quipped: “Give me a place to stand on, and I can move the earth.”

Toppling a kitchen appliance is clearly demonstrated by KHOU to be a piece of cake.

On the subject of child safety in the kitchen, here’s a horrible reminder of the dangers of even the most common household appliances when kids are on the loose. http://www.snopes.com/horrors/parental/dishwasher.asp

$archimedes lever$

Recall: General Electric Dishwasher Fire Hazard

May 17, 2007 By NightOwl

Name of product: GE Dishwashers

Units: About 2.5 million

Manufacturer: GE Consumer & Industrial, of Louisville, Ky.

Hazard: Liquid rinse-aid can leak from its dispenser onto the dishwasher’s internal wiring which can cause an electrical short and overheating, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: GE has received 191 reports of overheated wiring including 56 reports of property damage. There were 12 reports of fires that escaped the dishwasher. Fire damage was limited to the dishwasher or the adjacent area. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recall includes GE built-in dishwashers sold under the following brand names: Eterna, GE, GE Profile^TM, GE Monogram®, Hotpoint®, and Sears-Kenmore. The dishwashers were sold in white, black, almond, bisque and stainless steel. The brand name is printed on the dishwasher’s front control panel. Model and serial numbers can be found inside the dishwasher tub on the front left side of the dishwasher. A table of relevant model and serial numbers can be found on CPSC’s web site.

Sold at: Department and appliance stores from September 1997 through December 2001 for about $400.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled dishwashers and contact General Electric for a free repair, a $150 rebate towards the purchase of a new GE dishwasher, or a $300 rebate towards the purchase of a new GE Profile or GE Monogram dishwasher.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact General Electric toll-free at (877) 607-6395 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday. Consumers also can visit the firm’s Web site.

Source.

Brand	Model Numbers Must Begin With	Serial Numbers Must Begin With
Eterna	EDW20, EDW30	SS, TS, VS, ZS, AT, DT, FT, GT, HT, LT, MT, RT, ST, TT, VT, ZT, AV, DV, FV, GV, HV, LV, MV, RV, SV, TV, VV, ZV, AZ, DZ, FZ, GZ, HZ, LZ, MZ, RZ, SZ, TZ, VZ, ZZ, AA, DA, FA, GA, HA, LA, MA, RA, SA, TA, VA, ZA
GE and GE Profile	GHD50, GSD40, GSD41, GSD43, GSD46, GSD4910Z, GSD4920Z, GSD4930Z, GSD4940Z0, GSD50, GSD51, GSD521, GSD522, GSD523, GSD531, GSD532, GSD533, GSD535, GSD536, GSD55, GSD56, GSD57, GSD58, GSD59, GSDL3, GSDL6
GE Monogram	ZBD3500Z0
Hotpoint	HDA3400F, HDA35	SS, TS, VS, ZS, AT, DT, FT, GT, HT, LT, MT, RT, ST, TT, VT, ZT, AV, DV, FV, GV, HV, LV, MV, RV, SV, TV, VV, ZV, AZ, DZ, FZ, GZ, HZ, LZ, MZ, RZ, SZ, TZ, VZ, ZZ
GE and GE Profile	GHD35, GSD21, GSD2200D, GSD2200F, GSD2200G, GSD2201F, GSD2220F, GSD2221F, GSD2230F, GSD2231F, GSD2250F GSD23, GSD26, GSD27, GSD3115F, GSD3125F, GSD3135F, GSD3200G, GSD3210F, GSD3220F, GSD3230F, GSD33, GSD341, GSD342, GSD343, GSD345, GSD3610F, GSD3620F, GSD3630F, GSD3650F GSD37, GSD381, GSD382, GSD383, GSD385, GSD391, GSD392, GSD393, GSD4525F, GSD4535F, GSD4555F, GSDL122F, GSDL132F, GSDL24, GSM2100F, GSM2100G, GSM2100Z0, GSM2110D, GSM2110F, GSM2130D, GSM2130F
Sears-Kenmore	363.1438, 363.1447, 363.1445, 363.1448, 363.1457, 363.1467, 363.1475, 363.15161792, 363.1517, 363.1521, 363.1527, 363.1528, 363.1531, 363.1532, 363.1546, 363.1547, 363.1548, 363.1556, 363.1565, 363.1567, 363.1617, 363.1655	SS, TS, VS, ZS, AT, DT, FT, GT, HT, LT, MT, RT, ST, TT, VT, ZT, AV, DV, FV, GV, HV, LV, MV, RV, SV, TV, VV, ZV, AZ, DZ, FZ, GZ, HZ, LZ, MZ, RZ, SZ, TZ, VZ, ZZ

Behind The Appliance Brands – Lifting the Mask

May 8, 2007 By Appliance

Consumer Reports tells us “the nameplate doesn’t always indicate who makes your fridge, oven, or washer”.

Our recent tests of refrigerators included more than 70 models from 20 brands.

That’s a lot of companies, until you play appliance detective and discover that the $20 billion annual market for refrigerators, ovens, washers, and other major home appliances isn’t such a vast place after all. That activity turns out to be a bit like playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, though instead of the well-connected actor popping up repeatedly, a few mammoth manufacturers and brands do.

Got pen and paper ready? We haven’t covered every manufacturer, but this rundown will give you a good idea about who actually makes all those appliances. It’s also worth noting that the manufacturing arrangements change all the time.

The Whirlpool Corporation, based in Benton Harbor, Mich., makes Whirlpool, KitchenAid, and Gladiator products. The company accounts for about 17 percent of major appliance sales in the U.S., following closely behind the General Electric brand (17.8 percent) and the Sears Kenmore brand (22.2 percent). Over the years, the Whirlpool company has gobbled up Admiral, Amana, Jenn-Air, Magic Chef, and Maytag, and makes appliances for Ikea (ovens, ranges, cooktops, microwaves, refrigerators, freezers, and dishwashers) and Kenmore (some of the brand’s refrigerators, dishwashers, washers, and dryers). Gladiator and KitchenAid are two “Whirlpool bred” brands.

Whirlpool’s certainly not the only Kenmore supplier. Frigidaire and LG also manufacture Kenmore refrigerators, Haier handles some of its compact fridges, and Danby makes some of its wine chillers, Bosch makes some of its dishwashers, and Electrolux and Sanyo build some of its freezers.

General Electric is well known for a vast array of products–lightbulbs, jet engines for military planes, and “The Today Show.” But this corporate colossus, based in Fairfield, Conn., also makes appliances under the GE, GE Monogram, GE Profile, and Hotpoint brands.

Across the Atlantic, BSH Home Appliances is a leading purveyor of high-end appliances. This German company brings you upscale kitchen and laundry appliances under the brand names Bosch, Gaggenau, Siemens, and Thermador.

BSH has other bedfellows, including KitchenAid, for which it will start making induction cooktops in the summer. Keeping it in the family, KitchenAid turns out a built-in side-by-side refrigerator for Thermador. Bosch’s relationships spread as far as Asia–South Korea’s Daewoo Electronics makes a Bosch side-by-side refrigerator.

Elsewhere in Europe, you might think of Electrolux as the onetime producer of those old, quirky-looking canister vacuums. But this Swedish manufacturer has also brought you refrigerators, freezers, washers, and more under its own nameplate and brands like Frigidaire, Gibson, Kelvinator, Tappan, and White Westinghouse. Proving the Kevin Bacon theory, Electrolux is also connected to Sears: It makes Kenmore dishwashers and high-end Kenmore Pro appliances.

Viking sounds Scandinavian, too, but the company, known for its pro-style ranges and built-in refrigerators, is actually based in Greenwood, Miss. It’s a small world after all: Sweden’s Asko company currently makes some of Viking’s dishwashers. Viking does manufacture its other appliances (and by the end of 2007 will make its own dishwashers), except for a freestanding refrigerator that’s made by Amana and undercounter fridges from Marvel. Got all that?

source

Recall: Maytag and Jenn-Air Dishwashers – Fire Hazard

February 2, 2007 By NightOwl

Units: About 2.3 million

Manufacturer: Maytag Corp., of Newton, Iowa

Hazard: Liquid rinse-aid can leak from its dispenser and come into contact with the dishwasher’s internal wiring which can short-circuit and ignite, posing a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Maytag has received 135 reports of dishwasher fires, resulting in product and/or property damage. Four injuries have been reported, including three reports of smoke inhalation and one serious hand laceration when operating a fire extinguisher to put out a fire in the dishwasher.

Description: The recall involves Maytag® and Jenn-Air® under counter or portable plastic tub dishwashers. The dishwashers have black, white, almond, bisque and stainless steel front panels. The following model and serial numbers are printed on a label located on the dishwasher’s plastic frame on top of or to the left of the door opening. Consumers should contact Maytag to determine if their dishwasher is included in this recall.

Brand	Model numbers MUST begin with…	AND serial numbers MUST end with…
Maytag®	MDB3, MDB4, MDB5, MDB6, MDB7, MDB8, MDB9, MDBD, MDC3, MDC4, MDC5, DWU9	SM, SQ, SS, SU, SW, SY, SZ, UB, UD, UF, UH, UK, UM, UQ, US, UU, UW, UY, UZ, WB, WD, WF, WH, WK, WM, WQ, WS, WU, WW, WY, WZ, YB, YD, YF, YH, YK, YM, YQ, YS, YU, YW, YY, YZ
Jenn-Air®	JDB3, JDB4, JDB5, JDB6, JDB7	UB, UD, UF, UH, UK, UM, UQ, US, UU, UW, UY, UZ, WB, WD, WF, WH, WK, WM, WQ, WS, WU, WW, WY, WZ, YB, YD, YF, YH, YK, YM, YQ, YS, YU, YW, YY, YZ

Sold at: Department and appliance stores and by homebuilders nationwide from July 1997 through June 2001 for between $370 and $800.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using these dishwashers, disconnect the electric supply by shutting off the fuse or circuit breaker controlling it and inform all users of the dishwasher about the risk of fire. Contact Maytag for either a free in-home repair, or a $75 cash back reimbursement following the purchase of a new Maytag®, Jenn-Air®, Whirlpool® or KitchenAid® dishwasher. Consumers should not return the dishwasher to the retailer where it was purchased, as retailers are not prepared to take units back.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Maytag Corporation at (800) 675-0535 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.repair.maytag.com