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By NightOwl
Whirlpool brand and Newman’s Own, the experts in quick and easy meals at home, are looking for recipes. Submit your favorite 30-minute dish from June 2-July 31, 2008, and if it’s selected you could win a kitchen full of new Whirlpool brand appliances and a full year’s supply of Newman’s Own products.
To submit a recipe just click here.
By NightOwl
By now, GE’s upcoming sale of their popular appliance division is common knowledge and many people are wondering what will become of one of the most popular brands in the US when it is sold. GE appliances rank highly with sources such as Consumer Reports. When news that GE was considering a sale of the appliance arm, the magazine reported how various GE appliances stacked up against rivals. Most did pretty well. GE had many highly rated (though a few poorly rated, including a ‘not acceptable’ in upright freezers ) models in many product categories and across price points.
According to the Wall Street Journal’s Deal Journal, for the most part, those considered to be potential bidders for the GE business–Sweden’s Electrolux, LG Electronics, BSH Bosch & Siemens Hausgerate of Germany, to name a few–match that. The outlier? Haier. Haier’s Genesis is No. 22, or fourth from the bottom in the rankings of top-loading washing machines and dead last in both large countertop microwave ovens (No. 15) and side-by-side refrigerators (No. 34).
The obvious question? Would a Haier-GE combination lead to an improvement in Haier’s own brand or would it pull down the reputation of the GE brand? Unfortunately, the question isn’t, well, academic. The folks at consumer-satisfaction surveyer J.D. Power & Associates said studying whether or how an acquisition of a high-quality brand by a lower-quality brand affected either brand would be nearly impossible, since it would be difficult to identify what was an effect of the deal or integration as compared with the myriad other issues that affect quality, like design, manufacturing, parts/raw materials.
Of course, Haier has has been down this road before, coming close to but ultimately failing to acquire another well-regarded U.S. brand, Maytag, in 2005. Then Haier’s plan was said to follow the Lenovo way, referring to the Chinese PC maker’s slow conversion of IBM Thinkpads to the Lenovo brand after it acquired the Big Blue business. For its part, Haier declines to confirm whether it was indeed bidding for the GE business or comment on how it would handle the integration should it comsumate a deal.
By NightOwl
The Monogram Wall Oven with Advantium Speedcook Technology has led the way in oven performance, harnessing the power of intense halogen light to deliver results in minutes with this exclusive GE technology. Today, the Advantium pushes the boundaries of culinary innovation even further with a repertoire of cooking capabilities and enhanced design options.
Performance Capabilities
New Monogram Advantium ovens now offer four separate cooking modes:
• Award-winning Speedcook technology delivers oven-quality results up to eight times faster than conventional cooking methods, with no preheating.
• True European convection mode bakes, roasts and browns foods.
• Microwave mode provides a fully-functioning microwave mode that allows fast, precise reheating and defrosting.
• Warming mode keeps prepared dishes at ready-to-serve temperatures.
Enhanced Design Options with Larger Interiors
The performance capabilities are matched by the bold exteriors, which complement other Monogram cooking products:
• Integrated-style models make an architectural impression with sleek, horizontal lines set off by tubular handles and a machined stainless steel control knob.
• Professional-style modelsare designed with chamfered edges and a robust, die-cast control knob.
• Glass touch controls, stainless steel vent/grille and an expansive viewing window on each model.
• Larger interior cavity easily accommodates roasts or casserole dishes on a 16-inch diameter tray that holds a 9-by-13-inch pan, while the addition of a removable rack allows for multi-level convection baking.
Monogram Advantium ovens with integrated styling are offered in stainless steel (ZSC2201NSS), black (ZSC2200NBB) and white (ZSC2200WBB). Professional models are available in premium-grade stainless steel (ZSC2202NSS).
By NightOwl
Looking for ways to save money? Look no further than your kitchen. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) offers these simple energy savings tips to consumers looking for ways to cut energy bills this summer.
The energy consumed by home appliances has dropped sharply since 2000.
Refrigerators, dishwashers and clothes washers combined account for a 43% decrease in
energy consumption since 2000. Replacing an eight year old refrigerator, dishwasher and
clothes washer with new appliances of average efficiency will save consumers about
$95.00 per year in energy bills. Replacing an eight year old clothes washer will save
more than $60.00 in electricity costs and nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year.
Additional savings can be obtained by purchasing Energy Star appliances.
Energy savings can also be obtained by following these easy tips:
• If you are replacing your refrigerator, do not use the old refrigerator as a second
refrigerator. This will not yield energy savings. Properly recycle the appliance.
To find recycling options in your area, call 1-800-YES-1-CAN.
• Allow hot foods to cool before placing them in the refrigerator; and always cover
foods that may release moisture in the refrigerator.
• Limit opening the refrigerator and freezer doors. Label foods or use clear food
storage bags to easily identify foods.
• Scrape, but do not pre-rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.
Dishwashers do a great job of cleaning soiled dishes.
• Take advantage of your dishwasher’s “eco” option that reduces water use, or use a
no-heat air dry feature.
• Use load size settings- if you are washing a small load of clothing, be sure to
change the load setting. Use cold water settings whenever possible.
• Always clean the lint filter on the clothes dryer after each use. A clogged filter
will reduce dryer performance.
By NightOwl
General Electric Co Chief Executive Jeff Immelt on Wednesday named five non-U.S. appliance manufacturers, including China‘s Haier, South Korea‘s LG Electronics, Sweden’s Electrolux, Mexico‘s Controladora Mabe and Turkey’s Arcelik, as potential bidders for the company’s century-old appliances business.
The chief of the second-largest U.S. company by market capitalization said it was “obvious” who would be interested in the unit, which last year sold $7.2 billion worth of refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances.
“The players have become somewhat obvious,” Immelt told reporters in South Korea. “It is Haier in China, it is LG in Korea, it’s Mabe in Mexico, it’s Arcelik in Turkey.”
In Beijing, he added another name to the list of suspects: “Whether LG or Haier or Electrolux or others participate remains to be seen.”
None of those companies confirmed their interest.
After stunning investors in April with an unexpected drop in quarterly profit, GE said this month it would look to sell or spin off its appliances unit, saying the business was too focused on the United States.
Analysts and investors have estimated the business, which is No. 2 in the U.S. behind Whirlpool Corp. could sell for $4 billion to $8 billion. Whirlpool is the world’s largest appliance maker.
Immelt’s comments could be an effort to see if there are other interested bidders who have not yet made themselves known to the company, said Peter Sorrentino, senior vice president and portfolio manager at Huntington Asset Advisors, which manages $6.5 billion in assets and holds GE shares.
“I wonder if he’s not tapping tree trunks with a stick trying to figure out if there’s bees in there,” Sorrentino said.
STILL ‘EARLY ON’
Immelt’s remarks came just a week after he told investors GE that the company was “seriously” considering spinning off the appliances unit.
“The appliance process is still very early on, and much still has to be decided,” Immelt said in Beijing on Wednesday.
GE’s well-known brand name could appeal to a foreign appliance manufacturer looking to build its profile in the United States while capitalizing on lower-cost production.
Goodmorning Shinhan Securities analyst Steve Lee said, “I doubt LG Elec would be interested in pursuing this deal, since there’s little the company can gain. There’s a lot of overlap between the businesses with little premium potential for LG.”
Lee said Immelt’s comments could be aimed at drumming up interest from a small pool of potential candidates with deep-enough pockets to buy the business.
By NightOwl
I think infomercials are unbearably annoying, but somehow I find myself pausing on the way to my show of the moment to see the latest gadget being hawked. Sarah Aycock at Louisiana State University has discovered that she is drawn to appliance infomercials.
You flip to your favorite channel, but instead of the familiar lineup, there’s a friendly woman reminiscent of your mother, grandmother or aunt with neatly manicured nails and a kitchen full of the same peculiar appliance.
Suddenly you find yourself sucked in to this infomercial, watching this woman make steak roll-ups, garlic bread and strawberry shortcake with ease in this magical appliance. It’s complete with dual cooking chambers and a sleek, compact design that would fit in any kitchen.
You begin to think, “Hey, I really could use this. The kitchen in my apartment is really small, and this could come in handy. I would make these breakfast sandwiches in the morning, and for dinner it would be so simple to make a stuffed chicken breast.”
am proud to admit that I get a huge amount of pleasure from watching infomercials. Sometimes, if the infomercial is a really good one, I’ll watch it instead of regular television.And I’m not alone. Many people share my view that infomercials are the comfort food of the television world.
When I saw that the Magic Bullet – yes, the personal, versatile countertop magician – had come out with a brand new infomercial, I rushed to call two friends, and they were both as excited as I was to find that chain-smoking Hazel and grumpy Berman, two characters from the original infomercial, had returned and were joined by Tina, who may or may not be a recovering alcoholic, and Betty, who loves garlic.
All infomercial fans seem to have their favorite genre. I’ll watch anything hawking a kitchen appliance, but many people prefer beauty products, workout equipment or music compilations.
And these fans can watch the same infomercials again and again, never purchasing a single product. Viewers keep tuning in to see the overzealous hosts, the delicious food or the compelling demonstrations. Something about the infomercials draws them in. But they can’t exactly explain why.
Some viewers eventually succumb to the pleadings of the hosts and invest in the product they’ve been secretly wanting for months. I’ve personally fallen prey twice. I am the proud owner of the Magic Bullet and the Bare Minerals makeup kit.
By NightOwl
Whether you are looking for a basic model for heating up leftovers or one with options for baking and broiling, we have tips and information to make your decision easier.
Counter top ovens are the least expensive starting at as low as $25 and ranging in size from a compact 17″wide by 13′ deep to a larger 24″x20″. Although these are meant to sit on the counter, some come with brackets for mounting under a cabinet. Over-the-range models hang over the range (seems obvious!) which saves space and doubles as the vent over the oven. Most are 30″wide. o may require professional installation which will add to the cost. These start at around $150. Built-in microwaves come in many sizes to fit with various kitchen designs. They can be recessed almost flush with a wall or cabinet and placed at any height. I have seen family rooms with kid level microwaves for heating up snacks. Built-ins require professional installation. Prices start at about $225
Some features to look for in your new microwave:
Another interesting option is the microwave-convection combination oven. This oven uses an internal fan to heat food more evenly than a standard microwave. It also has an additional heating element that allows you to roast, bake and brown like a conventional oven, just not quite as effectively. These ovens are priced higher than standard microwaves.
One last tip before you head out to the store- bring along the largest dish you plan to use in your new microwave, that way you can be certain it will fit!
By NightOwl
Here’s a fun gadget for the baker in the house. A .90 cubic foot brick oven that sits on your counter top. Cuisinart offers this oven with permanently built in bricks on the top and sides, two racks for multi level cooking, three settings and 1700 watts of power to reach up to 500°F . It has industrial style stainless steel housing and a tinted glass window to allow you to check your stone baked bread or pizza. It retails for around $250.
By NightOwl
Dacor’s newest addition to its Epicure line is designed to fit neatly under any counter in an outdoor patio or kitchen layout, the unit stands at 33″ tall and 24″ wide and will easily slide into standard cabinetry openings. An innovative digital electronic control panel allows users to adjust the temperature with the simple touch of a button, a charcoal filter removes unwanted odors, keeping contents pure and the unit boasts quiet storage due to a vibration-free compressor.
Available with a stainless steel door with left- or right-hand door swing options, the refrigerator is built to withstand temperatures from 50 degrees to 109 degrees Fahrenheit, is efficient at maintaining internal temperatures and can to be used to store milk and fresh food storage in addition to beverages. The refrigerator is the ideal accessory for any bar or entertainment area and has the capacity to hold 124 cans or 50 bottles.
By NightOwl
I’ve always thought of Vita-Mix blenders as a health food, hippy blender, one that has been replaced by juicers. Nevertheless, in the back of my mind I can ‘t help wondering if it is the answer to my ice crushing, smoothie making needs. Sylvia Carter seems to feel the same way, but she finally gave in and purchased one.
At some point in my distant past, I had acquired a Vita-Mix, lured by devotees who swore by it. It could grind grain! Make soup! Make ice cream! It could grind the fiber, stems, seeds and skins of vegetables to a puree, unlike a blender, a processor or most juicers. You waste less, since the machine lets you use whole foods.
Reader, I never removed my Vita-Mix from the box, so intimidated was I by the large, powerful machine. My cat is fond of the original packing box as a scratching post.
Then Vita-Mix, a family-owned company in suburban Cleveland, sent me notice that they had a new version, the 5200 model, with a shatterproof container that is BPA-free and a more efficient motor. (BPA is the substance that leaches out of common household plastic containers and may be harmful.) The improved model came in red, a color I can’t resist when it comes to kitchen appliances or shoes.
Vita-Mix sent a pro, Wendy Manfredi, to put the monster through its paces. First, she dumped some ordinary brown rice into the Vita-Mix container and in a couple of minutes, voila! We had fine, evenly ground rice flour. You could use the flour to make rice noodles, if you felt ambitious, or you could use it to bread foods, or just as a soup thickener.
The machine operates at a velocity so fast it can create heat, and it sounded like an airplane taking off. At first, I backed across the kitchen. Then, I got used to it.
Next, Manfredi made tortilla soup. We didn’t even peel the carrot that went into it. No seeding the tomato, either. She made a smoothie, strawberry stems and all.
For ice cream, she tossed frozen peaches, soy milk and a little honey into the container. When the mixture forms mounds, she cautioned, it is done; blending too long will cause melting.
The Vita-Mix comes with a 64 ounce container which has its pros and cons- it holds almost all you could want to make, but is so large it is difficult to store. A smaller 32 ounce jar is available for purchase separately. Vita-Mix is not sold in stores but can be purchased online at vitamix.com. The 5200 model begins at $449.