GE brews a new appliance line
Whether you eat to live or live to eat, it’s hard not to be aware how much food and cooking have ascended in American culture in the last couple of decades. Food Network, PBS, Discovery, and other networks and channels abound with celebrity chefs making preparation and presentation look so simple. You might also be attracted to the sleek, stylized appliances that adorn the to-die-for kitchens these chefs perform in.
If equipping your kitchen with high-end appliances from Viking, GE Monogram, Sub-Zero and others is as much of an extravagance (read: unlikely) as your dashing off a chocolate soufflé for a midweek dinner dessert, you’d probably welcome the panache of these opulent machines at a more budget-friendly price.
GE’s Café line (shown), the first new appliance brand from the manufacturer in 15 years, is an attempt to give you the look and feel of a restaurant-quality kitchen at a cost between the company’s upper-tier Monogram line and its general-audience Profile series. GE plans to roll out the line at next month’s Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference.
We haven’t tested any Café models yet so we can’t assess their performance or their value. (As you’ll see below, these are not inexpensive products). Here are some of the offerings:
Refrigerator: This cabinet-depth model has stainless-steel side panels, an ExpressChill drawer, and more. Cost: $2,199.
Gas range: The freestanding, slide-in range (it also accepts an optional back guard) is equipped with an 18,000-Btu dual-stacked burner, 17,000-Btu burner, and a fifth burner with griddle. Cost: $2,499 for gas, $2,599 for dual-fuel.
Dishwasher: With a stainless-steel interior and GE’s SmartDispense technology (it dispenses liquid or gel detergent for a given cycle based on water hardness and soil level), this dishwasher can handle 16 place settings. Cost: $1,199.
Over-the-range microwave: This 2.0-cubic-foot, 1,100-watt has a top and second side stirrer, two removable racks, four-speed venting, and blue LCD touch controls. Cost: $649.
Vent hood: This hood offers four-speed fan control, a dual-halogen light, and 600-cubic-feet-per-minute venting. Cost: $849.—Ed Perratore
Essential information: Keep an eye out for First Looks of the Café line in the coming months on ConsumerReports.org. Meanwhile, if you’re planning a remodel, be sure to use our Kitchen-Planning Guide and our expert advice on paying for a project.
Posted by: Cheryl Morris | Jan 14, 2008 7:32:09 PM
We purchased the GE 48" monagram gas stove and vent hood. Our problems have lasted for 2 years trying to replace fresh air from the 1200 cfm vent hood. We also have a wood burning fireplace which also adds to the problem. These high end units need to address the need for fresh air in a home. I've contacted BBB, GE and Attorney general. On the tantum forum I seeked answers and the Energy Design Update magazine did an article on these units and agree this needs to be addressed as a problem. This article was August 2006 and we still are looking for answer.