Highlights from the 2009 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference

The recession has hit all sectors of the economy, and the appliance industry has not been spared. At this year's Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference, held last month in Atlanta, there were fewer displays and attendees. But like all the K/BIS shows I've attended over the years as a product-information specialist for Consumer Reports, exhibitor booths featured innovative products.

At the LG booth, the company displayed the WM3001HWA Ultra-Capacity SteamWasher front-loading washing machine sitting on top of four wineglasses (shown). As part of LG's efforts to highlight the low-vibration qualities of the direct-drive transmission on its front-loaders, the machine was running and the glasses didn't break. Pretty neat. (We don't know how well the glasses infer the lack of vibration, but our vibration tests certainly can discern the absence of vibration.)

As front-loaders become more popular, and as more homes have the laundry room located in or near main living areas, low vibration is a big concern. LG offers the direct-drive transmissions on all models in its Tromm line priced above $999.

LG also introduced what it calls MotionCare wash cycles on the new WM2601HR, WM2701HR, and WH2901HR models. The company claims the MotionCare cycles use a combination of rolling, swinging, and scrubbing "dance-like" motions to more gently handle laundry.

One other cool touch from LG was an electronic open-and-close feature on the LMX28987[ST] four-door refrigerator with a bottom freezer, $3,000 (due out this fall). With the touch of the button mounted at the ice and water dispenser, you can open and close either of the two freezer drawers, which also close automatically when gently touched.

One of the splashiest and most heavily trafficked booths at the show was Jenn-Air's. The company introduced new cooking products, including wall ovens, cooktops, a restyled pro range, and a downdraft vent system that uses HEPA filtration for installations where outside venting is not available.

Jenn-Air also rolled out the Culinary Center on its wall ovens, which aims to give you optimum results on your dishes by allowing you to select the pan, rack, time, and doneness. This touch-control interactive display is similar to what we've seen on the TurboChef 30" Double Wall Speedcook oven, minus the speed cooking.

Some other highlights:

On GE cooking appliances, features once found only on higher-priced products are moving down to less-expensive gear, including high-powered burners, hidden bake elements, and stainless-steel and metal handles, can all be found at lower price points than just a few years ago.

And GE and Samsung will introduce free-standing induction ranges later this year. Read our First Look at the Kenmore Elite 9991 range with induction cooktop.

One of the more interesting cooking products at the show was an over-the-range microwave from Kenmore whose door can open from either side. This appliance came about after in-home research revealed that the placement of corner cabinetry can interfere with door opening.—Michael DiLauro | e-mail | Twitter

10 Questions for . . . Tyler Jones, Home Builder

In this installment of 10 Questions for . . . , Senior Editor Daniel DiClerico speaks with Tyler Jones, president of Blue Heron Development, which built the New American Home 2009 at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas. Here, Jones talks about the project's biggest innovations, offers his take on alternative energy, and discusses what the future holds for the U.S. housing industry.

What's it like having this year's International Builders' Show in Las Vegas and being the builder of the show home?
The housing market in Las Vegas has been hit particularly hard by the subprime meltdown, so it's nice to get a little positive energy back into home building. Blue Heron has implemented green-building technologies from the beginning, offering innovative options that aren't available in most communities in Las Vegas. So the New American Home project was a natural progression for us, an opportunity to apply our philosophy on a larger scale.

What innovative design elements are on display in the home?
I think the most unique feature on this home is its extreme indoor/outdoor relationship. All the interior spaces have large pocket doors that disappear into the walls, allowing the main living areas and bedrooms to be opened up to the outdoors. All the outdoor spaces, meanwhile, are set up as living areas. So rather than a feeling of "Here's the house, here's the yard," each room relates to a specific use on the outside. Las Vegas has a great climate, so people tend to spend a lot of time outdoors. Even when they're inside they like to open up the home to the outside.

Don't you have to worry about keeping out of the hot Nevada sun?
The secret is passive solar design, whereby you put a lot of glass on the south and north sides of the home. The south-facing glass has a series of shading devices that shade the glass in the summer. In the wintertime, when the sun takes a lower path, they let the heat in. The north-facing side doesn't get direct sunlight, so you can expose that glass to the outside, allowing in more natural light.

What green-building practices came up on the project?
The New American Home is like a laboratory for all the latest technologies and practices. One of the most unique is the insulated-concrete forms (ICFs) that we used for the exterior walls. ICFs are 3-foot wide, 18-inch high interlocking forms that look a lot like Legos. You stack the forms to create exterior walls and then pump concrete into the voids. The result is an insulation value of about R-50, which is maybe three times more efficient than a typical framed-wall system. And ICFs work both ways, reducing air-conditioning loads in hot climates and locking in the heat where it's cold.

Does alternative energy play a role in the design?
Solar technology is a big part of the house. We have a photovoltaic solar system that over the course of the year ends up creating more electricity than the house consumes. For a 9,000-square-foot home that's a major accomplishment. In the summertime the house will create a surplus of electricity. The utility company will give us a credit for that power, which we'll end up using in the wintertime when we're not quite creating enough energy.

Another energy efficiency measure is the use of LED fixtures. Almost all of the canister lights in the house are LED, which draw about 6 watts per can, versus the 60 watts you might get from standard incandescent. And LEDs give off a very warm glow, so it's a zero-compromise solution.

2009 International Builders' Show Coverage

The Consumer Reports Home & Garden team has been in Las Vegas this week attending the 2009 International Builders' Show, the housing industry's largest trade event. Our market analysts are checking out the latest home products and gear across the 1.5 million square feet of exhibition space at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

This blog has been featuring product previews on some of the hottest new items we've seen. We won't have tested any of these products, so consider this coverage your inside look at what's headed your way over the coming months.

Bookmark this page and check back in the coming days for International Builders' Show coverage.

Products and topics covered

Aspect peel-and-stick metal tiles (added 1/23)

10 Questions for . . . Tyler Jones, Home Builder (added 1/23)

Honeywell Prestige Comfort System HD thermostat (added 1/23)

Woodshades composite fencing (added 1/23)

Sakrete U.S. Cold Patch (added 1/22)

Kohler Cimarron Class Six low-flow toilet (added 1/22)

GE free-standing range with induction cooktop (added 1/22)

Energy efficiency, retrofitting homes take center stage at IBS (added 1/22)

Trend Alert: Soy technology (added 1/21)

Kenmore Elite side-by-side refrigerators with shaved-ice dispenser (added 1/21)

Blade Runner drywall cutter (added 1/21)

Opening-day impressions of the 2009 International Builders' Show (added 1/21)

GE Hybrid Electric Water Heater (added 1/20)

Quadra-Fire Edge 60 pellet-burning fireplace (added 1/20)

International Builders' Show Product Preview: Honeywell Prestige Comfort System HD thermostat

With the new Prestige Comfort Systems thermostat, Honeywell has introduced what it says is the world's first full-color, high-definition, touchscreen thermostat. It's part of the Prestige Comfort System that the manufacturer claims can cut your annual heating and cooling costs up to 33 percent by helping you better manage your heating and cooling system(s).

Honeywell claims this thermostat is completely intuitive—no owner's manual needed. The thermostat programs itself after you answer questions that appear on the screen, such as the time you wake up and when you hit the sack. A three-part Prestige Comfort system, which includes the Portable Comfort Control and the Wireless Outdoor Sensor, costs $200 to $700, installed, depending on the size of your home (price varies depending on the number of zones and thermostats installed).—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Read our latest report on thermostats.

Opening-day impressions of the 2009 International Builders' Show

Although the weather outside the Las Vegas Convention Center has been warm and sunny, the current economic crisis has cast a dark shadow over the 2009 International Builders' Show. From what I've seen and heard so far, show attendance is noticeably down from recent years, and there appear to be fewer exhibitors and media members. The U.S. building industry has been hit hard, and everyone I've spoken with at the show says sales of the materials and products used to build and fill homes have dropped significantly. Even such Builders' Show regulars from the tool industry, including Bosch, DeWalt, Hitachi, Makita, Milwaukee, Ridgid, and Ryobi, have stayed home this year.

The major-appliance manufacturers I've met with report that sales figures are off by 10 to 30 percent in some categories, but they also say sales of certain products are decent even in these tough times, including dual-oven freestanding ranges, bottom-mount French-door refrigerators, and washers and dryers with steam. My contacts also note a shift to "value"—read: less expensive—products.

Sales of generators are also apparently strong, as consumers, having witnessed heavy storm activity in recent years and some brutal weather so far this winter, are hot for backup-power supplies. Kohler is showing what it calls the OnCue system, which the manufacturer claims contact you on your cell phone when the power gets interrupted; the system is also designed to let you monitor the status of the generator from afar via the Web.

Briggs & Stratton and GE have introduced the GE Home Generator Systems line, to be sold at Home Depot (the 10,000-watt model is shown). The companies say the units come with an automatic transfer switch designed to automatically start the generator when power is down.

Generac has rolled out a new line of portable generators pegged as an affordable emergency-power solution. The line, available now at Lowe's and Ace/True Value retailers, includes a 3,000-watt model ($400) and a 5,000-watt unit ($650).—Michael DiLauro, Product-Information Specialist

Essential information: Read more about tools and power equipment and home-use generators.

CES Product Previews: iRobot Looj, PlantSense EasyBloom

Michael DiLauro, a product-information specialist for Consumer Reports, attended the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Here's his report on a couple of noteworthy home gadgets he saw at the Digital Experience event on Wednesday, January 7. Note that we have not yet tested either of these products.

iRobot Gutter Cleaner
Manufacturer of robotic home vacuum cleaners, iRobot, introduced the second generation of the Looj, its robotic gutter cleaner (shown). The company says improvements over the previous model include a flexible auger, designed to clean better as it moves through gutter; a slower forward speed that's supposed to provide more thorough cleaning; and a faster reverse speed, intended to return the robot to you more quickly when the job is done. done. The new model is expected to be in stores this spring and sell for $130.

PlantSense EasyBloom
Gardening has gone high tech. One of the most interesting products at the Digital Experience was the EasyBloom from PlantSense. This sensor ($60) is supposed to save you money and produce better results by taking the guesswork out of gardening. You place the EasyBloom in the soil for 24 hours to measure soil conditions, light, and temperature of outdoor or indoor plants. Next, you plug the EasyBloom into your computer via USB; the device then correlates its readings with a plant database to determine what you should in grow in that spot. The database uses algorithms to match its 5,000-plant database with the collected data and the weather based on your ZIP code. The EasyBloom is also designed to monitor the heath of plants in your garden. You place the sensor in the ground near a plant for one watering cycle and then hook it up to your computer. The EasyBloom will produce care recommendations for the plant.

Turn your bathroom into at-home retreat

Given the current depressed housing market, Americans are more likely to stay in their current homes than to move. But they’ll continue to pump money into their condos, town homes, and houses: U.S. consumers are expected to spend in excess of $170 billion on remodeling projects in 2008, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

The bathroom remains one of the most commonly fixed-up rooms. One trend in recent years has seen bathrooms converted into getaway spaces as consumers bling out their baths with whirlpool tubs, steam and multihead showers, high-style sinks, faucets, counters, and flooring, and other fixtures and surfaces once found only in high-end hotels and resorts. And, of course, the bathroom has become a multimedia center just like the kitchen, as manufacturers add music and video to their bathroom gear.

At last week's 2008 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show, we saw of the latest bathroom offerings, including the Hansgrohe Pharo Showerpanel SkyLine,  the Brondell Swash Ecoseat toilet seat, and the SonicSplash audio option from Lasco. Learn about these and other products in our video (right), featuring Bob Markovich, Home editor of Consumer Reports.—Steven H. Saltzman

Essential information: Use our expert advice when you’re shopping for a new toilet and refer to our Ratings (available to subscribers) to find the right model for your home. Also learn how to remodel a bathroom for less and avoid common project mistakes.

Bamboo is growing in the home

Consumer Reports has tested bamboo towels, bamboo flooring, and even bamboo plates, many touting the claimed green aspects of these products. And last week we saw all kinds of bamboo offerings at the 2008 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show, including Rio Grande Imports' Zoom bamboo bath sink, Totally Bamboo's bamboo countertop panels for kitchens and baths, and Teragren's Studio bamboo flooring.

Learn about the latest green-themed bamboo products in the video (right) featuring Bob Markovich, Home editor of Consumer Reports.

Kitchen/Bath Industry Show Product Preview: Vinotemp Eco-Series wine chillers

Refrigerators rely on a compressor to operate, but the Vinotemp Eco-Series wine chillers use thermoelectric technology. This approach, claims the manufacturer, is better for the wine and for the environment.

The main advantage of this technology, says Vinotemp, is that no chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons are used. These gases, commonly referred to as freons, can damage the ozone layer. (Note that the types of gas used in today’s refrigerator compressors, hydrofluorocarbons, do not affect the ozone layer.) Other claimed benefits of this technology include less vibration—a “merciless killer” of wine, says Vinotemp—and better temperature accuracy, +/- 0.1°C.

The Eco-Series lineup includes 18- or 28-bottle single-zone units, $229 to $314, and a 21-bottle dual-zone model and 32- and 48-bottle dual-zone units, $314 to $599. (The 32-bottle unit is shown. Smaller countertop models are available, too.) These freestanding wine chillers come in black with stainless-steel doors, trim, and handles and double-pane glass. You’ll find them online and in stores, including Costco, Home Depot, and Lowe’s.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Read our advice on choosing a wine chiller and see the Ratings of wine-storage units (available to subscribers). Also, find out which wines to buy to fill up your chiller, and discover the proper serving temperatures for reds and whites.

Kitchen/Bath Industry Show Product Preview: Diva 365 induction range

In our tests, induction cooktops have proved themselves, having broken our speed record for boiling water and simmered sauce flawlessly. What’s more, the magnetic field, which does the cooking on these cooktops, sends nearly all of its heat to the pot or pan, so the cooking surface remains relatively cool, a safety plus.

The new Diva 365 induction range, among the first on the market, is a 36-inch stainless-steel appliance with five induction elements—one large, 4,000-watt “Super Burner”; two 3,000-watt side burners; and two 2,000-watt versions for small pots and lower-heat simmering. (Watch our video, right.)

The 365 comes with a premium price tag: $8,950. Note that the range also requires two 220-volt circuits.—Bob Markovich

Essential information: See our Cooktops and Wall Ovens product page for detailed information on gas and electric cooktops, and learn more about induction models. If you’re in the market for a cooktop, use our buying advice to find the best model, including detailed information on important cooktop features. Before you shop, refer to our Ratings of gas and electric models, available to subscribers.