Thermador Celebrates 100 Years of Innovation

In 2016, Thermador will celebrate 100 years of creating Real Innovations for Real Cooks. To demonstrate the evolution of kitchen personalization, unveil upcoming trends and showcase new innovations, Thermador will kick off its milestone centennial celebration at Design & Construction Week January 19-22, 2016.

The brand will be located within the International Builders Show (IBS), at booth C3837 in the Central Hall, and will share the booth with sister brands Bosch and Gaggenau.

On Tuesday, January 19 I’ll be attending a luncheon hosted by Thermador for Modenus Blog Tour Las Vegas Bloggers to learn more about their new innovative products. Follow my Tweets and Instagram Posts for up-to-the-minute news.

Thermador will also host a press conference and VIP reception in the BSH booth to unveil exciting news, as well as to officially kick-off the 100th Anniversary celebration of Thermador.

In addition to the inspiring kitchen vignettes found throughout the IBS booth, Thermador innovation will also be featured within the 2016 New American Home, the official show home of IBS.

I’m really looking forward to seeing the innovative 5,200-square-foot 2016 New American Home.

The New American Home, now in its 33rd year, showcases innovative construction technologies, emerging design trends and the latest building products.

How amazing is this island with two Thermador dishwashers, waterfall edge and banquette?

(Thermador is a sponsor for BlogTour KBIS 2016, but the views and opinions expressed on this blog are mine, and I will be honest in what I share. You, the reader, are my top priority and it is my goal to make sure you can trust the content and integrity of this blog.)

Photos via NAHB

January 10, 2016

Whirlpool Showcases Latest Tech

Most of us in the Kitchen and Bath Design World are focused on KBIS next week so the news that Whirlpool received nine International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 Innovation Awards for seven new kitchen and laundry products this week might have been missed.

Amazon Dash Built In

Whirlpool Smart Dishwasher, Washer and Dryer allows families to auto-order detergent, Whirlpool’s Affresh dishwasher cleaner or dryer sheets through Amazon’s Dash Replenishment Service (DRS).

The appliances determine when they need to order more supplies based on the number of cycles they’ve run since the last order.

Whirlpool’s new washer and dryer are both set to go on sale later this year for $1,399 each.

Smart Kitchen Suite

Smart Kitchen Suite can also tell Whirlpool’s new smart washer and dryer to activate various modes, including quiet mode for those late night wash sessions, and “wrinkle shield” for when you’re away from home but don’t want your clothes crumpling in the dryer.

The complete suite includes the Smart French Door Refrigerator, Smart Front Control Range, and Smart Dishwasher, all of which fall under what Whirlpool is calling the CareSync system.

The setting can be activated manually, or automatically, through the Smart Kitchen Suite’s new Nest integration.

For example, the Smart French Door Refrigerator offers a Party Mode for entertaining, which drops fridge temperatures to keep foods from getting warm (due to repeated opening and closing), not to mention make ice faster. The Smart Refrigerator also uses smart notifications to alert families of a power or WiFi outage, so food in the fridge can be checked on immediately.

Tech for a Better World

With a new program called Connect to Care, you’ll be able to automatically donate to Habitat for Humanity every time you run the washing machine. The program is meant to show how big change can be accomplished through incremental good deeds — you can give as little as 10 cents with each load.

This smart washer and dryer also integrate with the Nest Learning Thermostat, so when Nest is set to Away, the dryer can switch to Eco Mode to save energy (up to 73%) with a longer, more energy-efficient cycle.

January 3, 2016May 11, 2017

What I’m Completely Obsessed With

Italian bathroom faucet company Tender Rain has an beautiful series of shower head design called the Calices.

Designed by Luca Scacchetti, Calices boasts a medieval wine cup silhouette, with each of the shower heads taking on a different shape, while being suspended from a sleek and sinewy tube. Continue reading “What I’m Completely Obsessed With”

December 27, 2015January 17, 2019

What is Active Cleansing Technology?

Active Cleansing Technology sounds like something you’d see on the back of a bottle of bathroom cleaner – but it’s not.

In 1967, Japanese scientists Akira Fujishima and Kenichi Honda (University of Tokyo) discovered the active cleansing effect of titanium dioxide in photocatalysis (the acceleration of a photoreaction in the presence of a catalyst).

They researched this phenomenon, now known as the “Honda-Fujishima Effect”, and published their findings in 1972. Little changed in this research until the 1990s when engineers at TOTO collaborating with the University of Tokyo discovered the additional passive cleansing effect of photocatalysis.

Hydrotect Kitchan Style — Self Cleaning, Antibacterial, Anti-odor

The additional passive cleansing effect is based on the hydrophilic properties of titanium dioxide. Surfaces treated with titanium dioxide dramatically reduce the surface tension of falling water. Instead of rolling off the surface as individual drops, the water flows off the edges in an ultra-thin film, which removes all dust and dirt particles in the process.

You may be wondering why all this Science matters. In indoor applications (think bathrooms), this technology prevents the spreading of germs and bacteria and eliminates bad odors deriving from their action.

TOTO was the first company to use active cleansing technology. TOTO durably bakes HYDROTECT, a unique protective coating for ceramic building materials that renders surfaces self-cleaning; into their products.

Because HYDROTECT is fired on to the surface separately from the glaze, it will not wash or wear off over time. It is not visible and, thus, does not alter the color of the product.

It’s reassuring to know every TOTO innovation has a single motivation: helping people feel cleaner and more alive.

Being a technology leader has been good for TOTO. It’s no wonder this past November they reached an astounding total of 40 million WASHLETs sold world-wide since 1980.

I look forward to visiting TOTO at Design and Construction Week in Las Vegas next month while I’m on BlogTour KBIS to see their new Connect+ System and eWater+.

TOTO’s innovative Connect+ System neatly conceals the Washlet’s power cord and water supply hose for a clean installation.

TOTO’s eWater+ mists the bowl with electrolysed water after every flush and once every eight hours during non-use. A pre-misting of plain water further enhances bowl cleanliness by sealing the surface against the adherence of matter approximately 80% better than dry porcelain.

(TOTO is a sponsor for BlogTour KBIS 2016, but the views and opinions expressed on this blog are mine, and I will be honest in what I share. You, the reader, are my top priority and it is my goal to make sure you can trust the content and integrity of this blog.)