Category: Appliances

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Miele Knock2Open Dishwasher

Miele G 6000 Dishwasher LEDs |KitchAnn Style

I’ve written about the Miele Generation 6000 appliance range previously discussing their innovative technology in kitchen appliances. Now I am thrilled to introduce their impressive G6995 SCVi XXL K20 Fully Integrated Dishwasher.

This exceptional, fully integrated  dishwasher incorporates the new Knock2Open door-opening feature. Now your dishwasher can be fully integrated into a handleless kitchen.

Simply knocking on the panel twice opens the dishwasher.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac0KkIMrfGo]

Another new feature, Time Control, is also available. Time Control uses a row of LED lights on the control panel to show you how long the cycle has left. Even if your panel is fairly tight to your countertop you should still be able to judge the remaining time left in your cycle.

Miele G 6000 Dishwasher LEDs |KitchAnn Style

Other features include ComfortClose, for streamlined closing of the door; Reidel-endorsed Perfect GlassCare, for ensuring glassware is cleaned gently; and ThermoSave, to cut electricity consumption by 40%.

Currently the G6995 SCVi XXL K20 is only available in Europe. No word on when it will be available in the US. I’m sure it will be on display at KBIS 2015.

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Appliance News

GE sells Appliance unit to Electolux | KitchAnn styleGeneral Electric (GE) recently announced it is in an agreement to sell its home appliances business to Swedish white-goods group Electrolux for $3.3 billion.

It’s hard to imagine GE, a household name for more than a century, leaving the consumer appliance industry.

This deal is a major shake-up in the home appliance industry, pairing the second- and third-largest companies in the industry.

Under the deal, GE has a long-term agreement with Electrolux  to keep using the GE Appliances brand alongside its own Frigidaire brand in an attempt to leverage the company’s long history.

Although the boards of directors of both companies have approved the transaction, it is subject to closing conditions and regulatory approvals, and is due to close next year.

Electrolux said the acquisition, the single biggest deal it has made, represented “an attractive strategic fit” for its operations in North America, expected to generate “significant synergies” particularly in procurement and day-to-day running of the combined business.

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GE has sold devices to people for its entire 122-year history, starting with the light bulb, which was invented by company founder Thomas Edison. The lighting division will stay, but it’s just a tiny part of GE. Now GE will sell its products almost exclusively to other companies.

GE is the only remaining member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, first calculated in 1896. But, GE has frustrated shareholders by underperforming both the Dow and broader stock indexes for much of the last decade.

There was no mention of what would happen to FirstBuild  which is a partnership between GE Appliances and Local Motors to create a new model for the appliance industry and manufacture those designs in its Microfactory.

ann and sam at monogram experience centerMy trip to the Monogram Experience Center last October.  Being able to cook on
the appliances is an incredible educational tool and meeting designers and dealers
from around the country was very insightful.

 

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Energy Star and Water Sense Sales Tax Holiday

There’s a  sales tax holiday this weekend for Energy Efficient Appliances  and Water Sense Products September 19 – 21, 2014 starting at 12:01 a.m.

Floridians will pay no sales tax on purchases of up to $1,500 of ENERGY STAR appliances and WaterSense products. However, a person is limited to a single purchase of each specific type of Energy Star or WaterSense product that has a sales price of $500 or more. There are no quantity limits for qualifying items with  a sales price less than $500.

Qualifying ENERGY STAR products|KitchAnn Style

Qualifying ENERGY STAR products:
Air purifiers
Ceiling fans
Clothes washers
Dehumidifiers
Dishwashers
Freezers
Light bulbs
Refrigerators
Room air conditioners
Swimming pool pumps
Water heaters
Qualifying WaterSense products:
Bathroom sink faucets
Faucet accessories
High-efficiency toilets and urinals
Showerheads
Weather- and sensor-based irrigation controllers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dryers are not listed because they do not meet Energy Star qualifications. Installations Charges may be tax exempt too. It get’s a little tricky but if you purchase a qualifying product that does not become part of the home and remains tangible personal property when installed, the item plus the labor are exempt if their total is less than $1,500.

Example: An Energy Star window air conditioner unit for $350 plus $100 install. The $450 total purchase qualifies.

Example: A WaterSense toilet is sold by a contractor for $465 with installation for $125. The $590 total does not qualify.

If you want to buy a Service Warranty on your new Dishwasher, it too may be exempt. If the retail sale of an item is exempt from tax, the charge for a service warranty sold with the item is also exempt when the total is less than $1,500.

WaterSense products|KitchAnn Style

Understanding Coupons and Rebates.  The price of a qualifying item is not limited to the amount paid by a customer.

Example: The Energy Star refrigerator you want is $1,795. The retailer is offering 10% off. Your purchase of $1,615.50 qualifies for the first $1,500 to be exempt. You pay sales tax on the remaining $115.50

Example: You purchase an Energy Star freezer for $1,549. The manufacturer is offering an instant $50 rebate at the time of purchase. Although you pay $1,499, the price remains the same for the retailer. They will receive $1,499 from you and $50 from the manufacturer. The first $1,500 is exempt and you pay sales tax on the remaining $49.

If the retailer – not the manufacture;, were offering the rebate in the example above, the $1,499 purchase would have been tax exempt.

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If you like to shop on the internet the good news is that if your order is accepted within the holiday period for immediate delivery, it qualifies for exemption – even if it ships after the tax holiday ends.

Shipping and handling charges are part of your purchase total and follow the same exemption rules. If you purchase multiple items on a single receipt, the shipping and handling charges must be fairly assigned to each item to determine if an item is exempt during the holiday.