Well, I just got back from the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show also known as KBIS. I have a bunch of photos to share too! So, take a look and feel free to ask questions. I will tell you, and I’m sorry to say this, but I was really disappointed! Many brands didn’t even show up at all and there was nothing really exciting. I was going to meet Gywneth Paltrow in the Monogram booth, but the line was too long. I went to my GE rep to bump me up. He would have, but even if so, what was the point? Did I really need to meet her? How does that benefit you guys? It doesn’t!
At the end of the day, there was nothing that exciting. The in-counter induction I wanted to take photos of wasn’t even there. Although, there were a couple things that I will say stood out for me, which let me share with you!
The Ranges
Some brands such as BlueStar and GE really brought out some breathtaking designs! I love to recommend the BlueStar ranges as a powerful cook’s stove, and now they’re upping their style game to match the power. Not to take away from their style but even the burner quality holds up to their standards with a sealed, top-ported star burner.
The BlueStar sealed burner dual fuel range was a work of art. They really hit it out of the park with that piece. I am praying it works as well as it looks because the design was spot on. They stuck true to their roots with a top ported star burner, but it is now sealed.
Not to be outdone GE had some excellent styling to showcase, and plenty of space to show off their appliances. GE had by far the largest display, and I was particularly drawn to their matte white Café range with black handles.
GE also did an amazing job with their booth and had the largest display BY FAR. Their matte white Café with black handles was stunning! Those really caught my eye.
A little Dolce in your kitchen?
One of my favorite aspects of events like these are the showpieces. The things that we might not all necessarily need but they push the limits on how we think about styling our kitchens. These pieces are definitely not for the budget-conscious, but a little window shopping never hurts.
The Dolce and Gabbana appliance design from Smeg is always cool to look at. For me, it was just that cool to look at, but I wouldn’t buy it.
Smeg has a perfect design for your Coke fridge. In classic Smeg fashion it’s a beautiful compact fridge. I bet you could at least fit a 12-pack in this one
Whether they’re pieces that are more likely to fit in a multi-millionaire’s third kitchen or just a design you have to take serious consideration to not clash with everything in your kitchen these are some fun pieces that remind us that at the end of the day it’s a kitchen and we should let our imaginations flow when picking out the little, but pricy things.
Miele shows up with a new line! Unfortunately, we have to wait in line for them.
Sometimes the little things help a new line of appliances feel fresh!
Miele showed off their generation 7000 appliances, and their new coffee machine is a state-of-the-art machine. It comes in a 30” wide unit now and features fully-automated cleaning! The issue is, it won’t be out for 9 months.
A True spectacle in colors and options. But most importantly, STOCK!
True refrigeration really surprised me. Yes, True has the highest-price, built-in fridge on the market. But I was blown away that they had so many styles and colors, and their stock was so much better than other brands. They did a great job showing at their booth.
Now, some industry insight…
So, I talked to a bunch of brands, and I was very frank with them. I asked the burning question we all have,
“Do you guys know what people want? They want appliances that work.”
Or, as one member of our Facebook group so eloquently put: “Cheap reliable s**t that f**** works.”
My intent was simple. We love all the fancy-looking, cool-looking, neat-featured machines. But, the issue is when people spend hard-earned money to buy their products only to have to deal with a service call it’s such a downer. Please invest more money into the quality end of it.
I can tell you, as an advocate. It’s not happening.
The bottom line is they want to pump products out to sell them in mass amounts, so the almighty shareholders are happy and that’s just the reality we live in. I don’t want to be a downer; appliances are being made to make our lives easier. Or so they say, but with all these smart features I feel too dumb to use them at times. So, in short, the show to me was just ok. There was nothing super cool on the horizon, as they are all playing catch-up in the factories to get the backorders out. Enjoy the photos and comment below to ask any questions you may have on the show.
Just wondering if you asked your pointed (lack of quality) reliability question to the Samsung (scamsuck) folks. I am so hesitant on any of the appliance makers due to the crap they are pushing out. Need to replace my Samsung refrigerator when my local dealers have any in stock (Whirlpool most likely) but I really wish Bosch would make a full depth 26-28 cu ft fridge. Can’t use a 21/22 cu ft that their 2 options are now. Frustrating for sure. Wish they cared more for the customers instead of the shareholders. Thanks for your posts.
So, Samsung had an offsite booth that I went to as it is part of Dacor. No one there was high-up, so the reps just gave a quick tour. They were pushing the new Bespoke line that is so specialized I don’t see it going anywhere. They live in la la land. They are all brainwashed that it’s not them, it’s the consumer, etc. I’m like everyone can’t be wrong, so it is what it is, you buy another brand, and that’s that. I don’t understand how hard it is to make something that works.
Love reading about your experience! And the Dolce & Gabbana is so pretty… if I were a Princess I would so have it!
Was disappointed that the Invisacook folks did not have a display.
Thanks Al