Market Watch

Appliances

Once humdrum, appliances are becoming sleeker, smarter and more energy efficient. Here's what's new with things that make a homeowner's life easier.

Best's new line of kitchen ventilation products, the IP29 series of professional island range hoods, features a seamless welded design and professional-grade stainless-steel finish, and offers several internal and exterior blower options. The range hood includes an Automatic Sensor Control feature that detects vapors from cooking activity and automatically controls the hood to achieve the necessary level of exhaust. Homeowners also have the option of using a remote-control device to operate the hood via the LinkLogic System. The IP29 comes with several halogen light combinations and is available in 42- and 54-inch widths. www.bestrangehoods.com.

The KitchenAid Architect Series II counter-depth French door refrigerator features a narrow door swing — perfect for island locations, ExtendFresh temperature management system and drawers with adjustable temperature settings to accommodate certain foods. The stylish stainless-steel refrigerator, with curved handles, also includes an interior water dispenser and is Energy Star qualified. www.insideadvantage.com.

The new Energy Star–qualified QDE under-cabinet range hoods from Broan feature energy-efficient motors and dual compact fluorescent bulbs that provide a uniformly lit cooking surface. The series also includes dishwasher-safe aluminum filters, a fully enclosed bottom to aid in trapping cooking contaminants and a removable, easy-to-clean bottom pan and blower wheel. The hood comes in white, black or stainless steel, and can be converted for vertical or horizontal discharge. www.broan.com.

Sub-Zero has reinvented its popular line of design-focused built-in refrigerator models by adding an air-purification system that "scrubs" the entire volume of air within the refrigerator every 20 minutes to eliminate viruses, odors and bacteria, as well as the ethylene gas that hastens ripening. A new water-filtration system not only removes chlorine and sediment, but microbiological contaminants as well. Other interior changes include new lighting, improved drawer glides and a more intuitive control panel. The built-in models are available as flush inset (shown here), classic stainless steel, framed and overlay. Available through Roth Distributing, 17801 E. 40th Ave., Aurora, CO 80011, (800) 821-6374, www.rothdistributing.com; or www.subzero.com.

Jenn-Air has added several new appliances to its Oiled Bronze Kitchen Suite. The new additions include a built-in refrigerator, a French door refrigerator with external ice and water dispenser, double-drawer refrigerators, a built-in microwave and a wall-mount chimney ventilation hood. The bronze collection combines the traditionalism of bronze sculpture with the polished look of stainless-steel accents, adding warmth to a kitchen setting as an alternative to the cool look of all-stainless appliances. www.insideadvantage.com.

Induction cooktops by Jenn-Air transfer heat directly to the cookware instead of through the surface, resulting in faster, more even and energy-efficient heating. It also means a cool cooktop, which prevents spills from burning onto the sleek surface. Touch-activated LED controls manage temperatures, with 17 heat-level settings and individual temperature displays. Cooktops are available in 30- and 36-inch models. www.insideadvantage.com.