/ Home & Garden

11:05 AM PST on Wednesday, February 11, 2004

By Linda Swift / Special Contributor

If you're in the market for kitchen appliances, you're in luck. This year's crop includes machines that save energy, simplify chores and look spectacular. Hardworking hybrids make the most of kitchen space; innovations include an oven that refrigerates, a microwave that toasts and a fridge that talks. Bold colors and radical shapes prove kitchen decor doesn't have to be humdrum. Here's a sampling of appliances that caught our eyes and imaginations.

What's cooking?

Whirlpool

Whirlpool Polara range

No need to move that casserole from fridge to oven – or even to be at home – to cook dinner. Whirlpool's Polara refrigerated range runs hot and cold at preset intervals, so meals can be chilled and cooked in the same unit, then kept warm until mealtime. The cooktop can be used while the oven cavity is in refrigeration mode. The Polara, which debuts this fall, is expected to retail for $1,799 to $1,899 (800-253-1301; www.whirlpool.com)

Samsung microwave/toaster oven

Microwave and toaster oven become one in Samsung's family-size Toast & Bake microwave oven. Making the switch between cooking modes is just a matter of turning the knob. The 1- cubic-foot oven comes in four finishes and retails for $229 (800-726-7864; www.samsungusa.com). Keep your eyes peeled for another Samsung hybrid. The world's top producer of microwave ovens hints that a microwave/surveillance camera combo is on the horizon.

Thermador gas cooktop

Thermador's star-shaped gas burner distributes heat evenly across the center and rim of the pan. Another patented feature is the ExtraLow simmer-and-hold system that cycles the flame on and off for gentle settings as low as 200 BTU (the lowest on the market). Thermador SGS and SGSX gas cooktops come in four-, five- and six-burner models; retail prices range from $999 to $1,729 (800-656-9226; www.thermador.com).

Elmira Stove Works

Elmira range Old-fashioned charm meets modern technology in this dual-fuel range from Elmira Stove Works. Available in 21st-century colors such as cayenne-pepper red, this quaintly curvy stove comes in four- and six-burner styles with self-cleaning ovens (convection is optional). A warming compartment on this model keeps cooked food hot until serving time. Retail prices range from $3,600 to $5,495 (800-295-8498; www.elmirastoveworks.com).

Viking warming drawer

Professional chefs know how to prepare meals so that everything is done at the same time. The rest of us could use Viking's Designer Series electric warming drawer, which fits nicely beneath a wall oven. Temperatures from 100 to 250 degrees keep plates warm or soups piping hot. A humidity control maintains moistness or crispness. The drawer comes in two widths and six finishes. Prices range from $975 to $1,225 (888-845-4641; www.vikingrange.com).

Chill out

Amana Messenger refrigerator

Communication problems at home? Amana's new Messenger refrigerator not only lets families record voice messages at the touch of a button, it also lets them know when filters need changing and issues an alert if its door is left open. In case of a power outage, the Messenger can report exactly how long the electricity was off. The 26-cubic-foot side-by-side comes in white, black or bisque for $1,849 and stainless steel for $2,149 (800-843-0304; www.amana.com).

Sub-Zero wine storage unit

Sub-Zero's 424FS free-standing wine storage unit looks great at the end of a kitchen island. Soft lighting behind ultraviolet-resistant glass doors showcases prized vintages. Two separately controlled zones are sealed off from each other to keep whites and reds at their optimum temperatures. The roll-out shelves hold 46 regular-sized bottles and can also accommodate half-bottles and magnums. Suggested retail is $2,490 ( www.subzero.com).

Sub-Zero glass-door refrigerator

See what's on hand for dinner without standing in front of an open refrigerator while cold air escapes. Sub-Zero's 601RG glass-door refrigerator has interior lights that glow softly when the door is closed (if the inside is a mess, those lights can also be switched off). The commercial-style refrigerator's 19.9-cubic-foot capacity compensates for the lack of door shelving. Suggested retail is about $4,000 (800-441-9260 or 800-222-7820).

Power play

The refrigerator is the largest single energy consumer in most households, and buying a new one may actually save you money in the long run.

Refrigerators built after July 2001 meet stringent new federal standards for power consumption. And a fridge bearing the government-sponsored Energy Star label saves at least 10 percent more power than those regulations require.

In fact, equipping an entire kitchen with Energy Star appliances can add up to significant savings on utility bills. For more information, call 888-782-7937 or visit www.energystar.com.

All in one

Bosch

Bosch built-in kitchen machine

Bosch MEK 7000 built-in kitchen machine replaces several small appliances without sacrificing counter space; a stainless-steel cover becomes a work surface when the unit is not in use. With the basic machine and optional attachments, you can mix, knead, slice, grate and even make ice cream and pasta. Suggested retail is $1,100 (866-442-6724).

Kohler Pro CookCenter

Kohler

Kohler's Pro CookCenter combines a sink with a cooking vessel that steams, boils, poaches and warms food. This versatile unit, with included accessories, is ideal for small spaces because it lets you stack and cook several dishes at once. For example, while pasta boils in the colander, veggies steam on a rack above, and sauce heats in a double boiler on top. Turn a dial to drain the water. Prices range from $2,500 to $3,000 (800-456-4537; www.us.kohler.com).

Clear the air

Zephyr vent

Forget refrigerator art. Now there's vent art in the graceful form of the Torino range hood from Zephyr. The Italian design, which resembles a bottoms-up martini glass, now comes with two interchangeable canopies of plain and colored frosted glass (red, green, yellow or blue) for $3,500. The Torino has dual halogen lamps and the power to match the output of any high-end range (888-880-8368; www.zephyronline.com).

Zephyr

Gaggenau pop-up

Gaggenau's pop-up vent allows an uninterrupted sight line across a cooking island. When needed, the ventilator rises from the cooktop like a periscope, then returns to its cradle after use. It can be placed between elements because the height-adjustable telescoping arm swivels 90 degrees in either direction. Retail for the unit with under-the-counter motor is $1,600 to $1,800 (800-828-9165; www.gaggenau.com).

Come clean

Bosch dishwasher

Sometimes more is less. Consider, for example, the Bosch SHV 6803 dishwasher. At $1,259, it costs more than many others. But with it you get less noise, and you also use less water and less energy – which means less spent on utility bills. The extra-tall tub holds dinner plates on both levels, a dirt-sensor system adjusts water usage, and the top-rack-only feature lets you wash half-loads (800-866-2022; www.boschappliances.com).

Fisher & Paykel

Fisher & Paykel DishDrawer

Divide and conquer mealtime cleanup with Fisher & Paykel DishDrawers. While one gently bathes stemware, another can power-scrub pans. A double unit occupies the same space as an ordinary dishwasher; singles placed on both sides of a sink eliminate bending down. Each holds seven place settings and slides open for easy access and visibility. Choose from three finishes or add custom front panels to match cabinetry. Prices range from $699 to $1,349 (800-863-5394; www.fisherpaykel.com).

- Linda Swift is a free-lance writer for The Dallas Morning News