Do you have money? Lots and lots of money? Then the 2019 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) was made for you. It’s where appliance makers trot out their over-the-top luxe items in hopes that builders will put them in their high-end homes. For these houses, a single appliance can be well over the budget of what an average homeowner is planning for their entire kitchen lineup. Yet sometimes these features end up in more affordable models down the road, so maybe some form of this tech is in your future after all.
Fisher & Paykel Dual Fuel 48-inch Professional Range
Dual-fuel ranges appeal to people who prefer gas burners and electric ovens. The new Fisher & Paykel 48-inch range ups the ante by adding in an induction section to the stovetop, in addition to four gas burners. Two oven cavities mean you can cook a giant turkey in one and veggies in the other. There’s also a front panel with a TFT display that pops out for readability and nestles back in its holding place when not in use. On the display, you can select to cook by function, food, or recipe. If you have a roast and no clue what to do, you can dial its attributes, and the oven will do the rest of the work for you. There’s no pricing yet, but when the range debuts in 2020, it’s sure to set you back more than a few pennies.
Miele FashionMaster
This high-end ironing board isn’t for hoodie-and-jeans crowd, but if you wear a lot of garments that need pressing, it will definitely be appealing. Miele calls it an active steam ironing board. The pad heats up due to an internal heating element, warming up the shirt before the iron touches it. That helps the steam evaporate more effectively, instead of dampening the clothes during ironing. Fans in the board can make a garment billow up, helping wool and cashmere items keep their shape. For faster ironing, the fans can suction clothes down and help smooth them, so you only need to iron one side. The price for faster ironing: $1,999.
Dacor Project Blanc porcelain refrigerator
We saw the Dacor porcelain refrigerator at last year’s KBIS, but we still can’t get over it. The gigantic, 30-inch fridge has room for tons of food and a few ways to help keep in fresh. The porcelain itself helps the fridge hold a more consistent temperature, and the appliance is equipped with temperature-controlled drawers. Glazed with a synthetic fiber, the porcelain is also non-porous and durable. Because the fridge is panel-ready, the exterior is customizable to the kitchen, and there’s an water dispenser on the interior. Dacor’s fridge is also Wi-Fi connected and has cameras. At $40,000, it’s one of the most expensive refrigerators we’ve ever seen.
Dacor Heritage Wine Station
Oxygen and wine are like soap opera frenemies: They might get along okay short-term, but leave them together too long and things turn to vinegar. To prevent wine spoilage, Dacor has a four-bottle preservation system. The appliance keeps the bottles cooled to the proper temperature, and argon gas keeps the wine fresh for 60 days. Though there’s glass on the door, it’s UV-protected to keep harmful light out. On the display, you can put in the type and year and choose between a one-, three-, and six-ounce pour. We found the wine station for sale for $5,649 at AJ Madison, so it’s clearly aimed at those who aren’t well-acquainted with two-buck Chuck.
DaVinci TouchSmart fireplace
Part of fireplaces’ appeal is the cozy, crackling heat — unless you live in a year-round balmy climate. DaVinci fireplaces solve the problem with fireplaces that are more for decoration than chasing away a draft. The double-pane glass is touchable even when the fire is on inside. With the system’s TouchSmart control, the fireplace is compatible with Alexa, Google Home, Siri, and Control4. Ask your smart speaker to turn the fireplace on or set the LED lights beneath the crushed glass bottom to change to red, blue, or other colors. The fireplaces come in a variety of configurable sizes, and one 8-foot setup cost $32,800 — not including the gas bill.
Liebherr humidor
Known for its refrigerators, it makes sense that Liebherr would create a humidor to control temperature and humidity for cigar storage. Just keeping cigars cool can cause them to dry out, while a humid environment can cause molding. Liebherr’s humidor has a touchscreen, so users can set the temperature to between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Sensors inside the unit monitor the humidity, so it stays between 68 and 75 percent. In dire need of a climate-controlled box for your cigars? It’ll cost you $2,000.
Hestan Outdoor Living Suite
In addition to its residential and commercial kitchens, Hestan also makes beautiful grills. One unique feature is its range of color options, which include purple, blue-gray, red, and green. Its setups are modular, so you can pair your grill — which comes with a rotisserie accessory — with a side burner, keg, and undercounter fridge. With all those accessories, things start to add up quickly and the price comes in at between $35,000 and $40,000. If your patio doesn’t have room for a 12-foot display, Hestan’s freestanding grills start at about $10,600.
Signature Kitchen Suite 24-Inch Column Wine Fridge
KBIS was full of wine fridges, but the Signature Kitchen Series’ really caught our eye, thanks to its unique pairing with the True Sommelier App. The app is made by Wine Ring and has all kinds of neat features. Not only does it help you keep track of what’s in the fridge, it can recommend what you should drink based on what you’re making for dinner. If your guests also have the app, it will offer suggestions based on everyone’s preferences. In addition to the smart tech, the fridge is also taking care of the bottles with temperature and vibration control. There’s no pricing yet, but we predict it will be as expensive as all of Signature Kitchen Suite’s other appliances.
Updated 2/25/2019: Updated to reflect the correct product name and price of the Hestan Outdoor Living Suite.