KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
28th January 2021
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Over the nine months or so that I've been working on KBZine I've been regularly amazed at some of the features that are being designed into the latest appliances and the types of materials now being used for items that I'd previously felt were fairly mundane. I've realised that my thinking about what's available in terms of kitchen and bathroom appliances, fixtures and fittings, was - prior to my involvement in KBZine - decades behind the reality.
Although I've not been able to get out and about as much as I'd have liked to (although that's about to change - watch this space!) I've tried to get myself up to speed and had thought that I'm now going to be less surprised when presented with a new concept by someone in this industry.
However... news has reached me from Detroit of a novel innovation that has put an end to a spate of burglaries where the culprits were spiriting away not just jewellery, expensive personal gadgets and easy-to-carry electrical items, but large and expensive kitchen appliances. Indeed one burglar was targeting houses with newly fitted kitchens with a view to stealing all the appliances! Seeing a gap in the market, one clever manufacturer started incorporating GPS systems in its cookers and it so happens that the burglar has now been traced and captured.
No doubt I'll be receiving a press release about a similar new product launch shortly...
And another tip... although I'm not a Radio Two listener, I am a fan of Chris Evans and I've been tuning into the station to hear him present the breakfast show since he took over Terry Wogan's slot this week. I don't know if you heard it but there was a discussion in the studio about the use of freezers and the general consensus was that once things are put into a freezer, they tend to be left there, as if they've kind of disappeared into a black hole.
Now this isn't at all how I use my freezer. It's one of the best used appliances in my kitchen, I have a vague idea of what's in it and am regularly hunting for things to pull out and defrost. However while when I've bought a few freezer items I tend to sort out the three drawers in an attempt to group similar items together, the contents never seem to stay tidy and next time I sort things out, I'll find two packets of the same item opened and half used.
I'd be interested to know if anyone's working on designing a freezer that helps with stock rotation or will notify users when an item really ought to be taken out and cooked as it's been languishing in the drawer far too long and is getting beyond its best.
Now don't tell me someone's made one already...
Don’t forget that on Sunday at 09.00, the NEC Birmingham throws open its doors for the start of the four-day Interiors 2010, the UK's largest trade gathering of interiors products. You can find out more by clicking the link just above our Google search bar, near the foot of this column.
Although we haven’t previewed this event we will be attending and will bring you a rundown of what’s impressed us, over the coming weeks.
Our preview of this Spring’s other big show – KBB Birmingham 2010, is due to kick off shortly so if you’re exhibiting and haven’t yet sent us any information about what you’ll be showing, please do so as soon as possible so you don’t miss your chance to tell KBZine’s readers just why they should visit your stand.
Yours,
22nd January 2010