Appliances & Kitchen Gadgets

Classy and stylish.

(Credit: Williams-Sonoma)

Stand mixers, being the workhorses of the kitchen, get put through the paces. I suppose it is this connection that inspires the home chef to decorate his or her stand mixer such that it is their own. From Alton Brown's flame hot-rod mixer to cow spot decals you can purchase yourself, the mixer has become an extension of personality in the kitchen. It certainly makes sense, since the stand mixer is the one doing all the work for us.

The KitchenAid 90th Anniversary Stand Mixer with Glass Bowl celebrates the longevity of the ubiquitous kitchen appliance. Complete with all the essential features one would expect from a KitchenAid stand mixer, the 90th anniversary model gets its vintage feel from the candy-apple red coating and the inclusion of a tempered glass bowl. The 10-speed mixer has the familiar tilt-back head and comes with a flat beater, a dough hook, a wire whip and a pouring shield.

Much like automobiles, stand mixers tend to reflect their owners' personalities. Unlike cars, however, KitchenAid stand mixers feature impressive compatibility through its product line. An attachment such as a pasta roller or food grinder that connects to the front hub will work with any KitchenAid stand mixer ever made. With so many accessories and features, the stand mixer is not only versatile and convenient, but is also handy tool for expressing your personal creativity in the kitchen.

(Credit: Patios USA)

KitchenAid has given us another reason to celebrate the coming of summer (as if we needed another reason). With a massive cooking area of 48 inches, this Freestanding Grill has the potential to make your barbecues the talk of the town.

Its triple burner system provides higher heat to your burgers so they can have a nice char for maximum flavor. If the old-fashioned way of charring doesn't suit you, you can use the integrated infrared sear burner, which reaches superhigh temperatures quickly and lets you sear food much faster. The grill also touts something called Even-Heat, which provides for more even heating across the cooking area, so you won't have to make people choose between dogs that are either underdone or charred and peeling.

Another neat feature is the integrated warming drawer, which keeps foods that are already cooked warm. So, your guests can all eat at the same time, and no unlucky soul has to be the last in line for dinner.

You can pick one of these bad boys up at any appliance dealer that sells KitchenAid. And if you do, let me know when you're hosting a cookout.

This stainless steel Architect II T Series KitchenAid dishwasher features a distinctive look. The unit fits into standard-size kitchen cabinetry openings with a width of 24 inches. As a built-in, it offers full size performance with its tall tub design. The lower rack is customizable, and fold-down tines are provided to accommodate a variety of dishware. Sure-Hold clips are included to keep your dishes in place.

KitchenAid - Architect II T Series 24" Tall Tub Built-In Dishwasher - Stainless-Steel

(Credit: Best Buy via KitchenAid)

The electronic control panel is hidden alongside the top of the drawer. There are five cycles such as heavy duty, rinse, or a light option. Further control over the wash is provided with six options for the five preset cycles.

Washing is delivered through four stainless steel wash arms, which spray water at 10 angles to provide thorough coverage inside the machine. Hard-to-clean items are sprayed with powerful bursts of water. A washing sensor adjusts the wash cycle to specific water conditions. A four-blade food disposal grinds and washes away food particles. A sanitizing option in the rinse cycle is NSF certified. The entire unit utilizes the Whisper Quiet sound insulation system for noise reduction.

This unit rated high both among users and testers over at Consumer Reports (log-in required). The testers gave the unit an 81 with the highest-rated unit getting 83 points out of a possible 100. The lowest score in the group was a 48. People were happy with the multiple settings and its large capacity. In the end, every user who left a comment would recommend this unit to a friend.

KitchenAid's 24.8 cubic feet refrigerator is an energy-saving model with French doors and a bottom freezer, a feature that's becoming more popular among buyers because it puts the refrigerator at eye level.

This model #KBFS25ETBL is part of the vendor's sleeker Architect Series II. It is an Energy Star model, which uses at least 15 percent less energy than a standard refrigerator. (All freestanding KitchenAid refrigerators are Energy Star compliant.)

KitchenAid refrigerator with French doors saves energy.

(Credit: KitchenAid)

The refrigerator offers varied storage options because of its full width that enables storage of larger plates and big pizza boxes. It comes equipped with four roller-track adjustable glass shelves and gallon door bins. It also has two humidity-controlled crispers to ensure fresher produce and a full-width temperature-controlled pantry door. Controls are electronic touch with digital temperature readout.

There's a holiday (Sabbath) mode feature on this model so you can avoid turning it on and off at certain times and an alarm that alerts you when the door is left open.

The freezer has two wide pullout baskets that provide easy access to food and are simple to clean.

The water dispenser, which is equipped with AquaSense filtration, is located inside the refrigerator on this model and the ice maker, which is outside, is automatic so you always have ice available. The interior lighting on this refrigerator is standard.

The pull-out freezer measures 7.3 cubic feet and the refrigerator is 17.5 cubic feet.

This model comes in black and white and retails at about $1,800.

KitchenAid's 36-inch Architect Series Pro Line Gas Cooktop is a commercial-style cooktop aimed at the serious chef who wants professional features without the weight and industrial look of more heavy-duty models.

KitchenAid cooktop has heavy-duty features without the heft of commercial cooktops.

(Credit: KitchenAid)

This porcelain-on-steel cooktop, model #KGCP462KSS, has a roomy four-burner configuration that includes two 15,000 BTU gas burners for searing and stir frying.

In addition to the two 15,000 rear BTU burners, this model has an additional two 6,000 BTU burners in front that can be reduced to 600 BTUs to keep the heat on a soup or stew at a slow simmer. It also has a cast-iron grill with a matte finish for indoor grilling.

This model uses "push to turn" controls located on the front of the unit. It has sealed gas burners for easy cleaning. An optional griddle is available.

This cooktop is designed for natural gas but comes with a conversion kit if you prefer to use propane. A standard 9-inch backsplash makes this unit fine for an island installation.

This ConsumerGuide reviewer says this cooktop isn't quite on a par with the output of some other comparable models, but "is certainly sufficient to heat up your cooking style" and enable you to create restaurant-quality dinners.

KitchenAid gas cooktops are also reliable, with a repair track record faring only second to Whirlpool in reviews.

The model comes in a stainless-steel finish with black knobs and trim.

The cooktop retails for about $2,399.