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GE adds smarts and muscle to its appliance lineup

GE's new freestanding ranges have Wi-Fi connectivity and built-in double ovens with the company's Advantium high-speed cooking tech.

Andrew Gebhart Former senior producer
2 min read

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GE

Alongside the opening of its FirstBuild factory in Louisville, Ky., GE has announced two important additions to its kitchen appliance lineup. First, freestanding ranges in the Profile series will introduce Wi-Fi connectivity to allow you to remotely control and monitor your oven from an app. Secondly, the company is bringing Advantium technology to customizable double ovens.

Freestanding connected ranges

GE's isn't new to Internet-connected ovens, but previously, this technology could only control built-in models such as the GE Profile Built-In Double Convection Wall Oven PT9550SFSS that we reviewed and liked back in March. Connect your oven to your Wi-Fi network, and you can use the Brillion app to start preheating it on your ride home or to adjust temperatures from the couch. We found it worked well. The trouble was that the convenience of controlling your oven from your phone was limited to those built-in machines, and that particular oven costs $3,699, making it primarily appealing to people with money and space to spare.

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Control this freestanding range from your phone. GE

Now, freestanding gas or electric models compatible with this Brillion app will retail from $1,600 to $2,000 starting in September. The cost is still expensive when compared with standard ranges, which go for $500 to $1,000. Even LG's smart oven is only $1,400. That said, GE's Brillion app, available for both iOS and Android, works better than LG's ThinQ.

Other features that help justify the cost include European convection heat for the oven, meaning the standard convection fan circulates air directly heated by a dedicated element. Notification lights will illuminate the oven when preheating completes, and tri-ring burners on the stove can adjust in size to customize to your pan. These specs are impressive; GE looks to be making the technology typical of its Profile series available to customers with more restricted kitchens and budgets.

Advantium double ovens

Along with offering alternatives to the double oven with expanded Brillion compatibility, GE will bring Advantium technology to the built-in double oven. Offering this option for both its high-end Profile series and the more accessible Cafe series, GE will design the set to match existing microwave/wall oven combos.

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Advantium on top and a full-size oven underneath. GE

GE's Advantium-brand ovens are essentially extremely powerful microwaves that use radiant heat and microwave heat to cook foods evenly and at great speeds. Previously, they were only offered as single wall units or over-the-range standalone machines, so consumers had to mix and match pieces to get a double oven set up. Advantium ovens are still sized like microwaves, so cooks wanting space for that Thanksgiving turkey needed the standard oven.

Now, GE will provide the speedy Advantium on top of the normal-size oven, and will offer plenty of customizable options in the process. The bottom piece can use thermal or convection heat, and the upper Advantium part comes in 27- and 30-inch sizes. The MSRP for this cooking monster will be $3,999. GE hasn't specified a release date.

More details will follow later today on both units, as we hope to get some hands-on time after they cut the ribbon on FirstBuild. Stay tuned.