Smeg's <i>bella lavastoviglie</i> (beautiful dishwasher)
Italian company Smeg's fully-integrated 36" dishwasher combines elegant design with cutting-edge technological features
After reading about Italian manufacturer Smeg's recent artsy appliance accomplishments, I decided to check out their other new products. If you were a fan of the new line of Smeg ovens, or their retro refrigerators, then chances are you'll also be excited about their fully integrated dishwasher.
Right now, Smeg is Italy's largest kitchen appliance manufacturer, specializing in sleek designs and presenting their products under their motto, Tecnologia che arreda, which translates to "technology with style."
To achieve their distinctive style, Smeg enlists the help of high-end architects to design custom products. According to their Web site, their philosophy is that their products are "born from a collaboration with leading architects of the world. Products that express 'made in Italy' style by perfectly combining design, performance, and attention to detail." This leads to refined and clean-lined models of appliances that look like intentional design choices instead of the lesser of two aesthetic evils (ugly black versus ugly white).
The 36 inch fully integrated dishwasher looks neat, but certainly doesn't disappoint when it comes to features: it has 10 wash cycles, including Dish Warming, Crystal Washing, and Quick Wash; an Intensive Wash Zone function lets you choose an area in the washer where the stream will be more focused, so you can put your dirtiest dishes where they'll receive the most care.
It also uses something called Aquatest, which uses an infrared sensor to measure the clarity of the water and determines whether to heat the water for the wash cycle, and comes with five temperature settings, nine-hour time delay, and an interior light.
Are you tired of waiting until your movie is over to run the dishes? According to their catalog, "in-depth research and attention to detail has enabled Smeg engineers to create exceptionally quiet dishwashers. The motor and pump are mounted within a thermoplastic base and encased in special panels that absorb the noise and vibration."
Still not persuaded that Smeg knows their stuff? According to their Web site, they have a new showroom in NYC that is just a short subway ride away, so I'll be sure to keep you posted after I visit it.