Samsung designs a kitchen fit for a chef

LAS VEGAS -- Today at CES, Samsung announced the Chef Collection suite of premium, "professional chef-level" kitchen appliances designed to meet the needs of even the most discerning home cook. Developed with the input of culinary experts through Samsung's Club des Chefs initiative, these appliances promise to help consumers manage and master the entire cooking process, all while boasting state-of-the-art tech and premium style.

Samsung rolls out big appliance update for CES 2014 (pictures)

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First and foremost is the fridge. With its unique, modern appearance, the Chef Collection 4-Door Refrigerator certainly looks luxurious, and its 33.3-cubic-foot capacity is about as roomy as you'll find. Samsung is promising top-of-the-line performance, too, with a Triple Cooling System that creates three separate airflows in the refrigerator and freezer sections for optimal humidity control. This system also allows the temperature of the bottom right compartment to be adjusted to fit your needs, whether you're freezing fish or chilling Chardonnay.

Many of the refrigerator's features come straight from insights gleaned through Samsung Club des Chefs. Most professional cooks insist that their meats and fish maintain optimal temperature prior to cooking, for instance, so Samsung developed a special section of the fridge called the Chef's Pantry that does precisely that. There's also the Chef Pan, a special container that can be used to marinate foods, then transferred directly into an oven or dishwasher.

Watch this: Samsung's Chef Collection Range smart oven

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Speaking of ovens and dishwashers, the Chef Collection has one of each. The Chef Collection Electric Slide-In Range offers the same flexibility and functionality as last year's Flex Duo range -- most notably the ability to simultaneously cook two different dishes at two different temperatures -- but Samsung claims that it also adds more of those chef-inspired enhancements, and says that cooks can expect greater oven control, more precise temperature regulation, and better overall ease of use. There's also a matching over-the-range Chef Collection microwave -- because even chefs enjoy popcorn.

As for the DW80H9970, the Chef Collection's dishwasher, Samsung calls it a "game-changer," citing the WaterWall line of jets that sweep from one side to the other during the wash cycle for complete coverage. There's also a customizable Zone Booster feature intended to make sure that the most heavily soiled pots and pans get the most attention.

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One of the most interesting things about the appliances in the Chef Collection is that there doesn't seem to be a single marquee smart feature among any of them, at least not one that Samsung is putting a spotlight on. That's a little surprising coming from a company that led the charge into smart-appliance territory during years past. If the Chef Collection represents something of a retreat from smart features, it's an oddly timed one, given that Samsung also took the time at CES to announce a new integrated smart-home platform for all of its appliances and devices.

Pricing and release information isn't available just yet, but we'll keep you updated as we learn more. For now, the Chef Collection suite will be on display all week at CES for convention-goers to ooh and aah over, along with the new Samsung Food Showcase Refrigerator, new washer/dryer combos, and new vacuum cleaners.