Smeg's newest ovens look good. But will they bake better than older models?
Smeg's newest ranges add three convection fans to the oven for more even baking. And the ranges' colors are pretty cool, too.
The Smeg Portofino ranges will come in seven different colors.
Smeg wants to jazz up its ranges' cooking performance as well as its looks with the brand's new Portofino line. The Italian appliance manufacturer had three of the new Portofino ranges on display at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) Tuesday.
The Portofino ranges' ovens will include three convection fans.
The bright colors of the ranges were the main attraction for folks at the show, but Smeg has worked on the guts of the appliances to improve how well your food bakes. The Portofino ranges will have three convection fans built into the back of the oven cavity. These fans circulate the hot air in your oven as you bake so your food cooks more evenly.
Ovens with a single convection fan have become common in the $1,000-or-less price range, and we've seen brands like LG include two fans in their ovens. The addition of a third convection fan shows that Smeg, which has only been available in the US for about a decade, is serious about drawing customers to the brand by improving its ovens' performance (we weren't too impressed when we reviewed a Smeg range last year) and doubling down on unique design.
The Portofino line will be available in North America in September. The ranges will cost $4,000 if you want it in red, yellow, white, orange, black or olive green; the stainless steel model will cost $3,500.
Features
- 36 inches wide (30-inch-wide models will be available in 2018)
- Five burners
- Available in gas or dual-fuel (a gas cooktop with an electric oven)
- 4.5-cubic-foot oven capacity