Appliances at K/BIS, Day TwoDay Two of the K/BIS brought another assortment of eye-catching new home appliances.

I had to fight through a constant flow of conference-goers to get to this new product. Asko introduces a new concept for the laundry - an integrated washer and dryer. Builders and designers can now treat laundry as a built-in appliance-just as they do with kitchen appliances. UltraCare can be placed anywhere in the home including the master bedroom, an upstairs closet or the kitchen. The units can be placed side-by-side or stacked. The washer and dryer are offered with white, black or stainless finishes to blend with existing appliances, or can be completely concealed using cabinet panels. The products will be available in July 2007. The suggested retail price for the washer is $1799 and the dryer is $1399.

Dacor's chairman and marketing manager excitedly introduced several new options in Dacor's three appliance lines - Epicure, Millenia and Preference, as well as a new outdoor grill. I had seen sleek glass-front Preference ovens at past Kitchen and Bath Industry shows. The ovens were offered as an alternative to stainless steel. The firm has now expanded the line to a full array of appliances including a dishwasher, microwave, warming drawer and refrigerator. Most products will be available later this year. The firm also added two new glass colors including "blue water" (shown here) and slate green. Homeowners can change the glass fronts at any time to change the look of their kitchens. I couldn't help but play with the touch glass panel oven control that lights up when you touch it with buttons, but is blank when not in use.

Unfortunately, the photos I took do not reflect the coolness of these 15-inch wide refrigerator drawers, refrigerators with a door, wine cooler, beverage center, and a beer dispenser by Perlick. The 15-inch wide drawers are deep enough to hold a gallon of milk. The beer dispenser holds a 1/6 pony keg.

All the products have a fully-integrated depth and zero-clearance hinges to allow flush fit and abut with surrounding cabinetry. The firm is known for its commercial equipment for bars and restaurants, but has been making inroads into the residential market - a perfect move as outdoor entertaining is a hot new trend. The products will be available later this summer.

For over 80 years Aga has been a world renowned manufacturer of premium ranges in bold, rich colors. To expand even further into the luxury market, they now offer a 36-inch, 20 cu. Ft. refrigerator. To create a seamless look, the firm now offers a 48-inch wall-mount range hood shell that fits over ventilation products as well as a dishwasher panel that the firm says fits standard integrated dishwashers from most European manufacturers. The firm also added a new color - vintage white.

LG Appliances continues to make inroads into the U.S. market and will continue to do so if they keep introducing new, high-tech products. This year, they bring a gas range - a first for the firm. The large convection oven cavity is sized at 5 cu.ft with a heating drawer underneath. It has five burners including one at 16.5 BTUs. It will be available in the second quarter of 2007 with a manufacturer's retail price of $1999. Also shown in this photo above the range is what the firm is calling an industry first - a microwave with a pull-up door. The unit has a 2.2 cu.ft. capacity and will be available in mid-2007 in a stainless steel finish with a retail price of $849.

LG also offers a HDTV side-by-side refrigerator that has a 15-inch high definition LCD screen that is cable and DVD ready and also has FM radio. The left freezer door has a four-inch weather and info center screen above the water dispenser that includes a bank of 100 recipes and a USB port to upload and create a digital photo album. The LG HDTV Refrigerator, model LSC27990TT, will be available in the second quarter of 2007 at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $3,999.

Sharp is taking the idea of a microwave drawer and creating different combinations to work for a variety of home chefs - or, actually, just plain cooks or even, like me, mere "assemblers" of ingredients. The Insight Pro 30-inch microwave drawer (around $799 in stainless) has been out for a year or so, but the company now offers a 24-inch version, a cooktop/microwave drawer combination ($1799) and a range with both a microwave drawer and a convection oven ($2495).

GE Consumer & Industrial introduces its first new line of appliances in several years. The Cafe line will be available in September 2007. It's for consumers who love to cook, but want appliances that fit a standard kitchen configuration, so basically, it is inspired by built-in professional appliances but is freestanding fits the average household kitchen. The centerpiece of the collection is the gas range (also in a dual fuel option) with one 18,000 BTU burner, one 17,000 BTU burner and a center oval burner with griddle. It also has a double oven-the lower oven heats to 450 degrees. The gas model has an estimated retail price of $2499. The $1199 dishwasher holds an entire bottle of liquid or gel detergent and dispenses it as needed. The standard depth refrigerator fits flush with most cabinetry. It also has a feature that I could really use as I forget to chill white wine and end up sticking it in the freezer before guests come over. The ExpressChill bottom chills items in minutes. The refrigerator's estimated retail price is $2199. The line also has an over the range microwave at $649 and a vent hood at $849. www.ge.com.