Samsung has drawn inspiration from Michelin-starred chefs and professional kitchens with the launch of a new range of appliances targeted at cooking aficionados and the 'prosumer' market.
Unveiled at the brand's official press conference at the 2014 International CES in Las Vegas today, the Chef Collection is the linchpin of Samsung's new Smart Home brand story and sits at the centre of the brand's stand on the show floor at CES.
When presenting the Samsung Smart Home concept at the press conference today, the president and CEO of Samsung Electronics BK Yoon said the brand was hoping to offer a "glimpse into the home of the future" with its new range of products, all of which are designed to work together as part of one unified ecosystem.
Yoon painted a picture of TVs that communicated seamlessly with mobile devices and even refrigerators that could be used to make phone calls. While some of the concepts may be a while away from development, the brand went on to reveal a number of intelligent new technologies on its flagship appliance range that certainly fit into the concept of the modern Smart Home.
At the heart of the Smart Home in Samsung's vision of the future is a kitchen filled with its Chef Collection of premium kitchen appliances. Developed with insights from top chefs from Samsung's Club des Chefs initiative, the range is also designed with consumers in mind. Kevin Dexter, senior vice president for home appliances at Samsung Electronics America explained.
"Our formula for success is simple: first we listen to consumers," he said. "Second, we're taking their passions for great cooking and beautiful design in new and exciting directions. Finally, we figure out how they want to cook and then deliver beyond their expectations.
The highlight of the new range is the new Food Showcase refrigerator, a refresh of the Food Showcase launched in 2013 which keeps the same display shelves in the right hand door, and adds new features drawn straight from a professional kitchen, including a triple cooling system, a Chef Pantry section that can be used to store foods at precise temperatures and a convertible Fridge-in-Freezer section.
Also getting an internal makeover is the humble dishwasher, which Samsung has redesigned with new "Water Wall" technology to clean dishes. Doing away with the conventional rotary spray wands, the Water Wall drives a powerful wall of water down over dishes to ensure the best possible cleaning.
The range is rounded out by a new coordinating stainless steel microwave and the Flex Duo Oven, an appliance with two separate cooking sections that can be set at different temperatures to cook different meals.
In the laundry, Samsung unveiled a new front load washer and dryer pairing, targeted at families who are after large capacities for big loads. Designed to offer "the largest capacity on the market", the washer can fit two doonas inside, is able to complete a load in half an hour and features LED controls on the front of the machine and an easy-access tub.
Samsung has also changed the design of its dryers with nifty new features including a door that can be opened sideways or downwards to act as a chute for clothes.
