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issue: August 2009 APPLIANCE Magazine
Cover Story: 43rd Annual Report on Cooking Appliances
Where’s the E in Cooking? |
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Lisa Bonnema, contributing editor
With no stringent energy standards in place, cooking appliance
engineers are using in-house ingenuity to make cooking as efficient as
possible.
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In an effort to “spare our resources,” design student Ciprian Mihai Frunzeanu of Romania has developed a concept appliance that has taken an entirely new approach to combining the cooktop and oven into one unit. The reconstructed oven is a series of flat cooking plates that can be used like a traditional electric and/or induction cooktop, or the plates can be reconfigured to form an oven on top of the cooktop. The concept appliance was presented at Electrolux’s Design Lab 2009.
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Who would have thought the term “green” would
ever mean more than cost to the appliance industry? Sure, cost is still
a top concern—and always will be—but for today’s appliance engineers,
the design roadmap seems to lead to one place: energy efficiency.
Of
course, getting there is far from a quick trip, especially for cooking
appliance engineers. Cooking isn’t exactly known for its green
potential. “We’re challenged because there are currently no Energy Star
ratings for cooking appliances,” notes George Simadiris, vice president
of engineering at Dacor (Diamond Bar, CA, U.S.; www.dacor.com). “So
manufacturers are left to their own devices in determining the most
efficient practices for wall ovens, cooktops, etc.”
Even
in eco-friendly Europe, cooking is not an efficiency priority. “Cooking
appliances have been kept slightly aside in the struggle for extreme
energy labels,” Nicola Boari, product marketing director at Indesit Co.
(Fabriano, Italy; www.indesit.com), tells APPLIANCE magazine.
However,
the growing trend to be environmentally responsible is pushing
manufacturers to find new ways to make cooking more efficient. Perhaps
the easiest way that cooking manufacturers can wave their green flag is
with induction. Manufacturers like BSH Home Appliances Corp.
(Huntington Beach, CA, U.S.; www.boschappliances.com) are quick to tout
the technology’s efficiency, telling consumers their induction cooktops
are 30% more efficient than competitive technologies. “Induction is the
most energy-efficient cooking technology,” Malte Peters, cooking
product manager, BSH Home Appliances, says. “We project demand for
induction cooking will be on rise in the coming years.”
Boari
of Indesit agrees: “Induction hobs represented a quantum leap in terms
of energy efficiency, and further improvements are expected.”
And,
so far, the eco-angle seems to be working. After years of failed
attempts, consumers are finally starting to accept induction, a “new”
technology that has actually been around for decades.
But
not everyone feels the technology is as environmentally friendly as the
industry is claiming. David Ward, a senior scientist at the European
Commission–Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra, Italy, feels cooking
engineers still have a lot of work to do. “Induction has that ‘Star
Trek’ appeal, but once this wears off, it is a technology that devours
energy (directly and indirectly), has serious RFI [radio-frequency
interference] issues, and forces the consumer to behave in a way that
is often not easily accepted.”
Ward agrees
that induction can save energy in terms of performing certain tasks;
however, that is only part of the formula. Industry often forgets about
the energy spent to make the parts to assemble the cooktop. “The core
technology of induction units is both complex and advanced,” Ward
notes. “It requires sophisticated RFI filters and cooling and precision
plastics, which impose special heat-insulation techniques and/or
technologies, especially when the cooktop is installed above an oven.
Moreover, the space taken up between hobs also limits the overall
exploitation of size, shape, and density of hobs. Often the energy
needed to provide such a combination is not taken into account.”
Ward
thinks the industry might be better served to look outside of the
traditional boundaries of cooking. “If we look at the whole
food-preparation process, we can really make an impact, as well as
create much more business opportunities,” he says. “Also, consumers
need to know not just about calories, but also watts and joules. Many
recipes are good for your health, but what about energy consumption?”
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A zeolite filter to absorb steam particles is one of three filters integrated into the Electrolux Professional Libero Point, a compact, mobile counter that also holds one or two Libero Line appliances. The integrated ventilation system solves a major mobile cooking problem—that of undesirable cooking odors being released into ambient air.
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Induction Gets Interesting
For
now, most manufacturers are focusing on developing appliances that show
consumers that not all induction has to look the same. Viking Range
Corp. (Greenwood, MS, U.S.; www.vikingrange.com) made its mark this
year by introducing the first commercial-grade induction range for the
U.S. premium market. Carrying a $6250 price tag, the 30-in. custom
series induction range is 90% efficient and is self-cleaning.
Dan
Lyvers, Viking’s vice president of engineering, describes numerous
difficulties associated with developing the high-end range. “Some of
the bigger challenges associated with this project were temperature
management, space considerations, and agency approval,” he tells
APPLIANCE. “Only through extensive design and testing was Viking able
to overcome the temperature and space challenges.”
One
specific temperature challenge was keeping the induction elements from
being damaged during the high temperatures used during the self-clean
cycles. “Viking overcame this challenge by providing the proper amount
of airflow and insulation between the oven and induction elements to
keep the temperatures within acceptable limits during the self-clean
cycle,” Lyvers says.
Another critical factor,
he adds, was challenging suppliers to help Viking develop components
that met the requirements of the product. “With limited standards or
procedures available, Viking had to work concurrently with established
agency contacts when the data for certification of the induction range
was submitted,” he explains.
Induction’s
expense has limited the technology to high-end appliances, but
increased popularity and greater economies of scale are helping nudge
down the cost to manufacture. Despite its advantages, some consumers
are reluctant to give up the conventional gas or electric cooking
technology they’ve used all their lives.
The
strategy of Electrolux Major Appliances, North America (Augusta, GA,
U.S.; www.electroluxappliances.com) was to meet the reluctant consumer
in the middle by offering its Induction Hybrids. “The target was to
create a product that consumers can use seamlessly to enjoy the
benefits of multiple cooking modes,” says Mike Longe, product manager,
freestanding ranges. “It is a good means to give consumers the value
added of induction while maintaining the comfort of more-traditional
cooking methods.” So far, the cooktop is receiving “strong response” in
the marketplace, he adds.
According to Longe,
combining standard electric cooking and induction in one cooktop
required some creative engineering. “Keeping the heat from conventional
elements separated from the induction elements is a challenge in
designing a cooktop using both technologies,” he tells APPLIANCE. While
the design solution is proprietary, Longe does say the key was drawing
on the experience of its global engineering and design network. “From
our professional foodservice business, our designers and engineers are
very familiar with the technology,” he tells APPLIANCE.
Reluctance
to embrace induction can also come from its cookware requirements. The
electromagnet induces heat in the cooking vessel itself, not in the
cooktop, so cooking vessels with magnetic properties are required.
Steel and cast iron work well. Aluminum, glass, and ceramic do not.
BSH
is addressing this concern by including a cooking vessel with some of
its Bosch electric and induction cooktops. In fact, the OEM has built
its AutoChef cooking technology around an aluminum core pan. The
technology uses a platinum sensor to measure the temperature from the
bottom of the pan. Software then evaluates the temperature-
measurement
performed by the sensor and applies the necessary heat to the element.
The cooktop heats the pan to the desired temperature and makes an
audible sound when it’s time to place the food in the pan. “Since
AutoChef is such a precise cooking technology, and each pan on the
market is different in terms of components, we selected a premium pan
and engineered our technology to precisely respond to it,” Peters
explains.
In fact, it seems that manufacturers
shouldn’t underestimate the role that cooking vessels can play in
increasing product performance. Cookware manufacturers like Eneron
(Palo Alto, CA, U.S.; www.eneron.us) are investigating new pot designs
that may help make ranges and cooktops more efficient. For more
information, see the technical paper on page 20.
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Sharp Electronics’ AX-1200S SuperSteam Oven uses an LCD display and is operated with a jog shuttle to navigate through 43 automatic settings in just two to three steps. The consumer selects one of four cooking methods—SuperSteam convection, steam, convection, or microwave—and the display tells the consumer exactly what to do, step by step.
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Green Design, Green Manufacturing
Even
as consumer acceptance of induction grows, the industry is faced with
the task of making traditional cooking technologies more efficient—even
if it’s one percentage point at a time. Indesit says it is taking a
holistic approach toward energy-efficiency improvements. “We believe
that an advanced control system without high-quality components
specifically designed for energy efficiency is not enough to obtain the
best results,” Boari of Indesit says. “So we work on mechanical
components, optimizing thermal and fluid-dynamic efficiency, and on
electronic control.”
Specifically, the company
is reengineering its heating elements—gas, electric, and induction—to
ensure efficiency maximization in any use conditions. “Also, extensive
use of computer-aided engineering allows us to design and refine heat
management, to minimize energy waste,” Boari says.
Indesit
is also looking beyond glass fiber for thermal insulation, which Boari
believes is one of the most important elements in increasing energy
efficiency. “Several solutions are under evaluation,” he says. “Besides
the drive toward energy efficiency, [European] legislation is foreseen,
heavily limiting the possibility to use ‘traditional’ fibrous
materials, implying a whole new scenario for oven insulation, with no
indications at the moment of the winning technology.”
Miele
(Gütersloh, Germany; www.miele.de) is also focusing on using innovative
and efficient insulation materials. Winfried Luthe, head of R&D for
ovens, says the company is working on developing intelligent concepts
to reduce standby power, intelligent controls for consumers utilizing
relatively smaller amounts of energy, the use of residual heat during
cooking programs, and technologically advanced coating of the glass
doors.
Sharp Electronics (Mahwah, NJ, U.S.;
www.sharpusa.com) is focusing much of its efforts on lighting. “It’s
been a high priority for us to evaluate the energy efficiency of each
component in our appliances,” notes Harry Hessen, senior director of
product planning, design, and marketing. “Sharp has a unique advantage
of being an LED company now, and we’re looking at applications that
would both increase energy efficiency and brighten lighting. We’ve also
taken steps to reduce energy consumption by incorporating a sleep mode
on our LCD displays.”
Dacor is maximizing gas
cooktop efficiency using sealed burners that require less energy to
heat than traditional burners. In addition, the company’s wall ovens
use a patented bake element, which is hidden beneath glass, to reduce
preheat times for faster cooking.
However,
Simadiris says that designing efficient appliances goes beyond the key
features of a particular product. “It also includes how the product was
manufactured, what materials were used in the manufacturing process,
and the overall efficiency of the plant in which it was manufactured,”
he tells APPLIANCE.
Simadiris says all Dacor
products are shipped with 80% postconsumer-recycled materials; all
water from its manufacturing plant is treated to remove harmful
materials, chemicals, and waste; and all scrap steel and stainless
steel is resold and recycled. In addition, the company is developing an
internal Green Council, which will include team members from various
disciplines within the company to focus on establishing and achieving
energy reduction goals and implementing overall sustainable business
practices.
“From a manufacturing standpoint,
we would like to source more parts from within the United States, and
we are currently researching an alternative solution for the chemical
etching process,” Simadiris adds.
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Winner of the Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, the Multiplo from Indesit Co. is an induction appliance designed with integrated cooking vessels. It can perform five different cooking tasks and, with the seven included accessories like steam baskets and pasta drainers, users can perform two different cooking tasks at the same time.
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Consumer Usage Trends
In
terms of consumer usage trends, Sharp believes the U.S. appliance
industry may see a shift toward smaller ovens, ranging from 1.5 to 2.0
cu ft. “I do think people are beginning to recognize that appliances
are big energy users, and as such are moving toward smaller
appliances,” Hessen says. “In Japan, the mind-set is very different,
where the majority of the population cooks using smaller ovens. The
U.S. has typically had a different mentality, where everything is
centered on Thanksgiving. With the rise of baby boomers, consumers are
not requiring large ovens and are instead turning to smaller ovens.”
Hessen
says that with smaller ovens, consumers can cook an entire meal using
much less energy. At 1.1 cu ft, the company’s SuperSteam oven, for
instance, offers a Balanced Meals function, which allows consumers to
cook one of the preprogrammed meals in less than 25 minutes without the
use of any other appliances. “This is surely one example of how one
appliance can eliminate the need for multiple appliances to be used for
cooking, cutting down on energy usage,” Hessen says.
As
part of a new suite of Energy Management Enabled Appliances, GE
Consumer & Industrial (Louisville, KY, U.S.; www.geappliances.com)
is developing ranges and microwaves equipped with Smart Meters that can
communicate with local utilities. Consumers will be notified of a rate
change or of critical peak pricing on a display on their appliances,
letting them know when higher rates are in effect. Appliances will be
programmed to avoid energy usage during that time, but consumers may
choose to override the program.
The
appliance maker is currently undergoing a pilot program with Louisville
Gas and Electric Co. (LG&E) and is still seeking utility companies
to collaborate with in the lofty endeavor. In a recent statement, Kevin
Nolan, vice president, technology, for GE Consumer & Industrial
said: “We believe that peak load reduction is the next opportunity in
energy-saving appliances. We believe that smart,
energy-management-enabled appliances will be the next phase of
innovation.”
Sharp is working on something
similar. “At Sharp Laboratories of America, in Camas, WA, U.S., our
R&D team is working on solutions for appliances to be able to work
with smart meters,” Hessen states. “In the future, we foresee your oven
being able to tell you how much power it’s using or even alert you to
off-peak hours for more-energy-efficient cooking.”
Although
most companies agree that displaying consumption data is a good
energy-saving opportunity for cooking appliances, Luthe of Miele feels
anything more than that might not be an effective strategy for this
category. “Shutting down cooking appliances during peak times will not
be a promising development because it would involve a major reduction
of the possibilities to use the appliances,” Luthe says. Indeed, a
hungry consumer will most likely be pushing the override button on
their smart-meter range come 5 p.m.
Energy Challenges Come to Cooking
The
fact is that cooking appliance manufacturers are faced with a unique
challenge as they try to attack an issue that, up until this point, has
really been more about other appliance categories. In the United
States, no Energy Star ratings exist for cooking appliances yet, but
companies like Dacor and Sharp say they would be in favor of such a
program.
In Europe, energy requirements for
cooking appliances have not been a major focus, but both Indesit and
Miele anticipate more-stringent minimum-energy-efficiency requirements
for the category in the coming years. “The requirements are becoming
even more strict, which is why the compliance with these regulations is
one of the most important focus points for future developments,” Luthe
says.
What is clear is that the issue of
energy usage is not going away any time soon. “Energy efficiency and
environmental responsibility should be a concern of every
manufacturer—from how their products are engineered, manufactured, and
shipped; how they perform during their lifetime; and how they’re
eventually recycled,” says Peters of BSH. “Energy efficiency is most
notable in appliances that are constantly on (refrigeration) or use
water, electricity, and/or gas (dishwashers, laundry). However, we are
continually looking for ways to increase efficiency across all
appliance categories, including cooking.”
Adds
Simadiris of Dacor: “It’s no secret that we all need to become more
conscious of our impact on the environment, and energy efficiency
should be a greater concern in the cooking category.”
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