This week, Team Rangecookers attended the KBB (Kitchens, Bedrooms and Bathrooms) show at the NEC in Birmingham. Featuring hundreds of exhibitors, the industry was reunited for the return of this event after two years.

Taking place from March 6th-9th, there were a number of both recognised and new brands greeting visitors and showing off their latest products. Exhibitors included:

• Lacanche
• Samsung
• AEG
• Westin
• Bocchi
• Novy
• Elica

...plus many more!

Life has changed for everyone over the past two years, and trends that may have been peeking through before are here and ready with even more to offer. This was the perfect place to get an idea of what to look for and here at Rangecookers we wanted to give you a little preview of what will be big this year...

Technology

Technology continues to evolve each year and it is fast becoming an integral part of our cooking. At KBB it was prominent in the form of touch control doors on built in ovens, facial recognition to turn on a boiling tap and smart bulbs with endless colour settings. With “virtual reality” and “connected living” becoming terms we are hearing a lot within different industries, can they really be integrated into the world of kitchens?

In a survey of over two thousand UK homeowners, conducted by kitchen retailer Kütchenhaus, 59% of respondents said appliances fitted with the latest technology would be a priority for their future kitchen. With advanced technologies being a part of built-in ovens, many consumers now expect this from range cookers.

Smart cookers are filled with fresh tech that lets you connect with them via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Zeus™️ is a downloadable app that allows you to connect to your compatible Stoves oven via Bluetooth. This Bluetooth technology allows you to control your range cooker from within 15 metres. The Stoves Richmond Deluxe includes the Zeus™️ Bluetooth connected programmer, which can control the main oven from your phone as well as providing a minute minder.

With technology being developed all the time, it is likely we will see even more smart functions added to range cookers in the future.

 

Colour

The latest kitchen colour palettes include lots of muted greens and midnight blues, aiming to bring a sense of nature into the space. However, introducing a splash of colour through a bright appliance or choosing to be bold with your units and walls is something that is also very popular. This Rose Quartz Lacanche Chemin Classic and the bright orange Lacanche Citeaux Classic are just two examples of adding the block of colour into your room.

Tiles are also hugely popular as a way of adding colour into a room. Victorian tiles and marble units are a good blend of ornate details and colour, and when matched with the perfect appliances they can truly enhance a space.  

Hoods

It was hoods galore at KBB this year, as many brands focused their exhibits around these popular products. Cooker hoods are a long-term investment piece that need to be the best in both visual appeal and the job it does. With different elements that can be matched with your cooking requirements, some cooker hoods are designed to be perfectly integrated into your kitchen’s design.

At KBB, there were a number of different style hoods on display. Wall-mounted, ceiling, integrated, island…there was something to suit everyone. For cookers placed as part of an island in the centre of the kitchen, an island hood is a great choice. You are free to position your cooker wherever you want it, with all sides of the hood being visible as it is suspended from the ceiling.

Wall-mounted hoods, like this one from Elica, often resemble a chimney in shape. They add a style statement to your kitchen and powerfully extract any odours. At Rangecookers we offer a variety of types when it comes to wall mounted hoods, from the traditional to the super modern.

A hidden cooker hood is perfect for those who do not want to make it a design feature. They are integrated either into a cabinet or underneath the cabinet and can be disguised any other wall cupboard. They are very simple to use and are ideal for smaller hobs rather than the larger models.

 

Induction

When it comes to choosing a cooker, induction hobs have been a popular choice for many years. However, it was clear to see at KBB that the future could very well be induction. With many brands showcasing their own induction products, the demand will certainly rise.

You may be wondering what is meant by induction. Induction refers to the heat transfer when cooking. They may look similar to an electric hob, but they work in a completely different way. Beneath the hob’s ceramic plate, induction coils made from copper create a magnetic field as electricity is passed through. If a pan made of a ferromagnetic material is placed on the hob, the magnetic field causes it to directly heat up. The benefit of this is the hob stays cool, with only a little residual heat from the pan. Because of this heat transferral method, there is a limited amount of residual heat on the hob’s surface. To find out more about induction technology visit our previous blog post here.

 

This Novy Easy induction hob displayed an extra large cooking surface with four cooking zones and a monoblock filter with a life span of up to 450 cooking hours. Bora have also created this very clever induction wok cooktop, with a clever concave that evenly heats up even the outer edges of the wok, enabling all flavour to develop.

KBB in Birmingham is back in 2024! It is a great place to meet the faces behind the products, see all new innovation and get a general feel for the trends of the year ahead. To find out more or to view the products we have to offer, visit our website or give our team a call on 01244 402 975.