Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending a wonderfully inspiring day at kbb Birmingham, Europe’s leading KBB event. It was so good to catch up with friendly faces and see so many new products and innovations. Linda and I will be sharing our highlights and in this first blog, I am focussing on kitchen appliances – with a little lighting and music thrown in for good measure.

NOVY – PHANTOM FRAME

Combining the trend for industrial interiors with stunning lighting and powerful extraction performance, Novyhas launched the Phantom Frame for 2022. Its innovative box-in-box design features a rectangular recirculation island hood surrounded by translucent glass on all sides, which creates a floating aesthetic over a kitchen island. Providing the on-trend industrial look is the subtle linear black metal frame that supports the appliance and attaches to the ceiling.

With a full width of 130cm including the glass surround, this unique cooker hood also features two separate lighting systems – four downward adjustable task spotlights for food preparation and cooking, together with a dimmable LED strip that creates upward scattered mood lighting between the hood and the glass, for a truly atmospheric effect.

Featuring Novy’s PURE 3.0 recirculation technology, the strongest odours are eliminated in an energy efficient way without having to extract warm purified air to the outside. The powerful motor extracts cooking vapours through a multilayer grease filter while Novy’s recyclable monoblock carbon filters neutralise all odours, including fish by 95% – 100%. Made by Novy, the monoblock filters only need replacing after three to five years, or after 900 hours of cooking.  Being a recirculation hood, installation is simple and because the appliance does not need to be ducted to an exterior vent, it enables greater flexibility when designing a kitchen layout.

With four extraction speeds and a power boost setting with a six-minute automatic downshift, this cooker hood features a 815m³/h continuous airflow rate. Because it operates using perimeter extraction, noise levels are very low with a minimum of 39dB and a maximum of 58dB, quieter than the sound of normal conversation.

The Novy Phantom Frame’s lighting and extraction speeds can be controlled and adjusted in a number of ways. It comes with a remote control and if it is installed with a Novy InTouch induction hob beneath it, then it can be operated using the hob via radio frequency. It can also be adjusted using the Novy Connect app on a smartphone or tablet.

NOVY – PURELINE FRAME

The Pureline Frame, also from Novy, is a unique modular concept combining customisable metal shelving that includes attractive lighting options with an ultra-quiet built-in recirculation hood. It can be created in a number of stylish configurations, with different widths, heights and finishes and can be supported by two, three or four subtle black metal frames and shelving with a lighting kit that can be positioned on one or both sides of the 90cm or 120cm built-in Pureline recirculation hood to provide additional adjustable illumination.

It can also be constructed with one or two shelves above the workspace, creating open storage for cookery books, oils and condiments. And because the modular system includes a recirculation extraction model within, the Pureline Frame can be flexibly designed within the kitchen layout either over a kitchen island or a peninsula, or fitted flush against a wall.

It delivers powerful yet quiet removal of cooking vapours using Novy’s advanced Pure 3.0 recirculation technology that neutralises odours by 95% to 100% and then recirculates pure air back into the room. This is an energy efficient option as warm air does not have to be forced out through an external vent.  With three extraction speeds, plus Power boost, it has a maximum airflow of 714m³/h. The 90cm Pureline hood has a minimum noise level of 41db and a maximum noise level of 59dB. The modular system is operated by remote control or using Novy’s InTouch technology. If a Novy InTouch induction hob is installed beneath, the hood and lighting can be adjusted by using the touch controls on the hob.

AEG – CHALLENGE THE EXPECTED

The AEG stand showcased Challenge the Expected products, including new Combohob models and Matt Black range. The focus was on immersion into the AEG Brand so that visitors could see first-hand, the range of technologies available in its hero products, including the Command Wheel, ComfortLift, TotalFlex Hob & ProSteam on Laundry. My favourite was the 83cm Extractor Hob shown above.

BORA – X BO, S PURE AND MULTI DRAWER

There was plenty to see on the Bora stand with exciting new innovations making their UK debut.  The Bora X BO is the manufacturer’s first steamer and oven in one appliance – marking a revolution in how we prepare meals at home and changing kitchen extraction for good. The steam oven offers innovative professional technology for the domestic kitchen with a steam extraction function that is particularly unique. Together with the activated charcoal odour filter, it keeps the kitchen full of fresh air, ensures a clear view and prevents steam from escaping when the door is opened – perfect for open-plan kitchens.

Another debut product was Bora S Pure, a cooktop with an integrated extractor offering top performance and optimum cooktop use while preserving maximum storage space. With a width of just 60cm, this compact and elegant cooktop features four asymmetrically arranged cooking zones plus an air inlet nozzle that comes in six different colours. The minimalist design is controlled by simply tapping a central touch operating panel. When the automatic extractor function is activated, the power level of the extra-quiet extractor adjusts itself according to the current cooking process, so there’s no need for manual adjustment. It also boasts a heat retention function, child-proofing feature and an automatic heat up function.

Also being shown for the first time was the Multi-Drawer for reheating or defrosting food, keeping meals warm or cooking at low temperatures.

ELICA – VIRTUAL SHOWROOM, OPEN SUITE AND IKONA MAXXI PURE

Elica’s immersive Virtual Showroom reproduces kitchen environments in which users can check out a wide range of hood and extractor hob options from the Elica range to see how they look. The virtual space, which can be visited from a computer, smartphone or tablet, has an area of ​​approximately 350 sq m and is divided into six rooms where the latest top-of-the-range models can be viewed. A total of 25 products from the collection are featured, including the award-winning range of NikolaTesla extractor hobs as well as ceiling, suspended and wall-mounted hoods. Each environment reproduces a contemporary home in detail, enabling visitors to observe Elica hoods and extraction surfaces from different angles. Furthermore, there are links form each product to other content, including technical specifications and videos.

Also new is the innovative Open Suite modular system, combining a range of aspiration, lighting and shelving units. Open Suite and Open Suite Superior (the island version) come in wall mounted 80cm and 160cm modules, which can be customised to create a new “dimension” in kitchen design. The aspiration and lighting modules can be configured with a wide selection of shelving – glass (light or smoke), metal, black wire mesh, walnut and customisable to match kitchen finishes.  The height of the island version is adjustable to allow installation in any room, regardless of the height of the ceiling.

Elica also launched Ikona Maxxi Pure, a hood and air purifier in a single appliance. The hood removes odours and cooking vapours while the air purifier removes allergens such as dust, pet hair and pollen. The purifier is equipped with a combo pure filter, a special combination of HEPA and charcoal filters that capture particles up to 1 micron to relieve allergic symptoms and possible discomfort caused by indoor pollutants.

CDA – GESTURE CONTROL EXTRACTOR

Sleek and controllable by the wave of a hand, EXG60 and EXG90 extractors from CDA are smart angled black glass designs available in 60cm and 90cm sizes. They can be operated using the touch controls or by gesture, meaning there is no need to touch the appliance so viruses and bacteria cannot be passed on. Gesture control also makes the extractor accessible to anyone who finds reaching controls difficult.

Features include an extraction rate of 619m3/h at normal setting, boost setting to clear the air after dinner, four speeds, clear LCD display, easy to remove washable grease filters and a delay time setting.

WESTIN – STRATUS

Westin’s new launches included two universal range products available in any colour match, the first time this option has been offered on a standard product outside of the bespoke service. Visitors were also able to see the award-winning Edge range of hoods.

Melanie Williams Bespoke Interiors and Paul Craig

Frank & Faber and Paul Craig

ZUMA – LUMISONIC

kbb Birmingham also saw Zuma’s debut appearance at a trade show, showcasing its innovative Lumisonic, an ultra-compact and easy-to-install ceiling downlight that combines quality colour rendered lighting with enveloping, high fidelity audio. A wonderful innovation that I will definitely be trying out soon!