May 10th, 2012
Appliances are so awesome it's no wonder that they should inspire gadgets. Even so, how much does one really enjoy ironing? Enough to be woken up by an iron every morning? Apparently, some people do love ironing that much. We're not sure if the alarm sounds anything like the steam-puff created in the act of ironing or the click of a thermostat reaching temperature, but this "creative" alarm ... Read more
May 10th, 2012
Following up on last week's post about a stay at home Dad's arsenal of appliances, this week we turn to the The Manly Housekeeper to see how he deals with tricky domestic duties. The Manly Housekeeper is a blog by Mark Evitt. As he puts it, "Man. Evolved." While his wife is at work as a lawyer, Evitt documents his escapades cooking, cleaning, gardening, and housekeeping. Not only is Evitt ... Read more
May 8th, 2012
Not Generation Y, apparently. A new national survey has found that almost half of Gen Yers would rather pass their delicate dirty laundry to dry cleaners than hand wash it themselves. The figure - established in Canstar Blue's latest washing machine survey - is four times that of baby boomers, who are more willing to use a bit of elbow grease. Nor does the expense incurred through dry cleaners bother ... Read more
May 8th, 2012
Keen coffee lovers can be a particular bunch, if not peculiar. With tastes and requests so specific it's no wonder Philips Saeco has taken this on to develop an espresso machine as unique as a fingerprint. The Philips Saeco Xelsius with digital ID actually uses fingerprint recognition technology to determine who the drinker is before it prepares coffee exactly how they like it, from bean to cup. Perhaps James ... Read more
May 7th, 2012
A national energy standard across all whitegoods has been announced by the Federal Climate Change Minister Greg Combet. The new rules will affect whitegoods manufacturers, who will soon have a single set of energy efficiency standards to meet, according to an AAP report. This will affect appliances such as air conditioners, dishwashers and fridges and it means the end of different rules applying to different Australian regions. The announcement ... Read more
May 1st, 2012
If a cook is only as good as their appliances then Sunbeam will be hoping this year's MasterChef contestants create masterpiece after masterpiece. It will be the third year running that Sunbeam is the small appliance sponsor of MasterChef, having recently had a similar deal with rival reality cooking show, My Kitchen Rules. My Kitchen Rules drew 2.6 million viewers during the finale and Sunbeam is hoping for ... Read more
April 30th, 2012
The giant whitegoods maker, which has interests in Fisher & Paykel, has ranked as one of the more environmentally sound companies in China's Top 100 Green Companies for 2012. This is good news for the company, which in Australia has had to contend with perceptions about the value of Chinese-made appliances. In an effort to give consumers peace of mind, Haier offers Fisher & Paykel-inspired after-sales service and warranties on ... Read more
April 25th, 2012
A row over a washing machine and a dryer has put a North American woman in hospital after being stabbed in the back. The report in Longview's local rag said that the victim had visited a friend for "dinner and drinks" on Tuesday night. By 2am a fight broke out between the two middle aged women over ownership of the laundry appliances. It ended with one woman using ... Read more
April 25th, 2012
They say that caffeine charges one's cognitive ability. Perhaps that's what happened to the legends at ThinkGeek who have blended their scientific know how with coffee making for the ultimate brew. It's called the Vacuum Brewer, and it is supposed to make an exceptional cup of joe without sacrificing an iota of aroma, which all stays within the two glass containers. According to ThinkGeek, vacuum brewing avoids the ... Read more
April 23rd, 2012
He's been on the radio and in the papers, spreading more and more each day, sort of like an infectious virus. Dr Gerba, also known as Dr Germ, has been touting the importance of sterilisation in our lives to stop the spread of germs. It turns out that the kitchen is even grottier than the toilet. People tend to be meticulous in keeping the bathroom impeccable, while the ... Read more
April 19th, 2012
Confidence, practice and a food processor will make home made pizzas a crust above the rest, says The NY Times' veteran food critic, Mark Bittman. With those three key ingredients, Bittman thinks the home cook can make a better pizza than those found in highfalutin restaurants. "Not only can you cook it at home, but you can likely cook it better," Bittman says in his recent column. That's because ... Read more
April 18th, 2012
As part of its new marketing campaign Miele has revealed the hardcore testing the German appliances undergo to ensure that they are 'Forever Better'. Good looks and charm will get appliances in the door, but hardworking and durability are features that will keep them there. The German engineered appliances are tested to the equivalent of 20 years usage and in some cases, such as Miele washing machines, appliances ... Read more
April 17th, 2012
By the end of this week the search will be up for two lucky Australian bloggers who will have won a trip to the London Olympics care of Samsung. Sports fans and writers alike have the opportunity to travel to London courtesy of Samsung. To be picked they will need equal measures of creativity and enthusiasm. Over 100 bloggers worldwide will be recruited, including the 2 Aussies, as ... Read more
April 16th, 2012
Channel Nine's The Block is back for its fifth season starting tonight at 7pm. With it, a range of new kitchen renovation ideas will be revealed. The reality home renovation TV series pitches eight Australian couples against each other to redo dilapidated terrace houses in inner-city South Melbourne. The contestants have 10 weeks and $125,000 to create, design, plan, budget, execute and sell the terrace home. $20,000 is ... Read more
April 13th, 2012
Sunbeam has issued a statement in response to a media report that said one of its electric blankets had been "recently recalled." Sunbeam has come out in defense of its electric blanket safety standards after a TV report on 11 April about unsafe appliances. It comes in the same week that police suspect a faulty electric blanket caused an apartment in Bondi, Sydney to go up in flames. Sunbeam ... Read more