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Household appliances

Attractive, intelligent and responsible, the latest generation household appliances are irresistible.

At the Eurocucina fair held in Milan last April and devoted to the kitchen and its latest innovations, environmental awareness was the common denominator of all the manufacturers. Reducing the water and energy consumption of household appliances has become the main priority.Whirlpool stole the show with its Green Kitchen concept. All the appliances In this self-sufficient kitchen are interconnected and produce renewable energy. While waiting for it to come on the market in 2011, we can opt for A+ or A++ rated appliances which are the most energy efficient today.

Washing machines have cut their water consumption in half and reduced their energy bill by 44%  in just ten years.Siemens&rsquo latest production, a washer dryer, has two air circuits, one to dry and the other to condense the water vapour. This new pocess makes it one of the lowest water consumers around (57 litres instead of 100 for a standard model). Another innovation is the automatic calculation and dosage of washing product required according to the type of wash. There are several brands available including Brandt&rsquos Dos-e.

No need to get your hands wet any more. The new A-A-A energy rated dishwashers are three times more energy-efficient than washing up by hand. Bosch&rsquos Active Wear, for example, has an automatic programme that adapts the cycle according to how dirty the dishes are. It also has a &ldquohalf-load&rdquo option and a heat exchanger which transfers the heat from the washing water to the rinsing water. Connections to both the hot and cold water supply also save energy. This system is becoming increasingly widespread.

If only 54% French households have a dish washer, it is often a question of space. The manufacturers have understood the problem and many now offer compact models for 6 or 8 place settings: Siemens&rsquo SpeedMatic, Neff, Bosch's Activewear. These very practical wall-mounted appliances are no bigger than a microwave.

But being concerned with the environment and ergonomics does not mean staying in the doldrums. On the contrary, high-tech marvels and Pepsi colours are there to brighten up the daily drudge. Refrigerators now come with a screen to watch TV or videos or follow recipes. Siemens&rsquo very elegant CoolMedia with its shiny black glass doors conceals a 17&rdquo LCD screen with a TNT decoder, a USB port and loudspeakers. The future has already arrived! Robot vacuum cleaners do the cleaning while you&rsquore out on the town. Samsung&rsquos Navibot has a camera that calculates the surface area of rooms and creates an electronic map of the house. It is small enough to get under the furniture and its anti-collision sensors stop it running into things.

Coloured appliances are now replacing white and stainless steel. Bright greens, reds and yellows are right out in front.  Who can resist Smeg&rsquos candy pink 1950s retro-look washing machine or Gorenje&rsquos citrus coloured Retro Funky fridges? Cookers also contribute their share of vitamins. Aga, Lacanche and Falcon&rsquos range cookers come in a whole range of colours to suit any interior.

Household chore is no longer an appropriate term. Preparing meals and putting on the wash are almost fun these days.