Make sure to check out our review of the Samsung RF34H9960S4/AA Chef Collection refrigerator.
Tech giant Samsung officially kicked off its push to make a bigger name for itself in the home appliances market by launching a new set of Chef Collection gear at an event in New York City, developed with the input of some of the world’s best chefs.
Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America, kicked off the festivities, stating that “Samsung is always thinking about what’s next.” Baxter highlighted the importance of traditional home appliances, but also made it clear that the wave of the future in these devices lies in the high tech realm of connected, smart gear — complete with apps and wireless capabilities. It may not be your kitchen today. But tomorrow belongs to smart appliances, he said.
“One day, we’ll take it all for granted,” Baxter said.
Samsung’s new Chef Collection home appliances fuses both the traditional functionality you would expect from a run-of-the-mill stove, refrigerator, washer, or microwave, with the latest in high tech gadgetry. For instance, the Samsung Chef Collection 4-Door Refrigerator features a Chef Mode that aims to minimize temperature fluctuation to maintain the flavor and texture of the food stored inside. Meanwhile, the fridge’s Triple Cooling system allows you to set multiple temperatures for different parts of the interior. The fridge is available now and starts at $5,699; a version with a sparkling water dispenser is priced at $5,999.
Storing food is one thing, but what about the stuff you need to cook it? That’s where Samsung’s Chef Collection Slide in Range comes in, which is available in one of three versions: electric (which launched at CES 2014), gas, and induction. Like the Chef Collection 4-Door Refrigerator, the Slide In Range includes controls that give you a wide range of temperature controls, and, like the rest of Chef Collection line, is covered in a silver, brushed metal finish. The Samsung Chef Collection Slide in Range is available now. The electric version will run you $2,599, while the gas and induction models carry MSRPs of $2,899, and $3,799, respectively.
Rather heat up last night’s left overs instead of embarking on a new culinary project? Samsung also used the event to launch the Chef Collection Over The Range Microwave, which features multiple dish and weight options, and employs sensors to ensure that the microwave applies an appropriate amount of heat and time when heating up your meal. The microwave is also available now for $599.
With the Chef Collection lineup, Samsung didn’t fail to address the least fun part of cooking: the clean up. The company also launched the Chef Collection Dishwasher with WaterWall Technology, which, instead of using conventional water jets, creates a sweeping barrier of water when washing your dishes and utensils. The dishwasher can be had right now for $1,699.
Though Samsung took the opportunity to celebrate the new Chef Collection appliances’s official maiden voyage into the market during the event, the company also paid tribute to its Club des Chefs campaign. Through this program, Samsung says it has collaborated with some of the top chefs on the planet, including Michael Troisgros, and Éric Fréchon, among others, to make the company’s newest high tech home appliances. Troisgros is the owner of La Maison Troisgros, a three Michelin star restaurant located in Roanne, France, while Fréchon is a three star Michelin chef at the Épicure restaurant in Paris.
However, Samsung didn’t stop with a mere hat tip to its culinary-based collaborators. The company also named a new member of the Club des Chefs team: Daniel Boulud, chef and owner of multiple restaurants located around the world, including New York City, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and more.
After a few congratulatory exchanges and photo ops with Boulud, Samsung and Club des Chefs closed the event by announcing that the culinary wizards who were on hand (not all of them were able to make it) would be cooking for those in attendance using Samsung’s latest Chef Collection refrigerator and range.
That’s when the real fun started, as you can see in the photos above.