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GE Appliances Champions Customization for All with the Matte Collection, the First Line of Appliances for New Café Brand

Reflecting the ever-evolving design and style trends in cabinet hardware and mixed metals, consumers can now mix and match handles and knobs to keep appliances as stylish as the rest of the home.

“We heard consumers loud and clear: They want to infuse their unique style into the kitchen, just like they can everywhere else in the home,” said Rick Hasselbeck, chief commercial officer for GE Appliances. “We strive to be responsive to our consumers’ wants and needs, and we are excited to bring that level of customization in our new Café products. This revolutionizes the purchasing process because it allows consumers to create exactly what they want in the appearance of their appliances. The Café Matte Collection—with its premium metal handles and knobs, combined with our new finishes—marries luxury with affordability, allowing hardware to be continually updated to fit the latest trends and style preferences.”

With a luxe look and a smudge-resistant, soft-touch feel, the Matte White finish offers a fresh approach to a staple kitchen color.

Custom Hardware and Premium Finishes Bring Luxury and Style Without Compromising Affordability 
Custom Hardware Choices 

The Café brand gives the consumer options to change their handles and knobs to different finishes that brings their vision to life. The Matte Collection, which is offered commercially in suites of Matte White with brushed bronze hardware and in a separate offering of Matte Black with brushed stainless hardware, allows consumers to order additional hardware in the store if they choose to re-design the look.

Copper, a classic kitchen staple in both décor and high-end cookware, is the signature Café metal. Each handle in The Matte Collection will carry a copper cuff with a discreet Café logo. Soft brushed copper hardware will also be offered as one of the custom hardware options available for order.

Additionally, consumers can select brushed bronze, brushed stainless or brushed black hardware choices to customize either matte finish and complement their overall kitchen design.

Premium Finishes 
Rooms are always visually evolving. Today, the style-driven consumer–one who loves to entertain and keeps the pulse on the world of décor– is looking for appliances that are flexible with his or her design vision. The Matte Collection's premium finishes in Matte White and Matte Black seamlessly complement premium cabinetry and flooring, setting the stage for mindful layers of warmth, depth and personality.

The soft luster and warmth of the Matte White finish offers a fresh approach to a staple kitchen color. With a luxe look and a smudge-resistant, soft-touch feel, Matte White allows owners to create pops of brightness against dark cabinetry or a seamless blend in an all-white kitchen.

The combination of bold saturations with simple statements characterizes the depth and layering texture of Matte Black. Complementing existing kitchen elements such as stone, wood, brick and eggshell hues, Matte Black is both a sophisticated and grounding finish that can add flair and balance to style-forward kitchens.

Beginning with The Matte Collection, Café appliances will be available for order through mass retail and independent appliance stores in August 2018. Three U.S. GEA manufacturing plants, two in Kentucky and one in Lafayette, Georgia, will make Café cooking products, dishwashers and refrigerators. The collection will have a full suite of appliances, including wall ovens, ranges, cooktops, French door refrigerators, dishwashers and vent hoods. For more information, visit www.CafeAppliances.com. 

View the Café lookbook here.

About GE Appliances
GE Appliances, a Haier company, creates “good things, for life” through our passion for great appliances and the happiness they can bring to every household. With the Hotpoint, GE®, Haier, CAFÉ™, GE Profile™ and Monogram® brands, owners have more choices for making their kitchens and homes amazing each day. Our products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners and water filtration systems. For more information, visit www.geappliances.com/our-company.

Trends

Engineered for Durability, Designed for Distinction: GE Appliances Unveils New Black Slate Finish

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—January 5, 2017—A well-designed kitchen means a lot to homeowners today, and so does offering them the options to customize their kitchen to fit their own style and needs. Building on the success of the Slate finish introduced in 2012, GE Appliances is offering its new Black Slate finish exclusively on select GE Café™ models. The simplicity of the surface allows the color and design to be the focus.

Building on the success of the Slate finish introduced in 2012, GE Appliances is offering its new Black Slate finish exclusively on select GE Café™ models.

“A kitchen is the heart of the home, and homeowners today want natural, warm textures and finishes that add a sense of quietness,” said Paul Haney, chief designer at GE Appliances, a Haier company. “Black Slate is a timeless, premium finish that can match any décor and command just the right amount of attention.”

Whether a homeowner is looking to replace one appliance or remodel their entire kitchen, Black Slate appliances are designed to make a statement on their own or blend with other Slate, stainless steel, black or white appliances. This deep charcoal color perfectly complements the stainless steel, chef-inspired accents found on Café appliances. In addition, the matte finish is easy to maintain, hiding fingerprints and virtually eliminating smudges, keeping appliances looking clean.

Black Slate is available now in Café double wall ovens, single wall ovens, hoods and dishwashers, with refrigerators coming in spring 2017. 

About GE Appliances, a Haier company
GE Appliances, a Haier company, makes moments that matter for our owners through our passion for making great appliances and providing unparalleled services. Owners have more choices than ever before under the Hotpoint, GE®, Haier, GE Café™, GE Profile™ and Monogram™ brands. Our products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems and water heaters. For more information visit www.geappliances.com/our-company.

Trends

What Your Kitchen Will Look Like in 2050

Instead, the appliances of 2050 will likely work interactively with consumers to plan and shop for meals, monitor special dietary needs, even produce customized food products at the touch of a 3-D printer button, according to the latest series of interviews from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) FutureFood 2050 publishing initiative. FutureFood 2050 explores how increasingly sophisticated science and technology will help feed the world’s projected 9 billion-plus people in 2050.

“Cooks will have much more personalized control over their appliances [by the year 2050],” says Lou Lenzi, industrial design director for GE Appliances. “They will be able to connect their ovens to smartphones or tablets, program the ovens to prepare food the way they like it, and share recipes with friends.”

FutureFood 2050 kitchen visionaries this month include:

• Thomas Johansson: Design director for Sweden-based Electrolux, where hyperconnected “smart” kitchen appliances are already in the works
• Lou Lenzi: Director of industrial design for GE Appliances who believes interactive kitchens can help support healthier lifestyles
• Hod Lipson: Director of Cornell University’s Creative Machines Lab, which is experimenting with 3-D food printers that will give home cooks revolutionary new options for convenience and customization

Plus, get a jump on the future with a special slide show: “10 New Tools for a Foodie’s Kitchen,” featuring an array of high-tech gadgets and appliances already in development or out in the marketplace.

FutureFood 2050 is a multi-year program highlighting the people and stories leading the efforts in finding solutions to a healthier, safer and better nourished planet to feed 9 billion-plus people by 2050. Through 2015, the program will release 75 interviews with the world’s most impactful leaders in food and science. The interviews with kitchen thought leaders are the ninth installment of FutureFood’s interview series, following sustainability, women in food science, food waste, food security and nutrition in Africa, aquaculture, futurists on food, and innovative agriculture Parts 1 and 2.

Next year, FutureFood 2050 will also debut a documentary film exploring how the science of food will contribute solutions to feeding the world.

For more information, please visit FutureFood2050.com to subscribe to monthly updates, learn more about the project and read the latest news on food science. 

About IFT 
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Institute of Food Technologists. Since its founding in 1939, IFT has been committed to advancing the science of food. Our non-profit scientific society—more than 18,000 members from more than 100 countries—brings together food scientists, technologists and related professionals from academia, government and industry. For more information, please visit ift.org.

Trends

Consumers Go Gray in a Stylish Way…with GE Slate Kitchens

GE recently snapped photos of a handful of employees and their families who have successfully brought Slate into their home. Each family had a reason for choosing Slate, and found it to be the right choice based on their situation:

• New construction – The Geiers (Louisville, Ky.) chose to build a new, smaller home, but didn’t want to lose the classy feel of their previous kitchen. Slate gave their new kitchen a high-end look while also complementing the standard materials used by the developer to build their new home.  
• Kid-friendly – Kelly Reyes and Sean McClernon (Virginia Beach, Va.) and the McHughs (McFarland, Wis.) have young children, and they found that Slate’s resistance to fingerprints, smudges and dirt made it easy to maintain and a perfect fit for a family environment.
• Black and white – Sebastian Modelowski (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) and Zane Miller (Christiansburg, Va.) learned that Slate can be incorporated into both light and dark decors. Modelowski chose black cabinets and an overall darker tone, while Miller chose white cabinets and light wood for a distinctly brighter feel.
• Starting Over – The Mitchells (Ocean City, N.J.) have a special story: Hurricane Sandy destroyed their home, and they were forced to start over. The couple seized the disaster as an opportunity to get the kitchen they always wanted and chose Slate because it offered a completely new style for them.

GE Appliances initially launched Slate in September 2012, expanded it in 2013 and announced a second expansion and collaboration with Pfister kitchen and bath faucets in July 2014.

Please contact GE Appliances for more information on the Slate finish, additional images or for interviews with the above families on the kitchen designs.  

GE Appliances
GE Appliances is at the forefront of building innovative, energy-efficient appliances that improve people’s lives. GE Appliances’ products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems and water heaters. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information on GE Appliances, visit www.ge.com/appliances. 

Trends

For GE Appliances and Pfister®, a New Finish is Just the Beginning

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — July 25, 2014 — Myriad color options can be incorporated into home design, yet, in the kitchen, gray tops the list of the fastest growing color schemes in 2014¹. Influenced by nature, GE Appliances and Pfister™, a manufacturer of kitchen and bathroom faucets, are offering Slate-hued products to complement today’s design trends. In 2014, both companies are expanding their Slate product offerings.

In the kitchen
GE’s take on Slate is a premium appliance finish with a deep, warm and inviting look that seamlessly blends with surroundings, making it ideal for today’s open-concept living. In 2014, GE will expand its Slate offering to include built-in products such as wall ovens, slide-in ranges and cooktops.

To provide consumers with quality options for the growing trend of using a neutral gray scheme, GE Appliances and Pfister™ are introducing new products with Slate finish.

GE Appliances' Industrial Design Operation Director Lou Lenzi commented, “We found that consumers were feeling stainless fatigue and looking for something new for their homes. The result was Slate, which quickly caught the eye of discerning homeowners.”

In 2013, after also seeing a growing interest in gray, Pfister saw an opportunity to collaborate with GE on Slate. Pfister’s approach is a bold brushed metal finish with a rich hue that’s available for its Pasadena kitchen faucet. According to Pfister Brand Manager Danyel Tiefenbacher, the faucet is a strong performer for the company. "The versatile Slate finish is a true alternative to stainless steel. While Slate is just as stylish, it also offers a more refined look and is resistant to fingerprints,” he said.

Beyond the kitchen
Gray may have gotten its start in the kitchen, but it’s stretching throughout the home as an accent to transitional design schemes, which are among the most popular bathroom styles in 2014¹. Aligned with 2014 trends, Pfister plans to expand its offerings of Pasadena kitchen faucets in Slate to also include a bath series.

The Slate finish Pasadena bathroom sink faucet was recently made available in July; a tub and shower introduction with matching bath accessories is planned for September.

“The kitchen is the starting point for many home remodels and those design choices are being carried through the home to establish a cohesive color palette," Tiefenbacher said. “Understanding that hues found in the kitchen influence the bathroom drove our upcoming expansion.”

Pricing and availability
GE’s Slate appliances are available at national and independent retailers where appliances are sold. The finish will expand into slide-in and built-in Profile™ Series appliances in August 2014.*

Pfister’s Pasadena faucet, model F-529-PDSL, is available exclusively at Home Depot stores and HomeDepot.com for $188.00.** Pasadena bathroom sink faucets will be available in July 2014, and a tub and shower introduction with matching bath accessories is planned for September.

GE Appliances
GE Appliances is at the forefront of building innovative, energy-efficient appliances that improve people’s lives. GE Appliances’ products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems and water heaters. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information on GE Appliances, visit www.ge.com/appliances.

Pfister
Pfister has been a trusted leader in the plumbing industry since 1910, introducing high quality, innovative, award-winning products with a distinctive use of style and finish. www.pfisterfaucets.com

¹ NKBA 2014 Kitchen and Bath Style Report, results tabulated January 2014.
* The 2014 Slate expansion includes:

• Slide-in gas and electric range models PS950EEFES ($3,099**), JGS750EEFES ($2,399**) and JS750EFES ($1,799**), available in October.
• Wall oven models PT7050EHES ($2,399**) and PT7550EHES ($3,399**), available in August.
• Electric cooktop models PP932EHES ($1,199**) and PP962EHES ($1,199**), available in August.
• Countertop microwave PEB7226EFES ($329**), available in August, and over-the-range convection microwave PVM9179EFES ($599**), available in August.
• Counter-depth French door refrigerator GYE22KMHES ($2,899**), available in November; French door bottom-freezer refrigerator GFE28GMH ($2,699**), available in December; 30” bottom-freezer refrigerator GDE20GMHES ($1,599**), and side-by-side refrigerators GSS23HMHES ($1,649**) and GSS25GMHES ($1,399**), available in October.

** Retailers set their own prices.

For more information contact:

Pfister
Danyel Tiefenbacher
Brand Manager
949-672-4000
danyel.tiefenbacher@spectrumhhi.com

Trends

No Matter the Color Scheme, GE’s Slate Finish Appliances Blend and Trend

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — July 25, 2014 —In the home, gray is more than a shade between black and white. According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), gray will be the fastest growing color scheme in the kitchen in 2014.¹ GE’s (NYSE: GE) Slate premium finish is the answer for consumers who want to bring gray into their kitchen with slide-in and built-in Profile™ Series appliances available beginning in August.  

Inspired by the rich texture and appearance of stone, Slate has a deep, warm and inviting look that exudes refinement and sophistication. Slate’s low-gloss metallic finish is adaptive, allowing it to seamlessly blend into kitchens that flow into the living room and rest of the house, making it ideal for today’s open-concept living.

“Open-concept design puts the appliances front and center, visible whether you’re sitting in the kitchen or the adjacent living space,” said Lou Lenzi, director of GE’s Industrial Design Operation. “Slate’s neutral, matte qualities make it visually interesting without causing a distraction.”

When it comes to kitchen design, according to the NKBA, transitional style was the most popular in 2013, and is expected to remain strong in 2014.¹ Slate gray fits, complementing a wide spectrum of materials and finishes found in transitional design, while delivering on today’s muted color scheme.

Originally launched in September 2012, GE is expanding its Slate finish for the second time to feature built-in products such as wall ovens, slide-in ranges and cooktops.

Slated for expansion
Slate’s expansion is the second one for the finish, which originally launched in September 2012 and more than doubled after one year as popularity exceeded expectations. In a recent GE survey of consumers who have purchased Slate, 97 percent were either “extremely” or “very” satisfied with the appearance of Slate appliances in their kitchen.

Additional advantages

• The matte quality is resistant to fingerprints, a frequent consumer complaint about stainless steel appliances
• Mix and match: brushed stainless steel handles and knobs add contrast while also complementing stainless steel appliances in the kitchen

The 2014 Slate expansion includes:

• Slide-in gas and electric range models PS950EEFES ($3,099**), JGS750EEFES ($2,399**) and JS750EFES ($1,799**), available in October.
• Wall oven models PT7050EHES ($2,399**) and PT7550EHES ($3,399**), available in August.
• Electric cooktop models PP932EHES ($1,199**) and PP962EHES ($1,199**), available in August.
• Countertop microwave PEB7226EFES ($329**), available in August, and over-the-range convection microwave PVM9179EFES ($599**), available in August.
• Counter-depth French door refrigerator GYE22KMHES ($2,899**), available in November; French door bottom-freezer refrigerator GFE28GMH ($2,699**), available in December; 30” bottom-freezer refrigerator GDE20GMHES ($1,599**), and side-by-side refrigerators GSS23HMHES ($1,649**) and GSS25GMHES ($1,399**), available in October.

GE Appliances
GE Appliances is at the forefront of building innovative, energy-efficient appliances that improve people’s lives. GE Appliances’ products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems and water heaters. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information on GE Appliances, visit www.ge.com/appliances.

1. NKBA 2014 Kitchen and Bath Style Report, results tabulated January 2014
* Retailers set their own prices

Trends

From Ice Blocks to Compressors to Magnets: The Next Chapter in Home Refrigeration

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — March 13, 2014 — (NYSE:GE) — For the past 100 years, the way your fridge preserved your food has been rooted in technology dating back to the mid-1800s, but that is about to change. GE researchers are developing the next leap in home refrigeration technology—magnetic refrigeration (magnetocaloric refrigeration). The technology uses no refrigerants or compressors and is 20 percent more efficient than what is used today. In addition, the technology can be applied to other heat pump applications such as HVAC and has the potential to impact nearly 60 percent of the average U.S. household’s energy consumption.*

The Past 100 Years
Ice was the primary means of residential cold storage until advances in vapor compression technology sparked the first refrigeration revolution. GE launched its first electric refrigerator in 1927. Within four years, GE built 1 million electric refrigerators, and vapor compression became the industry standard. While the technology made steady progress over time, its efficiency threshold is approaching.

“We’ve spent the past 100 years making the current technology more efficient, but most of the major efficiency increases have been achieved,” explained Venkat Venkatakrishnan, director of advanced technologies for GE Appliances.

Lead Engineer Michael Benedict (left) and Venkat Venkatakrishnan (right), Director of Advanced Technologies, work in GE Appliances’ labs on magnetocaloric refrigeration technology that can replace traditional compressors used in refrigerators for the last 100 years.

Rise of Magnetic Refrigeration
Although magnetocaloric cooling as a concept has been around for many years, in 2006, GE began exploring the technology for home refrigeration. A team of GE researchers started from scratch to show the technology could be applied to the real world of household refrigeration and still work efficiently. After five years of analysis and testing, they were able to achieve the desired cooling effect.

How It Works
The system uses a water-based fluid rather than a chemical refrigerant such as Freon to transfer heat from inside the refrigerator and achieve the cooling process. Instead of a compressor, magnets are used to create a magnetic field that agitates particles in the fluid causing it to cool. The strength of the magnetic fields determines how cold the fluid becomes, and in turn, how quickly it cools the refrigerator.

Today, the team’s research is progressing rapidly, and is on track to move from the lab to residential homes within the next five years. “We figured out how to create heat or cold without a compressor or chemical refrigerants,” Venkatakrishnan said. “This breakthrough can power your fridge with greater efficiency, and because the technology does not contain traditional refrigerants, recycling refrigerators at end of life will be easier and less costly. GE is leading the development of the next refrigeration revolution.”

In addition to the work GE Appliances’ engineers are doing, GE Global Research and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are also working on the development. GE Global Research is using its materials expertise to work on developing new alloys as well as help with modeling and thermodynamics. ORNL is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to work in conjunction with GE to assess specific component and material requirements for stable and reliable operation of the refrigerator-freezer, evaluate magnetocaloric effect materials, and maximize the performance of the refrigerator-freezer in laboratory testing. For more information about the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office, visit energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-technologies-office.

About GE Appliances
GE Appliances is at the forefront of building innovative, energy-efficient appliances that improve people’s lives. GE Appliances’ products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems and water heaters. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information on GE Appliances, visit www.ge.com/appliances.

About GE Global Research
GE Global Research is the hub of technology development for all of GE's businesses. Our scientists and engineers redefine what’s possible, drive growth for our businesses, and find answers to some of the world’s toughest problems. We innovate 24 hours a day, with sites in Niskayuna, New York; San Ramon, California; Bangalore, India; Shanghai, China; Munich, Germany; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

About Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is DOE’s largest multi-program science and energy laboratory, with scientific and technical capabilities spanning the continuum from basic to applied research. These resources enable the lab to tackle an exceptionally wide range of R&D assignments, from fundamental nuclear physics to applied R&D on advanced energy systems. ORNL aggressively pursues opportunities to put solutions to work, often collaborating with industry to accelerate their deployment by the private sector. Products as diverse as radiation detectors, thin-film batteries, high-efficiency heat pumps, and high-performance steel alloys have emerged from the lab’s R&D. For more information about ORNL, visit www.ornl.gov/.

*Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration’s annual energy outlook for the residential sector.

Energy Efficiency & ENERGY STAR®

Trends

Refrigerators & Freezers

GE Envisions Home of the Future

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Sept. 12, 2013 — (NYSE: GE) — GE has imagined the technological enhancements that will change the way we live and how our homes will look a dozen years from now, after studying trends in advances in food science, demographic shifts, ecological issues, healthcare services, water scarcity and home delivery. “This isn’t about the Jetsons or pie-in-the-sky ideas,” said Lou Lenzi, director for GE Appliances’ Industrial Design Operation. “Home 2025 is about reality-based innovation that will be possible over the next decade.”

Using its expanded industrial design team and advanced development engineers, GE Appliances has envisioned the home of 2025. Extending beyond the typical product cycle horizon of three to five years, four teams of employees focused on distinct customer segments and what their homes would be like in the future.

“To project what the Home of 2025 may look like, we first took a high-level look at where we think society, culture and technology are taking us and intersected that with ways in which we could make our lives less complex and more enjoyable,” said Lenzi. ”We conceptualized how we will prepare meals, wash clothes and interact with information as families over the next dozen years.”

How it started
Before they began designing, the teams started with research. “Our first step was to extensively review macro trends and the latest advancements in technology,” said Lenzi. From advanced materials to energy efficiency, the team took a broad view on the biggest macro trends impacting our society.

The teams explored various life stages and home configurations to develop concepts of the future. From younger consumers in smaller spaces to older consumers in single-family homes, each team had specific target consumers and designed a living space based on their unique needs.

With the Home 2025 project, GE has imagined the technological enhancements that will change the way we live and how our homes will look a dozen years from now.

Key themes and future concepts of the Home of 2025 include:

1. The death of one-purpose appliances: Much like the smartphone has become a TV, a navigation system and a phone, so will appliances integrate disparate functions into uber-appliances. This becomes more important as sizes of homes and apartments continue to shrink.
2. The supermarket goes the way of the video store … and the milkman returns: Smart appliances perform inventory management and automatically place online orders for food. As consumers desire more fresh food delivered to their home, refrigeration units can be installed with access outside of your home, so you need not be present for delivery.
3. Water scarcity means innovations in washing: Gray water will be recycled and repurposed through our appliances.
4. Honey, I ate the houseplant: As the desire for fresh food grows, indoor plants become a food source as synthetic beehives provide pollination.
5. The clothing store becomes one machine: In GE’s Home 2025, a laundry machine not only washes and dries, it stores clothing items in convenient pellet form, and then revives clothes for immediate wear or dispenses them in compressed form for travel. Commercial compressors and revivers are found in public areas.
6. Aging in place: As older consumers rely on fewer people to take care of them, appliances that take biometric information and dispense medication can mean independence for many years to come.

Check out GE's Home 2025 on Pinterest. 

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or check out our website for more information
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About GE Appliances
GE Appliances is at the forefront of building innovative, energy-efficient appliances that improve people’s lives. GE Appliances’ products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems and water heaters. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information on GE Appliances, visit www.ge.com/appliances.

Trends

Sleek and Chic: GE Expands Popular Slate Finish to More Appliances

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Aug. 21, 2013 — (NYSE: GE) — Interior designers are singing the praises of gray. Color schemes in this chic, sophisticated shade are increasingly popular in kitchens and bathrooms.¹ Slate appliances, GE's newest premium finish, have quickly proven their popularity among designers and consumers who welcome its contemporary, complementary qualities.

In fact, more than two-thirds (78 percent) of respondents in a recent survey said they were somewhat or very likely to purchase Slate when replacing all kitchen appliances.² This appeal has led to the expansion of Slate's availability, doubling it with more models and configurations.*

“While stainless steel is still very popular, many consumers would like an alternative,” said Brian McWaters, brand general manager for GE Appliances. “Slate offers so much versatility. It will fit into more homes, work with existing appliances and complement the high-end finishes many people already have in their kitchens.”

Slate's low-gloss, warm gray finish offers an inviting alternative to stainless steel and complements popular kitchen décor.

In May, 97 percent of current Slate owners who bought a complete suite said that they are very or extremely satisfied with how the products look in their kitchen.³

GE launched the Slate finish in September 2012 after conducting extensive research with consumers and industry experts, finding that consumers want appliances that complement their investments in tile, wood cabinetry and bamboo flooring. Slate harmonizes with these elements without overpowering them, complementing adjacent living spaces in open floorplans.

Slate is more than a color: It is the combination of several materials and finishes. The main surface finish is a warm, low-gloss metallic. Its matte quality makes it resistant to fingerprints, a frequent consumer complaint about stainless steel appliances. Brushed stainless steel handles and knobs add contrast and provide robust touchpoints on the products.

“The popularity of Slate among consumers has exceeded our expectations,” said McWaters. “Beating our sales forecast proves there is a strong demand for this premium finish. We look forward to expanding the line in September.”

Consumers can outfit their kitchen with a complete Slate suite, or they can purchase a single appliance that will complement their existing appliances in stainless steel and other finishes. The complete expanded line of Slate appliances will be available by October 2013. MSRP varies by model and configuration, ranging from $599-$2,699.**

GE Appliances
​GE Appliances is at the forefront of building innovative, energy-efficient appliances that improve people’s lives. GE Appliances’ products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems and water heaters. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information on GE Appliances, visit www.ge.com/appliances.

1 National Kitchen & Bath Association press release Feb. 14, 2013
2 The Stevenson Company, February 2012
3 The Stevenson Company, May 2013
*The expanded lineup of Slate includes gas ranges (JGB850EEFES, JGB750EEFES, JGB690EEFES, JGB650EEFES) and electric ranges (JB850EFES, JB750EFES, JB690EFES, JB650EFES), over-the-range microwaves (JVM7195EFES, JVM6175EFES), side-by-side refrigerators (GSE26HMEES), top-freezer refrigerators (GTM18GBEES), a 33-inch French door refrigerator (GNE22GMEES), as well as new offerings in front and top control dishwashers (GDT580SMFES, GDF540HMFES)
** Manufacturers determine retail price

Trends

GE Unveils First Line of Appliances Designed by a Millennial for Millennials

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — (NYSE: GE) — With the introduction of the GE Artistry™ Series, GE’s designers focus on the needs of today’s generation of Millennials and their desire to uniquely express themselves. Created by a 27-year-old GE industrial designer with his own generation in mind, the Artistry Series provides first-time homebuyers with a distinctive and cool appearance at a price they can afford. This new line of stylishly sensible kitchen products includes six appliances: a gas range, electric range, bottom-freezer refrigerator, over-the-range microwave, range hood and top-control dishwasher.

Today’s Millennials comprise a significant number of first-time homebuyers; in fact, according to real estate brokerage company, Redfin, homebuyers in the 25- to 34-year-old age group make up the largest proportion of homebuyers.

“These buyers are price conscious and design savvy, but also want appliances from a brand they trust,” said Lou Lenzi, director of GE’s Industrial Design Operation. “In today’s marketplace, affordable appliances tend to look the same; GE Artistry Series fills that void for consumers by offering unique-looking products not currently sold by other manufacturers.”

GE’s new Artistry Series provides a distinctive and cool appearance at an affordable price.

Designed to delight and disrupt at retail
Most appliances in this segment of the market have similar features that consumers use every day; Artistry offers this, as well as a design aesthetic that will stand out in the home and on the retail floor.

“Investing in the design of these appliances was a top priority for our team,” said Lenzi. “We’ve tripled our design resources over the past two years, and after much research, Tomas DeLuna, industrial designer for GE Appliances’ Concept and Brand team, was tapped to lead the development of the Artistry Series. The look needed to be simple and approachable with very clean lines. DeLuna’s design sensibilities made him an ideal fit to lead the project.”

DeLuna took the opportunity to design for his own generation by focusing on touchpoints that mattered to him, in areas where consumers interact most with the product—handles, knobs and clocks. “Making the critical consumer touchpoints metallic, and set against either a pure, white gloss or black gloss finish, creates a look that is both familiar to our consumers, yet remains fresh and modern,” said DeLuna. “That’s what makes the GE Artistry Series special; the design is authentic and contemporary with a nod to the past not currently offered in the marketplace.”

The GE logo, visible as a badge on the appliances, also reflects this philosophy. The GE monogram with the words “General” and “Electric” recalls the product badges of the past, yet the juxtaposition of chrome and high-gloss color evokes the core, contemporary Artistry design principles.

Both the new dishwasher and refrigerator are ENERGY STAR®-qualified appliances. The bottom-freezer refrigerator costs $49 to operate annually.

The full GE Artistry Series is available now. Estimated retail price of the full GE Artistry product suite is $2,835.*

GE Appliances
GE Appliances is at the forefront of building innovative, energy-efficient appliances that improve people’s lives. GE Appliances’ products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems and water heaters. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information on GE Appliances, visit www.ge.com/appliances.

* Retailers set their own prices. Estimated retail pricing per appliance is as follows: bottom-freezer refrigerator (ABE20EGEBS, ABE20EGEWS), $1199; top-control dishwasher (ADT521PGFWS, ADT521PGFBS), $549; over-the-range microwave (AVM4160DFWS, AVM4160DFBS), $239; range hood (AV447FWS, AV447FBS), $199; gas range and electric range (ABS45DFBS, ABS45DFWS, AGBS45DEFBS, AGBS45DEFWS), $649.

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