ApplianceAdvisor Appliance Report MONOGRAM

The New Appliance Report from ApplianceAdvisor.com

MONOGRAM (a brand of General Electric)
800-626-2000
GE's high-end appliance brand

2006 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
-72" monogram fridge. Side by side with unification kits
-New Island hood. ZV925SLSS
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2006Appliancephotos/2006gemonogram2.jpg
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2006Appliancephotos/2006gemonogram3.jpg

2005 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
-Walk in wine cooler
-Wine fridge w/ LCD glass door.
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2005Appliancephotos/2005Monogram1.jpg
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2005Appliancephotos/2005Monogram2.jpg
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2005Appliancephotos/2005Monogram3.jpg
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2005Appliancephotos/2005Monogram4.jpg
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2005Appliancephotos/2005Monogram5.jpg
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2005Appliancephotos/2005Monogram6.jpg
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2005Appliancephotos/2005Monogram7.jpg

2004 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
Redesigned Pro Cooking
The updated line includes 17KBTU burners which Monogram claims can simmer foods at 140F, new die cast knobs, reversible 2 piece grates which when flipped will support a wok on every burner. We love onboard self-stowing grates, a concept we believe first invented by Fisher & Paykel, but having 4 or 6 woking options is a bit of overkill. Available in the same sizes, configurations, and with the same options as the old line.
MSRP Ranges: 48": $6999- $7349, 36" and 30": $3849- $5699
MSRP Cooktops: $2399 to $2999.
The technology seems to be recycled from DCS, so we will simply recycle what we wrote on the DCS page in 2002:

"DCS claims that the "Dual Flow technology (is) capable of simmering at 140 degrees". The Advisor thought to himself, "I was born in the day, but I wasn't born yesterday". If DCS is trying to indicate that the burner keeps foods at 140 degrees without a temperature probe, then they are guilty of distributing an oxygen deprived statistic. To attain the 140 degree steady state temperature, the food and pot must radiate off exactly the energy put into it by the simmer system. The Red Sox are more likely to win the Super Bowl than you are of getting the pots and food mass balanced at 140F to the1200 BTU input by the simmer system. Marketing, marketing, marketing."

As the Red Sox have accomplished a feat far less likely than winning the Super Bowl.....perhaps anything is possible.
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/monogrampro1.jpg
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/monogrampro2.jpg
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/monogrampro3.jpg

New 18" Dishwasher
New sub-standard sized built-in dishwasher sourced from Midea of China.
Stainless interior and exterior, rotary knob control, dual washing arms, and many of things found in basic dishwashers. Energy Star Rated. Though it looks nice, it is not a technical leader. Not have many bells and whistles.
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/monogram18dishwasher.jpg
http://www.monogram.com/selectionguide/dishwashercompactor/dishwasher.htm

Fridge Drawers (Model ZIDS240PSS)
24" wide built-in double drawers featuring LED interior lighting, digital temperature controls, and available either in stainless or for custom panel installations. We are thinking, without any facts to back it up, that this is made by U-Line. MSRP $1999 to $2299.
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/monogramfridgedrawer.jpg
http://www.monogram.com/new_products_10.htm
http://www.monogram.com/selectionguide/refrigerator/refmodules.htm

Indoor/Outdoor Fridge (Model ZDOD240PSS)
Tested and approved for indoor and outdoor installations, constructed with 304 stainless steel and featuring LED temp display, door lock and key, and available for $1799 to $1999.
http://www.monogram.com/selectionguide/refrigerator/refmodules.htm
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/monogramoutinfridge.jpg

Bar Fridge (Model ZIBS240PSS)
Undercounter size refrigerator with ice-maker. It can be built-in if that floats your boat. Features adjustable temperature with digital controls, 304 Stainless steel construction, and, and, and an ice scoop, bless their hearts at Monogram. Retail for $1199 to $1499.
http://www.monogram.com/selectionguide/refrigerator/refmodules.htm
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/monogrambarfridge.jpg

2003 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
Never a Parched Moment
NOTE: At first we thought that these sleek "wine chillers and beverage centers" were new, but a peruse of the 2000 catalog, shows units very similar to the 2003 units. I think it would be better to say that there seems to be internal improvements, but that these are neither new nor a major redesign.
These 24" units feature beveled stainless doors, fully extendable unfinished cherry shelves which can be stained to match the room. The wine unit has a 57 bottle capacity, while the matching "beverage center" holds 12 wine bottles and 126 cans of soda/pop/coke in extendable spill-proof glass shelves. Both units may be built-in or free standing, include interior lighting, and adjustable temperature controls.
Our hats off to the creativity of the Monogram PR people who came up with all the interesting places one might need to have a unit handy to top off a drink:
    -family room, pool house, guest bedroom, back foyer, exercise room, morning kitchen in the master suite, or mother-in-law suite, butler's pantries so guests can refill without interrupting the cook or so guests might peruse a wine connoisseur's collection.
(Why would anyone want guests perusing your wine collection?)
We are disappointed that missing from this list were the master bathroom, mudroom, and wood shed. MSRP of $1100.
http://www.monogram.com/new_products.htm#wine
http://products.geappliances.com/ProdContent/images/t06/0000004/r04591v-1.jpg

New Pro-Style Range Hoods
Monogram launched 3 new pro-style range hoods for the Monogram pro-style cooktops and ranges. All 3 feature 304 stainless steel, seams continuously welded polished and brushed, 4 speed blower controls, 2 level halogen lighting, and 175W warming lamps and are available in 30", 36" with an included 600 CFM blower, and 48" units with an included 1200 CFM blower. With these 3 units Monogram placed one safe bet with a generic design, one aggressive bet with an unusual design, and one wild bet with the Restaurant style hood that no one else has. MSRP of $1400 to $2400.
http://www.monogram.com/new_products.htm#ventilation
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/photos/34993_150.zip
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/photos/34994_150.zip
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/photos/34995_150.zip

2002 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
Introductions yes, but ApplianceAdvisor did not have the chance to evaluate.....or had difficulty navigating their new product information. In anycase we are much closer to the 2003 show than the 2002 show, so we will get them with the next show.

2001 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
Monogram Pot Dishwasher
Monogram Chef's Washer for Gourmet Cookware features specially designed adjustable racks for cookware, a stainless steel can, longer more "powerful" cycles, fan assisted drying, and NSF sterilization certification for pots and pans based on higher water temperatures. Monogram says it is "Remarkably Quite". How quite? How hot? Why are we sterilizing pots and pans? Who gets sick from un-sterilized pots and pans? What if we didn't sterilize the pot and just, well, ummm, say, what if we just cooked in it!? If you will excuse the pun, is this all overkill? Monogram is also trying to sell their regular dishwasher with this as a pair, which leads us to believe that the Chef's Washer may not be domesticated for dishes and glasses. Available November 2001. Price $1050 to 1170.
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/mngrm/mgchef.htm
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/photos/27368_150.zip

New Dishwasher Styles
4 New Monogram dishwasher styles
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/mngrm/mgdish.htm

New Refrigeration Standard Compliant Refrigerators
New Side by side and bottom mount with freezer drawers. Feature customized temperature settings, special halogen lighting, express chill and express thaw settings, filtered water/ice drink dispenser with proximity sensor which turns on the dispenser light as you approach the door. This might be a good idea, but it sounds a little creepy for reasons I cannot express. Perhaps it is the idea that our refrigerator will be keeping track of our nocturnal intermissions? 36", 42", 48" widths. Available fall 2001. Retail $4500 - $5600
See the Advisor Rant About Energy Star
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/mngrm/mgrefrig.htm
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/photos/28093_150.zip
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/photos/28236_150.zip

New Cooktop puts the Erg in Ergonomic
Note 1: The Advisor believes that this is the best pun in this entire report, and it is a sorry comment on the American education system that the majority of you won't get it!
Monogram 5 burner 36" gas cooktops features stainless and glass tops (a design crib from the Thermador cooktop which was previously lifted from Dacor). Curved styling, full surface grates, sealed burners, 60K BTU total output. Uses a double-ring burner for high highs, and low lows. Continuous burn simmering is silent, "with no annoying on-off clicking sound". Monogram here is referring to Thermador's cooktop. Unfortunately it also has its controls centrally located between burners so both rightys and leftys get toasted equally. $1300 - $1500 for stainless, $950- $1300 for glass.
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/mngrm/mggcktop.htm
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/photos/28177_150.zip

New Ceran Top Cooktop Styles
Solid color ceramic glass cooktops without all those little paint specs. Those silk screened specs were there to help hide fingerprints and any damage and scratches that you might get on your top over time.
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/mngrm/mgecktop.htm
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/photos/25648_150.zip

Freshening of the Monogram Wall Oven
Redesigned Monogram 27" Wall Oven. New curved styling, bright halogen lighting, and larger capacity of 3.9 cu ft.
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/mngrm/mgwloven.htm
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/usnews/photos/28667_150.zip

2000 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
High Speed Oven
The Advantium oven from GE and Monogram is another one of the new high speed combination ovens sweeping the market. This one uses microwaves and halogen lamps and promises to cook in an average of ¼ the time of a conventional oven. There is no self clean feature, which makes one wonder what happens when the halogen bulbs get all gunked up. The oven comes pre-programmed with a "variety of appealing dishes". Available Q3. GE probably chose halogen heating so that they could claim no warm-up time for both parts of the combination of halogen and microwave. No one else can. http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/nahb/mngrm/monoadv.htm
Photography: http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/nahb/index_mngrm.htm
See internet demo at http://www.geadvantium.com

Island Chimney Hood Added To Wall Chimney Hood Line
A new island chimney hood manufactured by Best with the same style as the existing Monogram wall mounted chimney hood. 4 speed blower, 6 level halogen lighting, "time to clean" filter reminder. Monogram claims a
360 CFM blower performance, which is believable. http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/nahb/mngrm/hood.htm

36" Wide Built-In All Refrigerator Or All Freezer Models
Built-in 36" all-refrigerator and 36" all-freezer as an option to Sub-Zero. Monogram suggests that you install them side by side. GE built-ins have a depth of 24-3/4" versus the 24" on the Sub-Zero. Does anyone have an idea what the implications of this difference are?
http://www.geappliances.com/pressroom/nahb/mngrm/afreref.htm

Compact 24" Outdoor Grill
24" outdoor grill. What's to add?

Two 36" Gas On Tempered Glass Cooktops
Five burners (1=12,000 BTU, 3=9,500 and 1=5,000), round cast iron grates, knobs. Absolutely nothing special here except one model features an integrated telescoping downdraft with controls on the cooktop and designed specifically for both units to fit into a 24" counter depth. Total cooktop and downdraft depth is 22-1/4". The counter-top cut-out is not rectangular, but has 2 divots jutting in for the slightly reduced width downdraft. Installation fumble.

Only Water Filter In A Built-In Fridge
Monogram built-ins feature "The only built-in refrigerator with filtered water." Monogram has confirmed this claim as true. If so it will be true for about 20 minutes. We expect all built-in manufacturers to include filters. In fact, Kitchenaid also made the same claim at this year's show. (See Kitchenaid)