"What Does That Do?!" Our Guide to Mysterious (Yet Helpful!) Appliances

Let’s face it, the appliances-world offers such diversity, such an amazing amount of functionality, that you’re bound to end up thinking “what on Earth does that do?” sooner or later. Here’s a lineup of products and features that often cause some mystification - but might turn out to be exactly what you needed!

Warming Drawer:

A slimline appliance designed to be slid-out from cabinetry, Warming Drawers bring added flexibility to your kitchen. They are mainly designed to keep food warm, once cooked, without dehydrating or taking up space in your oven. Ideal for those who like to entertain regularly, they can also be used for warming up plates. 

DishDrawer™:

Similarly, a DishDrawer™ is as stylishly unobtrusive a presence in your kitchen as any other normal kitchen drawer. In this case, basically, it’s a more compact kind of dishwasher - a single drawer version, in fact. 

Why would that be useful? Well, they will fit more readily into a kitchen where space is at a premium, in particular those from apartments. Secondly, you can more regularly and economically clean up smaller loads - perfect if you happen to be a couple (or living solo, for that matter) in said apartment. This piece of ingenuity has been brought to you by Fisher & Paykel. 

Vacuum Sealer:

Not actually a means to dispose of an old vacuum cleaner, this product is an ideal kitchen complement for those who regularly enjoy the art of sous-vide cooking (a method which involves sealing food in a bag, then cooking it at a very precise temperature in a water bath). 

Available in a variety of configurations (you can find them in the form of benchtop small-appliances but they are also available as an underbench drawer), they make the process of enjoying the benefits of Sous Vide cooking, which locks in the flavours, nutrients and texture of your food, much more reliable and manageable.

Trim Kit:

Okay, this is really an appliance accessory - but one that still may be mysterious to you. A trim kit is simply a piece of metal fitted between the edges of the case of an appliance and the surrounding cabinetry to complete a seamless “built-in” aesthetic in your kitchen.

The most common examples at Winning Appliances are those applying to microwaves, but you can also find trim kits available for products such as fridges, tapware and barbecues.

Combi-Microwave Oven:

An appliance that actually combines the cooking convection oven and grill with those of a microwave oven. That’s a lot of versatility at your fingertips: you can achieve the very quick heat-ups of the conventional microwave - with the added abilities of roasting, crisping and browning. So, yay for combi-microwaves! 

Drying Cabinet:

A Drying Cabinet can be an extremely useful component of a laundry - allowing you to quickly, effectively, and most importantly, carefully - dry items which aren’t normally suitable for a conventional dryer: think hats, boots, shoes and delicate materials such as silk, velvet and satin.

Downdraft Rangehood:

A downwhat rangehood? Well, it’s not really a “hood” at all: located at the back of a cooktop - they remain discretely out of sight until rising into a vertical position, where they draw fumes from the kitchen, before pushing them downwards to be expelled via ducting. That's a good option for those who want an absolutely streamlined kitchen design.

And of course, if you're interested in any of these products - but need more information - please feel free to contact us online or visit your nearest Winning Appliances showroom and talk to one of our product experts.