I saw some pretty sexy stuff at the recent Jenn-Air showcase in the Distillery District. And I’m not talking about Jenn-Air designer William MacDonald and MC Arren Williams – although they both cleaned up nicely too. Check out the Jenn-Air kitchen in the pic at left - all sleek clean lines and floating black glass surfaces. One of the things that had the normally hard-to-impress audience enthralled was the new duct-free downdraft cooktop, which can be used in any space where ductwork can’t be run to the outside (think high-rises). The system vents to an under- the-counter unit that uses a powerful blower to push steam and smoke through a filter (which needs to be changed every three months or so). The theory sounds good — rather than a mixing odours with the air by fanning them, smells are immediately captured and forced through the filter.
The system is also supposed to be super quiet, although it was hard to tell with the crowd ooh-ing and ahh-ing the way they were. The duct-free design means the range can be placed virtually anywhere in the room. It also has tap touch controls, and comes in stainless steel, floating glass and oiled bronze (this is not the same oiled bronze Jenn-Air came out with a few years ago and which I found a little too yellow – it’s deeper and richer and, to my mind, much more attractive.) Available in 30-inch and 36-inch configurations in both gas and electric, prices start at about $2,150. Jenn-Air also boasts that this baby has the most powerful burner on a downdraft cooktop and electronic ignition. I also loved the built-in wall oven (more on that later).
Comments