Daily Real Estate News  |  March 29, 2007  |   Latest Home Appliances Easier to Clean
Consumers' demand for convenience has been the greatest force shaping the appliance industry, says Kurt-Ludwig Gutberlet, CEO of BSH Bosch, the German appliance manufacturer.

People don’t want to clean, Gutherlet says, so products like ceramic cooktops are increasingly popular, and he predicts induction cooking where heat is generated in the pan not in the stove will be the next big things.

“You have a cooktop that you can put your hand on after two or three minutes. It’s very convenient for cleaning,” he says.

Another trend is consumer willingness to pay for energy efficiency. “Just look at the front-loading [washing machine]. It’s amazing. Nobody thought this very traditional top-loader market would switch so fast.”

Source: The Charlotte Observer, Nichole Monroe Bell (03/27/2007)