- Recent trends show boomers, empty nesters and young professionals moving into cities and smaller dwellings.
- GE Monogram® 30-inch, fully integrated refrigerators with "convertible" drawer add flexibility to smaller kitchens.
- New Monogram refrigerators are first in the U.S. to use the R600A refrigerant, which has a lower global warming impact than commonly used refrigerants today
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As more Americans repatriate cities and opt for smaller dwellings, GE Monogram is offering luxury appliances in more versatile options. GE Monogram's 30-inch fully-integrated refrigerator and wine reserve will add a third storage compartment -- a "convertible" drawer, which can be set for fresh foods, frozen foods or wine storage to add flexibility to smaller kitchens. The new household refrigerators, available in the first quarter of 2011, will also be the first in the U.S. to use the R600A refrigerant for a lower global warming impact.
"Transitioning to city living or smaller spaces does not mean sacrificing on luxury, style or innovation in the kitchen," said Merrell Grant, general manager, GE Brand & Advertising. "Early next year, GE Monogram is launching a new 30-inch fully integrated refrigerator, which can be installed true-flush with surrounding cabinetry, to complement a full suite of appliances that are 30 inches in width or smaller. These new refrigerators will also have a reduced environmental impact, which has become increasingly important to American consumers."
Cooling it on the emissions: The new Monogram refrigerators and wine reserve will be the first in the U.S. to use the R600A refrigerant, which has a lower global warming impact than common refrigerants in the U.S. today.1 Additionally, these refrigerators will use cyclopentane as the insulation foam-blowing agent to replace commonly used, higher-emitting HFC foam-blowing agents. Read more>
Flexibility for custom spaces: The GE Monogram 30-inch refrigerator and wine reserve offer ultimate cooling, installation and style flexibility.
- Storage and cooling flexibility: The new refrigerators include three compartments: a fresh food compartment, a freezer drawer with an ice maker, and a "convertible" drawer that can be set from negative-6 degrees Fahrenheit to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. "Not everyone has room for an extra freezer or wine reserve in their home, and this convertible drawer adds great flexibility to meet individual needs," Grant said. The wine reserve includes an upper and lower refrigerated cabinet that when combined, can store up to 106 bottles of wine. The upper refrigerated cabinet of the wine reserve comes complete with dual zones to allow for storing and serving both white and red wine simultaneously at their optimal temperatures. The compartment also offers six full extension wooden wine racks, along with a display shelf.
- Fully integrated installation: Available in 80-inch, which are reversible, and 84-inch heights, the refrigerator doors are equipped with an articulating hinge for a fully integrated installation, enabling them to be completely out of sight behind surrounding cabinetry.
- Style -- GE's first glass door option: The new refrigerators will be available with a solid door and also with GE's first glass door option, and the wine reserve will be available with a glass door. The refrigeration panels from GE Monogram come in various style options -- including European styling with tubular handles; Professional styling with robust handles; or they can be installed with custom panels from the homeowner's cabinetry.
Culinary benchmark for food preservation: These new refrigerators also serve as a culinary benchmark for food preservation, equipped with two separate sealed refrigeration systems to help the fresh food section maintain humidity, while preventing odor transfer between compartments.
Luxury in smaller packages: The launch of GE Monogram's 30-inch refrigerators corresponds to the repopulation of urban areas,2 as well as a desire for smaller homes. A recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study showed significant growth in the number of residential building permits in "urban core communities" in roughly half of the 50 examined areas.3 According to the EPA, this demonstrates a "fundamental shift in the real estate market."
Additionally, a recent study by real-estate search engine Trulia found that only 9 percent of homeowners desire a home more than 3,200 square feet in size, while more than one-third claim their ideal home size is less than 2,000 square feet.4 While homes may be getting a bit smaller, the desire for luxury kitchens is still a growing trend. The introduction of GE Monogram's 30-inch fully integrated refrigerators and wine reserve will round out Monogram's metropolitan appliance offerings, which include 30-inch (or smaller) cooktops, wall ovens, professional gas ranges, professional hoods, under-counter refrigeration, and new European-style dishwashers.
Available soon in a city near you: New 30-inch GE Monogram refrigerators will be available in the first quarter of 2011 where Monogram appliances are sold. Estimated retail: $6,249-$6,749.
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About GE Appliances & Lighting
GE Appliances & Lighting spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliances, lighting, systems and services for commercial, industrial and residential use. Technology innovation and the company's ecomagination(SM) initiative enable GE Appliances & Lighting to aggressively bring to market products and solutions that help customers meet pressing environmental challenges. General Electric (NYSE: GE), imagination at work, sells products under the Monogram®, Profile™, GE®, Hotpoint®, Reveal® and Energy Smart® consumer brands, and Tetra®, Vio™ and Immersion® commercial brands. For more information, consumers may visit www.ge.com.
1 GE had originally filed a petition under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program, which evaluates alternatives to substances being phased out under the Clean Air Act for protection of the stratospheric ozone layer. In response, EPA has issued a draft rule approving isobutane for use in household refrigerators, subject to certain use conditions. Conversion of household refrigerators to hydrocarbon refrigerants will be dependent on EPA approval and favorable public policy supporting the transition.
2 CNNMoney.com. "Cities are hot again." http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/15/real_estate/return_to_cities/index.htm. 15 June 2006.
3 Environmental Protection Agencies. "Residential Construction Trends in America's Metropolitan Regions." http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/construction_trends.htm. January 2009
4 CNBC. "Death of the 'McMansion: Era of Huge Homes is Over." http://www.cnbc.com/id/38757287. 19 August 2010.
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Allison Gatta