After years in which white has been the main protagonist, kitchen – with its appliances – gets dressed in black. Stainless steel leaves room to darker finishes with matte effect. The result is a more and more sophisticated and timeless kitchen.
by Sabrina Piacenza
Black and hi-tech, a combination that characterizes many of the new proposals arriving from the big manufacturers of kitchen home applicnes. We are speaking about devices that, besides expressing their quality through a distinctive and increasingly performant technology, do it also, and above all, connoting themselves from an aesthetic point of view. The result is a formal convergence towards a contemporary finish with a timeless matrix, which is a candidate to become the 2021 must have color: matte black. Black, in fact, a refined shade by definition, has become the trendy nuance also in the kitchen environment, characterizing all its elements, generating residential micro-architectures that play with the alternation of dark colors and lighter shades.
In particular, the technical elements such as household appliances – small, large, freestanding or built-in ones – are increasingly dye with black or its shades, ranging from dark anthracite gray, to blackboard or graphite, often with an opaque effect and a texture similar to velvet or with non-uniform shades, such as the oxidized metal effect, or with a super shiny effect. Colors wrap all materials making up these intelligent machines, from glass to metal, from plastic components to special materials. Declinations allowing to give personality and style to the whole, making possible to dialogue in a different way with light, help to differentiate the proposals for an increasingly personalized and tailored kitchen. Here are 8 proposals selected among large appliances and 1 exceptional outsider (an iconic small appliance), solutions able to create a trendy kitchen, brazenly elegant, always perfect and timeless.
The new Matt Black line by AEG blends design and functionality with a refined opaque effect dressing the kitchen environment with a distinctive elegance. The appliances of the line accompany the user on a totally interactive culinary journey, anticipating every request with simplicity. The Matt Black range includes: SteamPro, the most advanced steam oven in the line, a vacuum drawer, a warming drawer, two new compact ovens, a wine cellar that hides the Touch Control commands behind the total black surface and a new hood. This is perfect for living healthy environments thanks to super technologies including Hob2Hood which is activated automatically by adapting the suction power based on the temperature or the use of multiple areas of the hob. |
The Master Series freestanding cooker combines the style of a kitchen designed according to the most advanced technologies with the beauty of Italian design and the maximum comfort of use. The traditional soft touch round knobs, of large dimensions, are pleasant to the touch, easy and comfortable to use, designed to make the appliance on or off status clearly visible. There is a wide range of colors available including the special finish with embossed paints that gives a refined appearance to the kitchen. The matte finish, in particular, available in black, cream and wine, is more resistant than traditional paints, even when it comes to stains and scratches. Produced by Bertazzoni. |
Elle by Falmec, equipped with a powerful motor of 800 m3/h, is characterized not only by the big size - 180 cm – but also by the refined finish, a matte black that enhances its formal simplicity, creating a beautiful contrast with the Led lighting. If combined with the kitchen wall units with more clear tones, the color contrast is further more interesting and the obtained aesthetic effect becomes extraordinary. The Led strips, with shades of natural light (3000° K), illuminate the worktop in the best way, generating a welcoming atmosphere. The Elle electronic control, which allows to adjust the suction according to 4 speeds, is placed at the center of the structure allowing the installation with fireplace both to the right and to the left, depending on the needs.  |
The 4-door black stainless steel refrigerator proposed by Kitchen Aid is equipped with a combination of exceptional features: a spacious interior, premium finishes, 4.5-inch color Lcd display, wood-effect elements and a gradual lighting system. With the Sensor Fresh technology, temperature and humidity are constantly monitored by sensors to avoid thermal changes. Food storage features include a convertible space in the freezer area with more than six variable temperature settings to best preserve different types of food, while Fresh Seal drawers ensure optimal freshness for fruit and vegetables. |
400 and 200 Series by Gaggenau are a new generation of combined steam ovens that offers the possibility of dosing the steam humidity in addition to the hot air, as well as an accurate control of temperatures and the exploitation of functions such as sous-view, leavening, regeneration, defrost and grill. Another feature that the two oven series have in common is the Home Connect system, offering direct control of the appliance functions via the app. The interior design of the Gaggenau proposal has been optimized in terms of capacity, while externally the anthracite finish ensures a sophisticated effect to the combination. |
The Infinite Line range by Samsung uses material elements, giving unique sensations to the touch, and extraordinary technology. The finish is characterized by a satin glass and an opaque texture, in harmony with the most modern kitchen furnishings; the Onyx Black version is characterized by a glass that becomes mirrored, night black. To keep it always perfect, a special anti-fingerprint coating has been added to prevent the formation of unpleasant halos. The Infinite Line oven was born from the meeting between Samsung Dual Cook technology and steam. This allows to cook simultaneously with steam and traditionally during the same cooking session. |
Perfect integration for the new ovens of the Excellence Line (V2000, V4000 and V6000) by V-Zug, which are also characterized by the extreme ease of use. They can be used quickly and intuitively thanks to CircleSlider, the button located in the center of the large touch display. In the kitchen without handles, the AutoDoor function, which sees the door opening and closing automatically, allows the appliance to integrate perfectly. The oven is available in two shades: black and platinum and, thanks to the use of the mirrored glass of the fronts, it reflects colors and materials of the environment in which it is inserted. All the appliances of the Excellence Line are equipped with the connectivity function as standard and can be connected to a smartphone or tablet via the V-ZUG app. |
High-tech design and a deeply intuitive technology helping in all the steps: the new induction hob of the Mythos collection by Franke is characterized by 8 cooking zones, double Lcd touch control display, 63 automatic recipes, Flex Pro zone and French Plaque zone, the all enclosed in a total black glass hob in two sizes: 77 cm or 65 cm. The double Lcd display, with central slider, guides the creation of dishes from the moment the hob is switched on, allowing to easily select the cooking zone to be used and the power to be set from 1 to 18 (with indication of the type of cooking for which the selected power is recommended). To speed up times, up to 4 Cookassist cooking can be started at the same time or combined with traditional cooking. |
The color palette of the KitchenAid planetary mixer is very rich. Implemented every year by new and special colors, it also includes a beautiful matt black cast iron. Protagonist and real star of any kitchen, it does not need any introduction: this model, Artisan Food Processor with a 4.8 liter moving engine body is equipped with a stainless steel bowl and allows to work up to 1 kg of common flour and 12 egg whites (medium). All accessories - sturdy, durable and dishwasher safe - are made of stainless steel while the splash-proof pouring lid, which allows easy addition of ingredients without splashing, is transparent.  |
by Sabrina Piacenza
