AHAM's Blog

It's AHAM's 45th Anniversary!

2012 marks AHAM’s 45^th anniversary— and a lot has changed since 1967!  In 45 years, the appliance industry has grown to a $30 billion industry, shipping more than 200 million home appliances per year!   Watch Leading the Way a retrospective on our proud history and how AHAM will lead into the future.

 

 

1967 was also the year that the Amana Radarange, the first major introduction of a microwave oven, went on sale for sale for $495, or about $2,000 in today’s dollars. The House Beautiful and Retro Renovation have slideshows of typical American kitchens from the 1960s.  Talk about Memory Lane!

Here are some other 1967 stats thanks to these two web sites (here and here)! 

How much things cost in 1967
Yearly Inflation Rate USA 2.78%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 905
Average Cost of new house $14,250.00
Average Income per year $7,300.00
Average Monthly Rent $125.00
Gas per Gallon 33 cents
Average Cost of a new car $2,750.00
Movie Ticket $1.25
The Federal Minimum Wage is increased to $1.40 an hour

Headlines from 1967

• Jimmy Hoffa begins an 8 year prison term for defrauding the union and jury tampering
• The 25th Amendment to the constitution is ratified which deals with succession to the Presidency
• Thurgood Marshall becomes the first black justice on the Supreme Court.
• Muhammad Ali is stripped of his heavyweight title for refusing induction into US army
• President Johnson asks for a 6 percent increase on taxes to support the Vietnam War
• Ten of thousands of Vietnam War protesters march in Washington, D.C.
• World’s First Heart Transplant operation in South Africa by Dr. Christiaan N Barnard
• The Concorde is seen for the first time in public.
• The first ATM ( Automatic Teller Machine ) is put into service in Barclays Bank in London

The Home of the Future…from 1957

What images are conjured up when you envision the “Home of the Future?”   Nowadays, you might think of a kitchen equipped with modern-looking smart appliances that can be controlled from your smart phone.  If so, you would be correct because those technologies are currently being developed and will not only save you time and effort in the kitchen, but help to lower your utility bills with increased energy efficiency.

However, six decades ago, the “Home of the Future” was envisioned very differently.  At Disneyland in Anaheim California, the Monsanto Home of the Future became a major attraction in 1957 that showcased what a typical American home would be like in 1986. Some things, such as microwaves and dishwashers, would become ubiquitous. However, some parts of this futuristic kitchen never came to pass and now seem kitschy by today’s standards, such as all-plastic dinnerware, using the dishwasher to store the dishes, and replacing the refrigerator/freezer with hidden “cold zones” for “irradiated food.”

This website features more information about the Monsanto Home of the Future and includes a fun 8-minute film from the late 1950s of a housewife daydreaming about living there. You can see more pictures of the Home of the Future here.  

Or watch here:

 

What do you think of this Monsanto Home of the Future?    What do you hope the Home of the Future will look like?    Tell us!

AHAM Produces Smart Appliance Panel for the 2012 International CES

AHAM is proud to be hosting and moderating a panel discussion on January 11 titled “Window to Tomorrow’s Connected Home” at the 2012 International CES held in Las Vegas, January 10-13. It will be moderated by Kevin Messner, AHAM’s Vice President, Policy and Government Relations, and panelists include business, manufacturing and retail sector leaders.

Panelists will give the audience a peek inside tomorrow’s connected home, and will discuss what consumers can expect in terms of functionality, timing and total home integration.   Panelists include:

• Kris Bowring – Senior Director, Platform Lead, New Business CSG, Best Buy
• Jean-Claude Junqua – Managing Director, Panasonic Silicon Valley Laboratory, Panasonic
• Dave McAlpin – General Manager, Home Energy Management, GE
• Warwick Stirling – Senior Director of Energy and Sustainability, Whirlpool

Click here to register for the 2012 International CES.   See you in Vegas!

Space Saving Appliances: Small, Tidy and Mighty!

Pick up the June issue of Kitchen and Bath Ideas Magazine, or visit KitchenBathideas.com to read their “Small But Mighty” article (pg. 27) on space saving appliances that make meal prep and cleanup easier!    Many of your kitchen appliances are available in smaller sizes or space saving configurations.   If you are redesigning your kitchen, the sky is the limit with configurations, sizes and styles to choose from.   Consider multiple dishwasher drawers in lieu of a tall tub configuration and as I stated in the magazine, try it before you buy it!  Bring your most-frequently used tray or serving dish with you and “bring measurements with you when you shop to ensure you buy the right-sized appliance- especially if it’s one that will be installed, such as a warming drawer.”  The article includes a buying and planning guide—so check it out before making your next purchase.

 

Join the Washington Post's Home Front Live Chat Tomorrow with AHAM's Jill Notini

AHAM's VP, Communications and Marketing, Jill Notini will be the special guest on the Washington Post's weekly "Home Front" live chat.  Jill will be joining hosts Jura Koncius and Terri Sapienza to answer your questions and talk about the latest appliance trends.  Log on tomorrow at www.washingtonpost.com at 11 A.M. EST to join the chat!

AHAM Participating in 2011 International CES

AHAM will be exhibiting in the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) beginning tomorrow in Las Vegas.  Home appliances will be featured at CES for the first time in the Connected Home Appliances TechZone, co-sponsored by AHAM and The Retail Observer. 

The Connected Home Appliance TechZone will display innovative home appliance technologies and allow visitors to experience the latest interactive, energy efficient and Smart Grid enabled appliances as well as concepts that will be incorporated in future product designs.  This is a unique opportunity to experience advanced home appliance technologies.

Attendees can visit AHAM at this TechZone at the Las Vegas Convention Center in South Hall 2 from January 6-9.

Less is more when it comes to detergent

NBC Washington, with the help of AHAM and the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA), aired a segment last week on how much detergent people should be using to wash their clothes.  You may be surprised to see most people use about twice the recommended amount!  Watch the video below to see some tips from the experts to keep your clothes fresh and your clothes washer running smoothly.

Have you tried a rice cooker?

The rice cooker is one of the most convenient kitchen items you may be overlooking. 

More and more people are discovering the rice cooker, including celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.  A recent AHAM study shows that only 23% of households have a rice cooker, and 73% of those people got theirs within the past four years.

In his weekly column "Wolfgang's Kitchen," he proclaims his loyalty to the "humble rice cooker" and shares recipes for other dishes that can be made with this small appliance.  Wolfgang enjoys making perfectly cooked rice with little effort and freeing up a burner on his cooktop.  Read his column for some expert tips on cooking rice, macaroni and cheese and his recipe for macaroni and cheese with wild mushrooms. 

Research Shows Increase in Coffeemaker Usage

A new consumer research study published by AHAM details the impact of the US economy on portable appliance usage among owners of small appliances.

According to the research, 26% of espresso/cappuccino coffeemaker owners stated that they have used their appliance significantly more in the past 1-2 years due to the economy.  Also, 21% of single-serve coffeemaker owners have used more on this appliance more due to economic conditions. Only 9% of auto-drip coffeemaker owners have used their appliance more frequently. 

57% of espresso/cappuccino coffeemaker owners said that they somewhat or strongly agree that they use their appliance to save money over coffeeshop prices.   Espresso/cappuccino coffeemaker owners may be saving up to $1,000 per year by brewing their coffee at home! 

AHAM’s new Portable Appliance Saturation and Usage Study is based on a nationally representative sample of more than 2,500 households and was conducted by The Stevenson Company for AHAM members.

Also, check out Good Housekeeping's take on low-cost espresso makers.  They also give their ratings to 19 different models that are all under $100.

Frozen Food Safety

NBC 4 in Washington, D.C. recently broadcast a segment on frozen food safety where consumer reporter Liz Crenshaw tested a variety of frozen food products.  She reminds consumers that it is essential to follow the manufacturers' instructions when cooking a frozen meal in the microwave or conventional oven.  Some foods may need to sit after cooking to ensure the proper internal temperature is reached.  Know your microwave wattage, use a thermometer and follow the instructions exactly.   Watch the video below to see the full segment:

AHAM has more information about microwave ovens under the consumer information section of our web site.