PITTSBURGH — Chef Anthony Marino is the executive chef at Don’s Appliances outside of Pittsburgh. As a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef working at the local chain of appliance stores, he sees and uses all the latest high-end appliances.
In the luxury homes that he outfits, built-in appliances are a trend, as well as calming earth tones for appliances — trend watchers say steel is on its way out. However, Marino notes that the store carries the Italian brand Bertazzoni, whose appliances are painted in the same plant as Ferraris.
“So you could get a Ferrari-red range,” he said with a smile.
Rounded edges for cabinets, occasional pops of color amid the browns and moss greens, arty backsplashes and bold choices in stone countertops are also what experts are seeing for 2025.
Another growing trend is for smart appliances, some enhanced by artificial intelligence. There are small appliances that you can control from your smartphone and that may offer a collection of recipes, like smart air fryers, microwaves, tea kettles, coffee mills and even ice makers.
More interesting, though, might be larger smart appliances, such as ovens and refrigerators.
AI-DRIVEN FRIDGES AND OVENS
A leader in this field is Samsung, which has a new Bespoke AI refrigerator line in a variety of styles, sporting touchscreens that measure anywhere from 9 to 32 inches, the largest in the industry.
Following its “Screens Everywhere” vision, Samsung has created the “Family Hub” screen to help you curate your Spotify playlist, check the weather and issue reports on energy usage.
More than that, there’s tech inside the fridge that keeps track of the food that goes in and out. It can automatically add items to a grocery list — or an Instacart list — and alert you when things are about to expire.
Using items you have on hand, the refrigerator can even suggest recipes and help with meal planning.
There are five temperature zones, tailored for optimal storage of different kinds of food.
Samsung also has Bespoke ovens equipped with screens that can access weather info, YouTube and Spotify. It can connect to other smart appliances to show you camera views of other dishes.
It can store up to 80 recipes, with cooking times and temperatures, as well as allow you to manually enter family faves. The oven monitors and manages its energy use.
SOFT-BOILED EGGS WITHOUT BOILING
Don’s Appliances does not yet have AI appliances, though Anthony says the store is soon expecting an LG AI oven that will scan what you put in the oven and provide the correct cooking temperature.
He does tout other smart, connected appliances the chain carries, such as Wolf convection ovens that also operate as steam ovens. The steam function even lets you cook risotto in the oven.
It also has a roast probe that will monitor the temperature of meat and let you know when it’s at your desired doneness.
“You can do bakery products, desserts — anything, even eggs,” he said. “Hard-cooked, soft-cooked — boom!”
Customers want “one-stop cooking,” he said.
“They want built-in recipes. They want the connectivity with your phone — so it’ll give you a text alert when the food is ready,” he said. “You can manage your dinner or your dessert from anywhere you have a Wi-Fi signal — outside by the pool, on your deck.”
Don’s features a suite of connected LG ThinQ Signature appliances, including ovens, refrigerators and a wine cellar that scans your bottles and keeps them at the proper storage temperature. It will alert you when a wine is both sufficiently aged and cooled to the right temperature.
“Say we put a 2020 in here, and now it’ll give you an alert saying this is ready to roll,” he said.
LUXURY APPLIANCES FOR LUXURY HOMES
Included in the LG luxury lines is a connected $15,000 refrigerator, which offers a live camera view of the contents and a similarly priced range with both induction and gas cooking, a convection-steam oven and built-in sous vide. So what sort of person buys such an item?
“Usually, let’s say, a 4,800-square-foot home, new build, probably $1.3 million,” Marino said.
No matter the price, from baseline to luxury appliances, connectivity is the key, he said.
But if you’re more interested in looks than tech, Marino pointed out different appliance finishes.
“Some people are over stainless [steel],” he said.
Alternatives are matte white, brushed copper and matte black. For fashion victims, there’s a blue-and-white Dolce & Gabbana SMEG refrigerator for $5,500.
For some flash, check out the 60-inch brushed-brass GE Monogram fridge with leather handles, $1,200.
“This is the cool factor,” Marino said.
And do folks actually use their fancy appliances once they’re installed?
“There are people that have never touched their range in two years,” he admitted.
But there are also many consumers of luxury appliances that have families and are actually putting their appliances to daily use. He takes a live-and-let-live attitude.
“We obviously want you to cook better, eat better and enjoy your lifestyle.”
