Bosch

Let’s celebrate the centennial of the word “robot” in this reflection on the evolution of home appliances.

<p>We can&rsquo;t think of a better way to mark the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/robots-turn-100and-still-enthrall-us-11610773260" target="_blank">centennial of the word &ldquo;robot&rdquo;</a> than with a retrospective depicting how far our kitchen and laundry appliances have come. Our home appliances &mdash; from as small as a blender to as large as a refrigerator &mdash; have spared us a lot of physical labor, provided us with accessible means of technology, and saved us time. It&rsquo;s easy to take for granted all the benefits our home appliances bring us, which is why we are diving into their storied history. Plus, we&rsquo;re gazing into the future as our household robots continue to get techier upgrades.</p>
<h2>What is a Robot?</h2>
<p><img alt="finger about to press a power button" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_appliances/history-of-home-appliances_power-button.jpg" title="iStock Credit: Olivier Le Moal" width="700" /></p>
<p>Among a slew of definitions, the term &ldquo;robot&rdquo; refers to &ldquo;a device that automatically performs complicated, often repetitive tasks&rdquo; <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/robot" target="_blank">according to Merriam-Webster</a>. By the same dictionary, <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appliance" target="_blank">&ldquo;appliance&rdquo; is defined</a> as &ldquo;an instrument or device designed for a particular use or function.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, both terms can converge to paint a familiar picture. It&rsquo;s not hard to imagine how a washing machine facilitates the task of cleaning our clothes nor how much easier post-dinner cleanup is with a dishwasher. Now, let&rsquo;s look at the <a href="http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=3768" target="_blank">origins of some of these household MVPs</a>.</p>
<h2>The First Electrical Home Appliances</h2>
<p><img alt="black-and-white photograph of housewife removing turkey from retro oven" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_appliances/history-of-home-appliances_vintage-appliances.jpg" title="iStock Credit: George Marks" width="700" /></p>
<p><strong>Cooking Appliances</strong></p>
<p>While the first written historical record of an oven can be traced back to 1490 in France, the first patented <a href="https://www.carlsappliance.net/catalog/cooking?display_mode=products&category_id=27%2C40/" target="_blank">gas oven</a> entered the market in 1826. But it wasn&rsquo;t until the 1920s that residential kitchens in the U.S. could be outfitted with top burners and interior ovens, and innovations to the product continued as gas lines that could furnish gas to households became more common.</p>
<p>By contrast, the first <a href="https://www.carlsappliance.net/catalog/cooking?display_mode=products&category_id=23%2C37%2C38%2C39%2C2229/" target="_blank">electric ovens</a> were available in the early 1890s. But they were not fixtures of residential kitchens until the late 1920s and early 1930s, once the technology and distribution of the electricity needed to power these appliances were improved.</p>
<p>The first self-cleaning oven was released in 1963 and in 1967 the first electronic oven controls, which sparked the revolution that would see microprocessors incorporated into household appliances across many verticals.</p>
<p><strong>Refrigerators</strong></p>
<p>The first <a href="https://www.carlsappliance.net/catalog/refrigeration/" target="_blank">refrigerator</a> for home use was invented in 1913, but it wasn&rsquo;t until 1925 that Americans saw the first commercial iteration of the modern freestanding refrigerator with airtight seals.</p>
<p><strong>Dishwashers</strong></p>
<p>In 1913, the first electric <a href="https://www.carlsappliance.net/catalog/dishwashers/" target="_blank">dishwasher</a> hit the market with full-scale commercialization in 1930.</p>
<p><strong>Washers</strong></p>
<p>In the mid-1930s, the <a href="https://www.carlsappliance.net/catalog/washers/" target="_blank">washing machine</a> as we know it was born. This device was designed to wash, rinse, and extract water from clothes while eliminating the need for more cumbersome washing equipment. The first top load model was released in 1947 and marketed as a &ldquo;suds saver.&rdquo; Relatedly, the first front load washer was developed during the 1990s, promising to operate even more efficiently by using less water.</p>
<p><strong>Dryers</strong></p>
<p>The first clothes <a href="https://www.carlsappliance.net/catalog/dryers/" target="_blank">dryer</a> came about in 1935 in the form of an oil-heated drum that was designed to replace the need for hanging wet laundry outside. The first patented version could run on either gas or electricity. During the 1990s, dryers were optimized to be more environmentally friendly, thanks to sensors that shut the appliance off when the clothes are detected to be dry; previously, timers determined the end of the dry cycle.</p>
<h2>Smart Appliances: The Wave of the Future</h2>
<p><img alt="closeup of a woman operating wall oven with smartphone" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_appliances/history-of-home-appliances_smart-appliances.jpg" title="iStock Credit: AndreyPopov" width="700" /></p>
<p>For the past decade and up until this day, improvements in appliances have changed the way we prepare meals, streamline laundry, and execute household chores. It&rsquo;s become easier to multitask in the home with smart cooking appliances, refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers that you can hook up to your smartphone. From allowing you to remotely monitor your dinner roasts to kickstarting your laundry from a separate room, smart home appliances are the next wave of efficiency when it comes to providing quality care to your family.</p>
<h2>Call or Visit Us!</h2>
<p>With <a href="https://www.carlsappliance.net/catalog/appliances/" target="_blank">name-brand kitchen and laundry appliances</a> priced for every budget, we have something for everyone &mdash; including unmatched customer service. Shop our digital catalog of home appliances today! As always, our experts are always happy to help, whether you <a href="https://www.carlsappliance.net/contacts/" target="_blank">call or visit us</a> in-store.</p>

100 Years in the Making: The History Behind the Word “Robot” and Appliances

Working from home can be time-consuming, fortunately, there are these smart kitchen appliances that may make things a little easier.

Working from home can be time consuming, fortunately there are these smart kitchen appliances that may make things a little easier.

3 Smart Kitchen Appliances that Make Working from Home Easier

New year, new you ... new kitchen?

As we welcome 2019, we’re looking forward to a whole new year of innovation and style in appliance design ...

<p><img alt="A warm-toned, traditional styled kitchen with french door wall ovens." src="https://cdn.avbportal.com/magento-media/blog/151198_12_10_2018_5_00_08_PM _2_.jpg?w=700" width="1500" /></p>
<p>New year, new you ... new kitchen?</p>
<p>As we welcome 2019, we&rsquo;re looking forward to a whole new year of innovation and style in appliance design. Appliances are improving by leaps and bounds every year, so get ahead of the curve in 2019! When you start your appliance shopping this year, keep an eye on these hot trends that are sure to take American kitchens by storm.</p>
<p></p>
<h2><strong>1.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</strong><strong>Black Stainless Steel</strong></h2>
<p>The reign of plain old stainless is over and black stainless is here to take its place.</p>
<p>Though stainless steel appliances have been a mainstay in American kitchens for the past decade, some appliance shoppers have found the look cold and uninviting, and all that shiny metal that once looked so futuristic is starting to seem dated. Regardless of your feelings on stainless steel, with the passage of time comes the changing of fashion, and now the warm, bold look of black stainless is all the rage. This trend is just starting to pick up steam and will likely continue full force into 2019 and beyond. So, if you&rsquo;re thinking of updating your kitchen appliances soon, don&rsquo;t get left behind in the land of plain old stainless steel, and start building your gorgeous black stainless collection.</p>
<p></p>
<h2><strong>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </strong><strong>Reimagined Ovens</strong></h2>
<p>The old bottom-hinge oven door is so over. Instead of hunching and reaching and hoping your oven door doesn&rsquo;t swing shut on your hands, several brands are reimagining the traditional wall oven. Side opening ovens by Bosch and French door ovens by GE are taking center stage in a major way, and for good reason. Not only are they easier to use &mdash; especially for people in wheelchairs or with coordination problems &mdash; they also look sleek and gorgeous. As more and more brands are releasing French door ovens designed for home use, we expect this trend to take over the market big time this year.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><strong>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </strong><strong>Smart Appliances</strong></h2>
<p>Leave those old analog appliances in the past! 2019 is the year of smart everything, and that includes your appliances.</p>
<p>Nearly every major appliance brand on the market has at least one smart model available, and we only expect that number to grow. Now, you can control your appliances from across the house with Amazon Alexa or Google Home, or while away from home with your smartphone. Who doesn&rsquo;t want to get work done around the house more easily? Connected appliances make mealtime, cleanup, and everyday living simple, and now that the smart appliance train has left the station, it&rsquo;ll be full speed ahead all through 2019.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><strong>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </strong><strong>Under-the-Counter Appliances</strong></h2>
<p>Home design and appliance design trends are often closely connected, and perhaps the best example of that principle this year is the popularity of under-counter appliances. One of the biggest trends in kitchen design this past year is minimizing &ndash; or even eliminating &ndash; upper cabinets. As that trend gains popularity, appliances are adapting to match.</p>
<p>Under-counter fridges are becoming a popular choice to complement a regular fridge, and microwaves can often be found built-in beneath an island countertop rather than up above. As a result of this trend, drawer appliances are also having their day in the sun this year &ndash; you can get microwaves, refrigerators, and even dishwashers in built-in, drawer form.</p>
<p></p>
<p><img alt="A grey and white modern kitchen with two large column refrigerators." src="https://cdn.avbportal.com/magento-media/blog/iStock-172432728 _2_.jpg?w=700" />&nbsp;</p>
<p></p>
<h2><strong>5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </strong><strong>Column Refrigeration</strong></h2>
<p>It&rsquo;s all about custom this year, and column fridge freezers are just another way homeowners are being empowered to have their homes their way. With column refrigeration, you can mix and match your fridge and freezer, add extra fridge space if you need it, and design your cooling appliances to blend seamlessly with the rest of your cabinets. Column fridges also typically come complete with all the latest refrigeration technology, like odor seal, temperature zones, and so much more. The tech &ndash; and the designs &ndash; will just keep getting better in 2019, so keep an eye on the latest models as they&rsquo;re released.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Don&rsquo;t let this year&rsquo;s trends catch you by surprise! Check back on our blog and Facebook page to keep getting the latest on appliance trends, styles, and tech, as well as expert help for all your appliance needs. We can help you stay up to date every day of the year &ndash; and at unbeatable prices too! So what are you waiting for? Get shopping!</p>

5 Appliance Trends to Look Out for in 2019 

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100 Years in the Making: The History Behind the Word “Robot” and Appliances

3 Smart Kitchen Appliances that Make Working from Home Easier

5 Appliance Trends to Look Out for in 2019

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