The year 2016 has been an interesting year for the appliance world. High-end brands like Miele and Sub-Zero/Wolf were more muted in product releases with only a few new models released this year, while smaller brands like Jenn-air and Kitchenaid made a hard push to up their game and better compete for a share of the premium appliance sales.

5 New Appliances for 2016

With the novelty of “induction” wearing off, gas cooking is making a comeback in 2016 in a big way. With both Miele and Wolf releasing new and unique gas cooking appliances.

Miele Black Glass Gas Cooktop – KM 3054 LP

Miele calls this the “Gas on Glass” Series.

Miele is still the largest family-owned luxury appliance manufacturer in the world. They work hard to continually raise the bar. This year they released two new gas cooktops with black glass platforms for a dramatic look and easier clean-up solution. Like all Miele products, the sophisticated Gas on Glass cooktops are designed for true cooking innovation.

They are available in both 24” and” 37” configurations. For ease of use, the control panel is situated in the center with with stainless steel knobs. With Miele QuickStart technology, the convenient rotary electronic controls switch the burners on without the constraint of needing to press or hold the controls. The grates are bulky and professional and are enamel coated making them dishwasher safe.

The Miele KM 3054 G Grates are dishwasher safe.

The 36″ wide KM 3054 LP cooktop comes with one extra large “Super Wok” burner, with 16,500 btu’s of high heat power. The unit also features GasStop & Restart feature which will automatically re-ignite the flame if it is extinguished while cooking. If the re-ignition fails, the gas is cut for optimal safety making this one of the safest gas cooktops on the market currently. Currently selling at the surprisingly fair price of $1,899.

Wolf 36″ Contemporary Gas Cooktop – CG365C/S

Flush Inset into the countertop, the Wolf CG365C/S is impressive to behold.

Wolf has (still) on of the best burner designs on the market currently with their dual-stacked design allowing for both high heat and very low simmering. The new Wolf 36″ Contemporary Gas Cooktop CG365C/S is a new design implementation for them, allowing for flush installation on countertops with beautiful under-counter knobs much like a range top. Yes, it’s a copy of the long-running Gaggenau design, but we can’t fault them for not copying it right.

All burners are dual-stacked.

Think of it as the “modern” interpretation on the range top. The center burner packs a punch, putting out an ultra powerful 20,000 btu’s of heat. Each knob is LED illuminated from behind – a classy touch, with a very solid metal feel. The stainless steel basin is easily cleaned up from spills and is very deep.

An simple, elegant design that reeks of high-end  culinary appeal. MSRP currently sits at $2,540.

Jenn-air 42″ Built-In Refrigerator – JF42NXFXDE

Obsidian black is striking in a showroom, but lacks practicality at home.

“Back to Black” can summarize this interesting new set of offerings from Jenn-air. It’s new line of built-in refrigerators are lined with a completely matte black interior and extensive LED lights. Many lights are needed to illuminate the contents of the interior on these refrigerators as the black absorbs all the ambient light. It makes for dramatic effect when showing off in an appliance showroom, or when you have only a few items in your refrigerator.

However we’ve found that as you fill your refrigerator up normally, it makes for a dark and not so dramatic daily experience. While there are many LED lights within the unit, more is needed in future models to make for a better daily user experience. We’ve found that once the refrigerator is filled up in regular use the black interior sucks out any ambient light, and objects begin to cast shadows inside.

How many times do you show off just one item?

Ice Maker bin pulls out on its own

The drawers and shelves seem much more sturdy than previous Jenn-air units we’ve tested, with brushed aluminum edge and soft-close mechanics.

It’s all apart of Jenn-air’s master plan to reshape its image and differentiate itself in a crowded appliance vertical. I applaud their effort, but a little refinement on this model is warranted. Current sitting with an MSRP of $8,499.

Kitchenaid 24″ Dishwasher with Window – KDTM804ESS

Take a good look, it’s still cleaning.

Ever looked at your dishwasher and thought, “I could really use a window so I can sit here and watch them get clean”? Me neither. But that hasn’t stopped Kitchenaid from using this new feature as a big marketing push for their new dishwasher offering.

After many dishwasher reviews written, this is a first for me. Don’t let the gimmickry fool you though, their new dishwasher does feature many new offerings from Kitchenaid. Including a low 44 decibel operation, a third rack (on the top line model) and interior lighting.

Control panel is a sexy gloss black w/ LED center.

The top rack is adjustable and also features bottle spray heads to deep clean inside bottles. The bottom main spray arm is 9 wash-arm spindle called the “Dynamic Wash Arm” which they claim provides 3 times better coverage. I must say though, even the best dishwasher on the market, the Miele Futura Dimension still uses a regular spray arm on the bottom  and manages to clean the dishes just as good.

It doesn’t seem to matter how many spray arms they add to the bottom of the dishwashers, the dishes aren’t getting any cleaner.

Their new drying system, called “ProDry”, uses a hidden heating element and circulation fan to dry the dishes without the need for rinse-aid. Currently, the top line KDTM804ESS has an MSRP of $2,049.

Viking 36″ Tuscany Dual-Fuel Range – TVDR3604BGB

Viking’s new Tuscany Range line is Made in Italy

This year, Viking Range went on the attack for the share of a very small, unique market. Long dominated by La Cornue and Lacanche, the vintage European style range is not a top seller by any means – but it does have a strong and loyal following. With Viking’s new Tuscany Heritage Line they aim to cater to these discerning customers by providing not just a vintage looking range, but hood and dishwasher as well.

Unlike my past Viking Range Review, the new 36″ Tuscany Dual-Fuel Range can be ordered one of two ways: either four burners, or two burners with a built-in griddle. It features solid brass burners which output a max of 20,000 btus controlled by beautifully machined die-cast polished Chrome knobs.

The oven interior is lined with stainless steel and is built like a tank. There is a storage drawer below for holding your baking pans. The Tuscany line is the only appliances from Viking that are not made in the USA. All Tuscany ranges are built to order in Italy.

Price starting at $13,679.