Finalists - Environmental Innovation Product Award for Kitchens

Designed by Makio Hasuike, Hotpoint’s Openspace is a built-in oven that provides the versatility of a double oven in a single oven space. This model offers 20% more cooking space than a traditional single oven, with its 70 litre capacity, but within a single oven dimension. With the use of a thermally insulating divider this space can be easily converted into a double oven with independent time and temperature controls. The oven is highly energy conscious too with an A rating for energy and proven savings of 25% energy and up to 40% in heat-up time with its specially designed grill.

This dishwasher from appliance specialist Maytag defi es the myth among consumers that dishwashers are not environmentally friendly. The machine has a huge load capacity of 17 place settings but it was the minimal total water and energy required to wash a full load that impressed the judges. A full daily load can be washed using just 9.9 litres of water and 1.05kWh of electricity. Built-in sensors monitor and adapt its wash programmes according to soil level, to ensure minimum water and energy use. The Maytag XXL17 is built using high grade recyclable stainless steel with each part weighing over 50 grams labelled for recycling. It is engineered and built to ensure durability to an equivalent of 15 years’ service.

Eco is the result of a €4.5m research and development campaign by Cosentino to fi nd a way to produce environmentally friendly work surfaces. This range of decorative surfaces is made from 75% post-industrial and post-consumer recycled raw materials including glass from windows and bottles and porcelain from china, tiles, sinks and toilets. The recycled content is then mixed with other materials including stone wash and is bonded together with a part-eco resin. Available in an array of colours and fi nishes, Eco surfaces are produced using brand new state of the art-technology. Eco has been recognised for its eco credentials by organisations worldwide.

Reducing energy consumption not only saves money for the consumer but also considers the impact on the environment. The Super Eco L64580LE washing machine from Aeg-Electrolux considers both of these concerns. This intelligent model features various water saving settings and uses special technology that enables it to wash clothes effectively with cold water alongside specially designed washing powders and solutions such as Ariel Excel Gel. This revolutionary feature allows it to operate using only 0.1kWh of energy consumption per wash compared with average consumption of 1.24kWh. This provides energy savings of 83% against an easycare 40ºC wash.