NKBA’s Thirty Under 30 Class of 2022 at the SKS Napa Valley Experience & Design Center.

SKS detailed its latest products aimed at the Technicurean® at its Napa Valley Experience & Design Center. By Dianne M. Pogoda and Alice Bailey

 

LG Electronics and its luxury line Signature Kitchen Suite(SKS) hosted two dozen kitchen and bath pros last week at its state-of-the-art Experience & Design Center(EDC) in Napa Valley, Calif.  During the two-day event, SKS shared its latest appliance advancements aimed at today’s “Technicureans®” — affluent homeowners aged 35-54 with a unique appreciation and passion for food and innovation, who are as comfortable with technology as they are around the kitchen.

SKS’s new dual built-in undercounter refrigerator/freezer drawers offer six temperature zones: pantry, fridge, bar, seafood, meat or freezer. The drawers also offer the precise food preservation temperature control and Wi-Fi connectivity.

The hosted group toured the EDC and learned about SKS products and technology coming to market in the next few months,  with some items being introduced at KBIS 2023 in Las Vegas, Jan. 31 to Feb. 2.  Current members and alumni of NKBA’s prestigious Thirty Under 30 program, which recognizes outstanding young professionals, and two winners of an NKBA New Members prize package participated in the experience – an experience that included a hands-on sous vide cooking demo with SKS Executive Chef Nicholas Ritchie, focus groups about the target market for this product line, and a discussion on what clients were requesting most.

“Affluent customers want quality, and sometimes the quality justifies the price of the product.” —Sue Bailey, Director of Product Planning, SKS

Susan Cozzi, senior product trainer for SKS, and Sue Bailey, Director of Product Planning, presented the sessions, which described Technicureans as more interested in buying high quality and the experience than in buying a brand name.  “Boomers are more brand-centric and status-driven, while Gen X and Millennials are more experience and performance-driven,”said Bailey, adding this group values function and performance over prestige.

The versatile SKS 48-inch Dual-Fuel Pro Range features a built-in sous vide and two-zone induction and gas cooking on top, plus two ovens below. It is also Wi-Fi enabled, compatible with the ThinQ® Control app and works with Android or iPhone.

“Affluent customers want quality, and sometimes the quality justifies the price of the product,” she noted, adding that the luxury customer demographic has become younger, loves to cook, and are socially conscious food consumers. With these characteristics in mind, SKS is targeting a new generation of passionate, forward-thinking cooks who appreciate innovation and appliances that combine cutting-edge technology with more flexibility to prepare food in the best way possible.

For more information on SKS products, click here.