Five Products Remodelers Love Product favorites of remodelers and designers

By Craig A. Shutt Gaggenau's Combination Steam & Convection Oven Remodelers are bombarded with information on new products. It can be difficult to sort out the wheat from the chaff and lock in on those that will truly resonate with customers and bring them new benefits — and thereby help the remodeler. So when designers find those items, they hold onto them as if they were gold. Here are five new products professionals have found that jumped out at them as innovative, functional and attractive. In each case, the remodeler either already has specified and installed the product or can't wait until that happens: 1. Gaggenau's Combination Steam & Convection Oven. "So many people are becoming aware of what they can do with their food from a health standpoint," says Mary Fisher Knott, president of Mary Fisher Design in Scottsdale, Ariz. "Steaming is one of the best ways to cook, because it retains nutrients. And it's not just for vegetables; when you steam a roast, you get the most tender meat." Combined with a convection-oven option, the stainless-steel oven provides three steam settings plus options for simmering, braising, reheating and juicing. A superfine temperature adjustment from 85 degrees Fahrenheit to 450 includes humidity options of 30, 60, 80 or 100 percent. Steam is replenished through a direct connection to the water supply. Daytona's Pneumatic Vacuum Elevator 2. Daytona's Pneumatic Vacuum Elevator. This compact (37-inch diameter) residential elevator uses vacuum technology to minimize electrical use while creating a smooth, safe ride. It provides a 360-degree panoramic view and offers as many as three stops in 35 feet. It uses no energy during descent; its advanced safety features ensure it can't fall. "Its compact size gives remodelers flexibility in installing it easily in small spaces, such as between two closets," says Dan Bawden, president of Legal Eagle Contractors in Houston. "We don't use a huge volume of elevators, but the need is growing as more aging homeowners want to remain in their homes. This keeps them from having to move their master bedroom to the first floor."   1 | 2  NEXT