Blowing Hot and Cold

In probably nine out of ten movies where they show a scene of an elegant, large kitchen, the refrigerators are Sub-Zero. Look again at the movie Meet The Parents where Owen Wilson, the rich ex-boyfriend of Ben Stiller’s girlfriend, tours Robert De Niro and his family around the house and boasts, "Let me show you my twin Sub-Zs." Or, if you scan the real estate pages in US newspapers, you may encounter this kind of an ad: "4 bedrooms, 6 T&B, porch, landscaped lawn, 4 CG, swimming pool, big kitchen with Sub-Zero." Refrigerators aren’t exactly a come-on to house hunters, but if they’re a Sub-Zero, apparently sellers include that info to increase their homes’ appeal.

All this according to Kurtis J. Hargens, Sub-Zero Distributors Inc. vice president for sales, who was in town last month to attend its local distributor Focus Global’s participation at the Worldbex.

Sub-Zero has been making refrigerators and freezers for nearly 60 years, starting out in the basement of Westye F. Bakke’s Wisconsin home. Two years later, he moved up his laboratory: not to a large factory but to his two-car garage!

The first units that Sub-Zero built for residential use looked like industrial cabinets with heavy latches (not exactly pretty). Today, its award-winning designs are so flexible that you can build your kitchen around it, whether you choose the company’s traditional stainless steel refs or decide for the softer look of wood or the practical option of glass doors.

Two years ago, Sub-Zero acquired Wolf, a leading name in commercial and residential cooking instruments. Wolf has been manufacturing ovens and ranges for over 70 years and is mostly known for its commercial side. You see Wolf range tops in restaurants and hotels. How do you know it’s a Wolf? Look for the big red knobs (they also come in blue now), which have now become a status symbol, too.

Even the most modest chefs are known to occasionally brag about their Sub-Zeros and Wolfs. After all, these two are referred to as "kitchen soulmates."

What defines a Sub-Zero ref is its focus on both the technology at work and the product design. Even in the 1950s, it was so technologically advanced that its industrial refrigeration unit developed freezers for military use, "to simulate high-altitude conditions for testing rocket motors, to test batteries for the navy, to test jet fighter fire extinguishers for the air force, to invent freeze-dried coffee, and to do research for the Atomic Energy Commission."

If it could do that for the US military, imagine what it can do for your pint of Haagen Dazs.

According to Hargens, only Sub-Zero uses two separate compressors; other brands use only one compressor. The difference is with a single compressor, the unit shares air between freezer and refrigerator. "Dual refrigeration," on the other hand, is more efficient. In the refrigerator side, it "maintains higher humidity and circulates the air to ensure uniform temperature." In the freezer side, it locks in the moisture of the food.

Again, in English please. Hargens elaborates, "Have you ever had ice that tasted funny? That’s because with a single compressor, the freezer and refrigerator are sharing air, so if you have onions that smell, it comes through on the freezer side. At the same time, the warm air in the refrigerator goes to your freezer and sucks out all the moisture from your food. This single system also melts the food in the freezer because it’s on a time defrost (every 12 hours thereabouts), and you get freezer burn. Ever see ice crystals on your food or your ice cream? That’s because of the defrost cycle which heats up the air so the food in the freezer thaws a little bit and then freezes again."

With two compressors, one system works on the refrigerator side to keep fresh food fresher. The other system works on the frozen food side, which produces dry air that prevents excessive freeze. There’s no sharing of air, so your mango ice cream tastes like mango, not leftover burritos.

Believe it or not, a single compressor actually uses up more energy than two compressors. "What uses more energy in a refrigerator is the defrost cycle. Sub-Zero has what’s called the adaptive defrost, which means the compressor only works when it has to. It adapts to your lifestyle, like in the summer months you may be using your freezer a lot more – to get ice cream or ice. But the rest of the time, you probably use your refrigerator 80 percent of the time and the freezer only 20 percent. With other brands, their one compressor works all the time, using more energy. Dual refrigeration is energy efficient, using less electricity than a 100-watt light bulb."

Sub-Zero’s emphasis on exceptional product design started way back in the 1950s as well, when it developed the built-in refrigerator much to the delight of architects and interior designers to whom the bulky refrigerator always 2posed a problem. Indeed, where to put the refrigerator?

The models that were subsequently produced fit in nicely within their environments. Homeowners must get a kick out of seeing their guests trying to figure out where the refrigerator is. With wood paneling, it can look like a cupboard while the under the counter units can look like ordinary drawers. Or, if you want it to grab attention, fit it with glass doors so you can easily spot that half-eaten Mars bar you should not have.

The lines that Sub-Zero produces are as flexible as they are comprehensive. Its 600 series, for instance, comes in three designs: stainless steel, framed and overlay. "Right now, the stainless steel is hotter than the wood panel," says Hargens. "A year and a half ago, the overlay was popular because it was new and because they could match the handles with their cabinetry."

Industrial design coming into the home has seen more and more kitchens looking like the backrooms of restaurants. With stainless steel and glass countertops, cabinets and refs, you can pretend to be a chef like Richard Gere in Autumn in New York, with Winona Ryder lounging on your countertop and you telling her about a past love who ate ice cream with a fork. Or you can pretend to be Penelope Cruz in Woman on Top. Ah, the possibilities are endless.

A favorite of those who can afford this premium brand is the Sub-Zero 700 series. This series lets you put your refrigerators and freezers wherever you want them: in your kitchen, master bedroom, living room or family room. Hargens says people have even put it in their bathrooms. Convenience is the key word here. (Laziness also comes to mind.) You can reach out for a glass of wine or a celery stick wherever you are.

Available as tall units or drawers, they can be integrated into a kitchen island as drawers or into your entertainment cabinet. The controls are in the front and are digital instead of mechanical so you can easily adjust them to your needs.

Made for "passionate cooks," Wolf products are still hand-built in its state-of-the-art facility in Wisconsin. Like their Sub-Zero counterparts, Wolf products blend technology and design. Since the company was acquired, new designs have come out to complement the refrigerators of Sub-Zero. "We’ve changed the look of this commercial-looking product and given it a residential look," says Hargens. "We have these new ovens that are going to be the ticket. There’s nothing like it in the market."

The Philippine market is a promising one for Sub-Zero and Wolf, according to Cara R. Salangsang, Focus Global Inc.’s coordinator. "We have a long list of clients in the country. They range from top business leaders to professionals. People who know about good quality know about Subzero." Actor Richard Gomez, according to Cara, is one such person who puts a premium on his kitchen equipment. He got both a Sub-Zero and a Wolf for his house.

Wolf’s ovens feature stainless steel finishes, blue porcelain oven interior; and framed or unframed oven door. With the built-in ovens, the rotating electronic control panel creates a minimalist look, which can be hidden when not in use. Hargens says, "There’s a nice, sexy feel and look to these ovens."

If "sexy" doesn’t appeal to you, how about this: Wolf ovens use a dual convection system. Hargens explains that this system allows for a uniform temperature and airflow throughout the oven. It has two fans and four heating elements that operate either simultaneously or in sequence, depending on the cooking mode chosen. There are eight cooking modes: Bake, roast, broil, convection bake, convection roast, convection broil, convection and bake stone.

Another neat feature is the bottom shelf which slides all the way out, so you never have to reach into a hot door and oven to slide something. The oven door uses a hydraulic damper and spring system to allow for smooth opening and closing. No more banging, even when you’re angry at yourself for letting the chicken burn.

Wolf also holds the patent for the dual stacked burner design for its new gas cooktops. It uses the upper-level burner for maximum heat and the lower-level burner for lower heat like for cooking sauces or simmering.

One can also customize one’s kitchen with the Wolf modules. They can be integrated into your countertops and go with your minimalist interiors. Its electric cooktops feature a simmer setting that "holds sauces and stews below the boiling point." One burner has a one-touch melt setting. Of course, you can also turn the heat up to 2,700 watts of power.

The prices of Sub-Zero and Wolf, as with anything beautiful, are heart-stopping. Depending on the size, units can go from P70,000 to P700,000. Suffice it to say you can buy a car with what you’ll have to fork out. You can do many things with these babies, but, alas, you cannot take your love for a spin on it. But imagine all your guests thinking of you as a gourmet chef with an eye for aesthetics and kickass technology. If that doesn’t work, think of Richard Gere and Winona Ryder making a salad.

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For inquiries, call Focus Global at 634-85-87.