ApplianceAdvisor Appliance Report HAIER 888

The New Appliance Report from ApplianceAdvisor.com

HAIER
888-764-2437
Chinese maker of major and minor appliances with great ambitions.

2006 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
Faith Based Washer
Genesis Top loader washer. No agitator very water efficient. They claim in their press release that this is "a machine that consumes up to 44% less electricity than many currently available Energy Star products". Further the release says "It uses about 238 kWh per year while the average Energy Star product uses 422 kWh per year, saving 44% more electricity."
THIS IS WRONG. The average Energy Star washer uses 242 kWh per year or in other words the Genesis is 1.6% more efficient than the average Energy Star washer, though in anycase this is not important since it does not take into account washer tub volume. To compare washers of different volumes, Energy Uses "Modified Energy Factor" which incorporates the amount of energy needed by the dryer to remove residual water. The higher the number the more efficient. The Genesis rates a 1.77, while the average Energy Star washer has a Modified Energy Factor of 1.84.....which is errr better than the Genesis. Awkward.
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2006Appliancephotos/2006haier2.jpg

Wine Cooler
Flex zone wine cooler. For discerning wine drinkers
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2006Appliancephotos/2006haier3.jpg

New Rangehood
Well actually a concept first introduced by Zephyr, but can we expect Haier to invent something new right out of the blocks? 300 CFM, 30".
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2006Appliancephotos/2006haier4.jpg

Haier 30" Gas Range
How's that for ugly? Isn't that something?
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2006Appliancephotos/2006haier5.jpg

2005 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
All Fridge / Freezer Which Converts between the Two
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Haier Dishwashers
Stainless tub with 2 motors and 2 pumps, 1 for the drain. Turbidity sensor. Can be used as a plate warmer. MSRP $800 avail July 2005
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2005Appliancephotos/2005Haier3.jpg

550CFM Chimney Hood Chimney production next month.
NOTE: As of 2006, website indicates this hood has 390CFM.
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Prototype Side by Side refrigerator
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2004 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
Haier has quietly introduced (or we were not paying attention) a product in every meat and potatoes segment of the appliance industry. No more nibbling on the edges, these are direct assaults on the bottom ends of GE's, Whirlpool's, and Maytag's product lines. Not commonly profitable businesses for the big boys but as this is all that Haier does, we imagine they have somehow figured out the numbers.

New 30" All Gas Range
No data provided. As of September it is not yet listed on website. The unit shown featured full surface cast iron grates, and cheapy looking stainless steel. The kind of product Frigidaire would be proud to sell. Available Q3, 2004. Pricing unknown.
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/haier30range.jpg

New American-style Top Load Washer and Front Load Dryers
The prototype washer shown featured a stainless tub, fuzzy logic electronic controls, delay start, a myriad of wash/temperature/spin speed options, automatic load balancing. Pricing and availability unknown.
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/haiertoploadwasher1.jpg
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/haiertoploadwasher2.jpg
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/haierfrontloaddryer.jpg

Lots more freezers
Haier extended their reach into interesting freezer design with many more sizes, and with both doors and drawers. Haier makes the most interesting freezers in the industry, and WC Wood should be soiling themselves. Pricing and availability unknown.
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/haierfreezer1.jpg
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/haierfreezer2.jpg
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Prototype Built-in Fridge Double Drawers
We have no information, but here is a photo, and they claim it's coming soon.
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/haierfridgedrawer.jpg

2003 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
The Playskool EasyWash Dishwasher
A cute compact dishwasher prototype was shown, with 2 separate dishwasher compartments. The top drawer can sanitize, while the bottom opens like a traditional unit.
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2003Appliancephotos/haierminidishwasher.jpg

The Fantastic Retro Style Freezer of 2002 Gets a Glass Door
We love the concept, but we are concerned about the efficiency of this line extension. The addition of a glass door to a freezer should greatly diminish the freezer's energy efficiency. In a day, that would work out to 23 hours and 58 minutes of energy inefficiency, for 2 minutes of frozen food search convenience. We inquired about the relative efficiency of the glass unit vs the solid door unit with Haier customer service. We were promised an answer in 2 days.......yet 1-1/2 weeks later no answer. We inquired with the Haier PR person, leaving a message on her telephone, but there has been no response. Should one assume that they are not proud of the answer? We are assuming.
http://www.haieramerica.com/products.php?pid=1008
NOTE: March 28, 2004: In 6 months since we called Haier did not return out call. In February we spotted the two versions of this unit in Germany. The solid door unit was rated as 383 Kwatt/year, while the glass door unit was listed at a catastrophic 30% reduction in efficiency at 492 Kwatt/year.

People Expect Way Too Much From Their Microwaves
Haier is offering a 1.4 cu ft microwave with programmable "cooking complete" musical tones. This is a gimmick. Also features a turn-table over-ride switch which shuts off the rotation. Rectangular dishes too big to spin can be "nuked" without the spinning feature. The likely result is steep gradients of temperature, both freezing and volcanic zones in the same dish of lasagna. Microwaves work poorly enough as it is so we wonder how this is an improvement. As of November 2003, it is not yet listed on their website.

2002 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
Fantastic Retro Style Freezer
Admit it. Freezers are the sorry ass segment of the appliance business that we all wish were sold in the lawn and garden department. Obviously this is a segment due some surprises, and our friends from the mainland of China have done just that. The Access Plus chest style freezer and drawer has 4.2 cu ft of freezer space divided into 2 compartments so you no longer need to engage in subzero archeological expeditions to retrieve your frozen pork chops buried on the bottom. The bottom half, which is accessed by sliding open the bottom drawer, is warmer, slower to freeze and better suited to already frozen items and ice cream. The top half, which is accessed from the top, is colder and with a quick freeze feature, better suited to quickly move your unfrozen food into a cryogenic state.
On top of it all, it is a damn good looking freezer, and when was the last time you could say that about a freezer? MSRP $375
http://www.haieramerica.com/products.php?pid=1008

Clever Refrigerator Ideas
1) How about a dry erase board for your refrigerator? Haier's simple idea allow messages to be left on your refrigerator using any white board marker. This feature will be available on the Haier 1.8, 4.0, 8.1, 10.0, 14.3 cu ft refrigerators.
2) Refrigerators which come with their own furniture. Haier showed a mini fridge with a fold away min-desk on its side, and a mini-fridge with a desk on top. This line provides additional surface space for the collegiate set. The compact refrigerator segment is cluttered and low margin so Haier should be commended for all the ducking and weaving.

More Wine Coolers
Haier introduced a free standing twin-set 100 bottle refrigerator with mechanical controls which can be set from 39 - 65 degrees on each side. It features a dark interior, wood racks, interior lighting, and glass doors and measures 35" height x 48" wide x 27" deep. Haier has also launched several smaller wine refrigerators.
http://www.haieramerica.com/wine_cellars.php

More Dumb Internet Connected Appliances
We do not know why, but Haier continues to fight us in their twisted dream of creating the internet connected home appliance system, so that you can start the washing machine, preheat the oven, adjust the AC, monitor for gas leaks, fire or burglary, while you surf the net from the comfort of your airplane seat. Stop the madness.

2001 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
In last year's report we said, "We predict that Haier buys what's left of Amana within 3 years". We wanted to update our prediction for Haier with a very cocky: "We predict that Haier buys what's left of Amana within 2 years"…….but Maytag beat us to the punch. Maytag will buy Amana, but this mainland Chinese manufacturer will still be a force to be reckoned with. We are told that Haier had the largest booth at this year's Domotechnica in Cologne. At KBIS in Orlando, loud mutterings were heard that Haier's "booth was too big for what was being shown", or that "they must have hidden (Chinese government) financing". Haier, the self-proclaimed 9^th largest appliance maker on the planet, and now with a US manufacturing location that can make 200,000 18.2 cu ft refrigerators per year, is going to keep many people awake at night. For all of our big predictions they launched a lot of tiny ideas at this year's show.

Mini Countertop Dishwasher
New countertop dishwasher with 2 level spraying, 3 wash cycles, a full lower rack, swing away upper glass rack, cycle indicator, sink adaptor. Holds 4 place settings. Retails for $200.

Networked Home Appliance Prototypes
Haier filled most of its booth with prototype internet connected appliances; smart refrigerator, smart dishwasher, smart etc etc. Are they real to-be-produced prototypes or just booth fillers? Haier claims that some of these units are already available in Europe.

New Features for Mini-Fridge
New optional features for compact refrigerators such as 2 liter bottle rack, "Dispense-A-Can" rack, lights, push button auto defrost, and door lock to keep room-mates and cell-mates at bay.

New Domestic Full Size Fridge
18.2 cu ft top mount refrigerator produced in their US factory. Auto-defrost and other basic features. Retails at $400.

New Mini-Freezer
4.6 cu ft mini-upright all freezer. Manual defrost. Retails for $250

Counter-top Oven
Slick looking stainless steel counter-top radiant convection oven rotisserie. 1.5 cu ft Retail $200 - $400. They say that it can hold a 20 lb Turkey………but, I think we would really need to see that.

New Front Loader Washing Machine
2.0 cu ft capacity front loading washer. Haier claims that it is energy efficient though it is not Energy Star. Stainless tub, 3 wash cycles. Available 4^th Qtr, 2001. Technically similar to the model it replaces except that the spin speed increases to 800RPM from 600, and capacity increased from 11 lb to 14.4 lb.

Counter-top Microwave
1.0 cu ft 1100 W counter-top microwave. Available spring 2001. Retail $160

2000 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
New Wine Cooler & Compact Fridge
The Chinese appliance domino introduced 2 products; a 30 bottle wine cooler with glass door and adjustable temperature controls (features of more expensive competitors) AND a compact stainless refrigerator. Admittedly these were not the most exciting introductions at the show, but this is the company to watch. We predict that Haier buys what's left of Amana within 3 years.