Category: Appliances

Make your home summer ready with Electrolux appliances

Posted on by jane

Summer is a great time to do things at home that you could not do during the school year, especially with small kids around. While it means that the kids will spend more time at home (meaning, someone is always calling Mom), it also frees mommies up from school-related activities. For me, summer is always a time to spring clean, declutter the house, and try to spruce it up. At a recent Make Your Home Summer Ready event with Electrolux, I got really helpful home decor tips as well as a glimpse of the latest Electrolux appliances that make housework even more convenient and simple.

Electrolux summer line of appliances

 

Continue reading “Make your home summer ready with Electrolux appliances” →

The Midea appliance line – enhanced productivity and money-saving solutions

Posted on by jane

Concepcion Industrial Corporation, known for its Carrier product line, has tied up this time with global brand Midea’s Consumer Appliances line and has formed Concepcion-Midea Inc. Philippines under the mother brand.

At a recent blogger event, we were introduced to some of the appliances in their product line. If you are one of many busybodies who have to multitask household tasks and juggle work with housework, you’ll want to check out these Midea appliances that promise ease, convenience and even savings.

MIDEA REFRIGERATORS

I gravitated immediately towards the Midea refrigerators, ahead of the rest. The innovations in refs of all brands continue to fascinate me and Midea did not disappoint. Both models run on a Turbo Inverter Compressor which lead to cost savings as temperatures are maintained at even levels instead of costly warm-up times.

French Door (Party Ref)

If I had to choose between the two refs on exhibit, this would be my ref of choice. The 20.1 cu. ft. ref is aptly called a party ref because it can store enough food for a party. The two ref doors open outward (just like French doors) to reveal space that is wide enough for a lechon (roasted pig) to fit.

The freezer section is found in 2 lower pull-out drawers. On the left side when you pull out the first freezer drawer, you will find the ice maker. The water that is used to fill the tray is found in the French doors section, a separate container you fill with water. It empties into the ice tray below and forms ice in just a few hours. Without taking the ice tray out, a knob is simply rotated to release the ice cubes into the tray below.

The ice maker is the round object on upper right and it dispenses directly into the tray below.

A very spacious second freezer level

The water container (found in the middle of the ref) that feeds into the ice maker

This model also has what Midea calls a “Keep Fresh” technology to keep fruits and vegetables fresh much longer. It irradiates natural light that keeps fresh items in their natural state longer; a UV light breaks down pesticides normally found in fruits and vegetables.

See those bright lights in the middle? They blink and mimic natural light to keep items fresh longer.

How much can you put into this ref? 20 grocery baskets full.

This French door ref retails for PhP 99,995.

Side by Side Ref (with water dispenser and beverage bar)

This is a 19.2 cu.ft ref that comes with a water dispenser on the left side and a touch-to-open beverage bar on the right side.

The right side of ref, when opened up, has high shelving to allow even a 3-tiered cake to fit inside. Space saving idea? Wine racks conveniently located so they need not take up space in the ref door.

Wine bottles can be put in a rack above the cake instead of in ref door

The beverage bar revealed

This Side by Side ref retails at PhP 72,995 (down from PhP 77,995 effective June 10, 2014).

MIDEA WASHING MACHINES

Midea offers fully automatic models featuring a One Touch feature where all cycles are done with just one touch, leaving you to do other work while the washing machine does everything from wash to rinse to dry cycles. More than that, Midea washing machines have smart sensors which detect the weight of the laundry you put in and automatically fills in just the right amount of water.

Its Quick Wash function also lets you clean a drumful of clothes in as fast as 19 minutes. Midea computed the cost of this feature and they say it translates to just ONE PESO PER LOAD – that is a real cost savings!

Midea also carries semi-automatic washing machines.

SRP Prices:

Fully Automatic:
   7kg – PhP 10,995
   8kg – PhP 14,995
  10kg – PhP 17,995
  12kg – PhP 21,995

Semi Automatic:
   8kg – PhP 7,995
  10kg – PhP 10,195

MIDEA MICROWAVE OVENS

Midea carries both manual and digital microwave ovens.

SRP Prices for Midea microwave ovens:

Digital:
   20L – PhP 3,695
   25L – PhP 5,495
   30L – PhP 5,995

Manual, 20L – PhP 2,995

MIDEA AIRCONDITIONERS

Inverter technology is also used for all Midea airconditioners. I’ll update my post once I get the prices for the aircons.

My girl who has lived for some time in China confirms that Midea is a popular and well-respected brand in China. That’s good enough for me!

Tiger introduces innovations to kitchen appliances

Posted on by jane

Who has not heard of Tiger?

Even in my much younger days, Tiger was already a household name. The veritable Tiger lunch containers and water bottles were very well known and if you lugged one around your school, it was almost like a kiddo’s status symbol of quality and durability.

Fast forward to the present.

Some of my SoMoms friends and I had the chance to sit down with Lorraine Go-Munoz whose family has long been the exclusive distributor in the Philippines of Tiger products. We had an opportunity to sit down and hear a little bit about the company and some of its product innovations.

Tiger is a Japanese brand that has a 90-year history. It’s best known for thermal wares and cooking devices. At present, it enjoys a 23.5% market share in Japan.


Tacook Rice Cooker

I’ll never see rice cookers the same way again after seeing the Tacook rice cooker of Tiger. It is the first of its kind in the world and features synchronized cooking. You can cook the rice and side dishes simultaneously, programming it so that they both finish cooking at the same time. No need for the side dishes to grow cold while you wait for the rice to finish cooking.

How the Tacook rice cooker looks closed

The inner pan is where the rice is cooked. On top of it goes an orange plate for cooking side dishes.

The cooking plate of the Tacook is very different from the usual steaming plates available in other rice cooker brands. Most other brands have a steaming plate only with holes around the plate. The Tacook’s steam hole openings are just around the rim so that you can cook other side dishes without the juices falling into the rice below. Here’s a slide showing the difference.
Look at some of the different ways you can cook side dishes together with your rice.
The electronic front panel of the Tacook has different settings. Press “Synchro-Cooking” and it will time the cooking both your rice and side dish. When your rice is done, so is your side dish.

Front panel showing the electronically controlled features including synchro-cooking

Tiger Toaster

The Tiger Toaster works pretty much like other brands with some differences. The tray is wider than most that I am used to seeing. Underneath the solid tray is a detachable grill net, making it so much easier to clean than other brands.

Tiger Cordless Electric Kettle

At first, I was a bit surprised that this kettle cost more than usual electric kettles. But after studying its features, I now know why it is superior to ordinary electric kettles.

It has a double wall structure with inner container and outer body

It’s cordless! Charging is via a base that this kettle is inserted into.

A safety lock valve prevents accidental spillage in case kettle falls on its side.
To open you’d have to press on both sides

Here are the rest of its safety features.

A cup of water only takes 60 seconds to boil and the kettle emits 70% less steam than other types.

Tiger Electric Grill

The electric grill caught my eye besides the Tacook. I think I can reduce cooking with oil if I had one like this. Its got a far-infrared-ray pan with non-stick fluoropolymer coating (non-toxic). The pan itself can be placed atop a cooking range. Or put it on its own base and use electric current for cooking. A BBQ pan, with half of it bearing grated lines, seems great for cooking dishes like bulgogi on the grated side (to allow the juices to run) then moving it to the flat side once cooked. A glass cover top allows you to see what’s cooking without having to lift often to check.




PRICES

 Toaster – PhP 2,500
Tacook rice cooker (5 cups) – PhP 4,799.75;  (10 cups) – PhP 5,499.75
Cordless kettle – PhP 3,199.75
Electric grill – PhP 5,999.75

WHERE TO FIND TIGER

You can find Tiger at the following places:

SM Department Stores: Aura, Bacoor, Cubao, Fairview, Las Pinas, Makati, MOA, Manila, North EDSA, Ortigas, San Lazaro, Sta. Mesa, Baguio, Bacolod, Cebu
Landmark – Makati, Trinoma
Robinsons Dept Store – Galleria, Ermita, Magnolia
Metro Gaisano – Market! Market!, Alabang, Ayala
Ansons Makati
Fishermall
Rustans Makati
Tiongsan Harrison Baguio City
Ling Chao Merchandsing, Tel # 244-0344
Republic Emporium, Tel #244-0370
Fair and Square, Tel #241-3272
Worldwide, Tel #241-3447
AEY Commercial, Tel #244-0135
Community Commercial, Tel #733-6372
Friend Ann Merchandising, Tel #734-4300
J and R Appliance, Tel #242-1576
New Sin Kian Heng, Tel #733-2129

Extreme Singing Fun with Xtreme Magic Sing

Posted on by jane

If there is one thing inherent in our culture, it is the love for singing. Go to any Pinoy reunion, office gathering, wedding or house party and there is sure to be singing somewhere.

I remember that our first karaoke of sorts was a standing cassette player. It had large speakers down its front. The control panel was on top for volume as well as speed and pitch adjustments. It served as an ordinary cassette player as well as a karaoke with the minus one cassette tapes. A wired microphone plugged into an audio port for sing-a-longs.

One day, someone gifted us with a Magic Sing and that revolutionized the way sing-a-longs were done. We had a wide selection of songs to choose from, ranging from the 50s to the 90s. Still pictures of tourist spots in the Philippines, scored singing, and lyrics onscreen made karaoke the entertainment of choice in many households. Different song chips gave even wider choices of favorite hits and genres began popping like religious songs, OPM (Original Pinoy Music) and others.

Well, guess what. In a recent event hosted by Xtreme Magic Sing at TeaTap Cafe, the bloggers were given a glimpse of the innovations that have come to the simple karaoke machine.

Here are the 3 variants available now on Xtreme Magic Sing:

Xtreme Magic Sing Diamond

The top-of-the-line Diamond comes with 2 digital wireless microphones with controls. Some of the its features include:

* 2,627 built-in songs (with a mixture of English and OPM songs)
* Built-in high definition (HD) picture and video background
* High fidelity sound quality
* Personalized video & picture background (customizable with your own photos)
* Real-time search by title, artist and 1st lyric line
* Plug and play into any TV (CRT, LED, LCD)
* Personalized playlist that can save up to 100 songs
* Unlimited song recording using its internal memory that enables you to transfer the recording directly into the USB device in mp3 format
* 4-song chip slots
* Dual video output (RCA jack and HDMI cable connections)
* USB 2.0 slot for USB devices (can handle flash drives up to 16GB or hard drives up to 1 terabyte)
* 2-year warranty on parts and services

The Diamond retails for PhP 19.899.

Xtreme Magic Sing Platinum

The mid-range Xtreme Magic Sing Platinum comes with 1 digital wireless microphone and 1 wired high-quality microphone. 2,422 songs (English and OPM) come with it. Some of its features are:
* 80 picture backgrounds (local and international)
* Real-time search by title and artist
* Personalized playlist up to 100 songs
* Plug and play into any TV
* 6 song chip slots
* External video function using live source (videocam or player)
* 8 interactive games
* 2-year warranty on parts and service
The Platinum Xtreme Magic Sing retails for PhP 15,499.

Xtreme Magic Sing Karat

The newest and most affordable addition to the Xtreme Magic Sing family is the Karat.

The Karat comes with one (1) videoke microphone with controls. 2,300 songs are built into it (both English and OPM). Some features of the Karat are:

* Plug and play into the TV
* Real-time search by title and artist
* Recording function via recording chip (100 minutes)
* Personalized playlist up to 100 songs
* 4 song chip slots
* 8 interactive games
* 2 years warranty on parts and service

The Karat retails for PhP 6,900.

Just one note: If you are thinking of buying a portable karaoke like this one. There are 2 brands out in the market that look almost similar. Look specifically for the Xtreme Magic Sing brand if you want to get any of these 3 variants.


Xtreme Magic Sing
Showroom: 3/F Richbelt Tower, 17 Annapolis St., Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila
Tel. (02) 726-2442, (02) 726-9999, (02) 726-2443, (02) 726-2449
Website: www.magicsing.com.ph
Facebook: www.facebook.com/xtrememagicsing

Love@Home with Samsung

Posted on by jane

I’m a geeky momma. I love tech. And as a Mom, I always end up looking at appliances and home furnishings whenever I get the chance to window shop. So getting first dibs at Samsung Digital Home Appliances’ 2013 offering was a real delight and a chance to ogle the new stuff that Samsung was bringing into this year’s home appliance line-up.

Dubbed “Love@Home”, the launch featured five (5) must-have-in-the-home appliances using the latest technology and cool features that have become the signature of Samsung. On hand to help introduce the appliances to the audience were celebrity moms Daphne Osena-Paez, Tessa Prieto-Valdez and Rissa Mananquil-Trillo.

The Samsung Digital Air Conditioner

So what’s new with inverter airconditioners? That’s what I was thinking when this appliance was being introduced. After all, I already have 2 inverter aircon units at home. Imagine my utter surprise when Samsung announced that their new air conditioner had *wait for this* WIFI!

I know what you’re thinking – what for?

Think about this scenario. You are caught in traffic, on your way home. It’s hot outside and you are just raring to go into your airconditioned room and plop right into bed as soon as you get home. Most of us would only be able to turn on our air conditioner once we are home. With Samsung’s Digital Air Conditioner, you can remotely turn on your aircon and adjust its settings (temp, fan speed, vertical swing) from virtually anywhere you have an internet connection. You can do it from your car!

It also comes with a Smart Inverter Technology that Samsung says makes it 60% energy-efficient.

Inverter air conditioner with WIFI

App icon on Samsung smartphone
Settings direct from a smartphone…

…using WIFI!

The Samsung Digital Washing Machine

The top-of-the-line washing machine (W3050) is a beautiful piece to look at – chrome finish, icy blu LED display lights, dual cluster control panel, foldable glass door. Its control panel is located on top where access is easy. The Samsung Digital Washing Machine incorporates Wobble Technology, a feature that lets the machine be gentle on fabric while being tough on dirt and stains. In addition, its Digital Inverter Motor means energy efficiency and durability.
The diamond drum separates clothes so it tangles less.

Conventional washing vs Wobble Technology washing
The Samsung Digital Refrigerator
The line of Samsung digital refrigerators all have special features that spell energy-efficiency, innovation and fresh, crisp foods all the time. The ref comes with a 10-year warranty. Voltage control ensures flow of electricity is constant. It’s got a Moist Free Zone to better preserve fruits and vegetables as well as a built in deodorizing filter to eliminate odors. In some models, the freezer is not in its usual top location like conventional refs; this time, it is found on the bottom for safety of other food items. 
But what is not apparent on the outside is how practical and well thought out the ref is on the inside – easy, slide-out shelves, a movable vegetable box, a multi storage basket along the inside door just for cosmetics and medicines, a plastic guard along one shelf to protect water bottles. One model has an ice maker and ice dispenser, with double the space for making ice.

The Samsung Digital Microwave

I have a Samsung microwave oven (not yet inverter technology) which my kids and yayas use a lot for heating food. This new digital microwave that runs on inverter technology is a level up, with anti-bacterial properties, rust-resistant ceramic enamel cavity to prevent unsightly scratches, and energy-efficient performance.

The Samsung Digital Vacuum

These tiny digital vacuum cleaners pack a wallop. A Super Twin Chamber technology holds more dirt so you empty it out less. And adjusting the digital features provides the best suction adjustment for any type of surface.
Inverter technology is a long-term investment but will definitely save you money. We have seen the electrical savings at home with our own inverter air conditioners. Next time you think of buying an appliance or replacing your old one, think inverter and check out these digital offerings from Samsung.

Electrolux HUSH Happier at Home

Posted on by jane

I have a blender and two (2) vacuum cleaners at home. They do their job but I do not use them all the time. Why? Because the volume level is just too high for my low-noise tolerance ears.

See this little baby that looks like R2D2, the cute robot of Star Wars fame? It’s the newer of my two vacuum cleaners.

It does its job; it can handle both wet and dry cleaning. Almost perfect — save for its terrible noise level which cannot be adjusted. The first time I turned it on while trying to vacuum away the cobwebs from our bathroom ceiling, I almost went deaf. Because our bathroom was enclosed, the cacophony surrounded the entire small space, amplifying what was already very loud noise to begin with. Add to that the fact that it strongly ejected very warm air while it was running, making me wonder whether all that air being emitted was clean or whether some of the dust it was sucking in was being thrown back out into the air.

And this is my current dilemma. I need our home to be as quiet and as clean as possible.

You see, my husband just recently underwent a surgical operation. We spent our Valentine’s Day in the hospital. It has not been a week yet since we’ve come back home after spending two long weeks there and everyone around, including the kids, are tiptoe-ing around trying to be as quiet as possible so our patient can get his much-needed sleep (because who says you can sleep decently in a hospital, right???). I also know that sudden loud noise is jarring to the ears and can elevate blood pressure unnecessarily.

While we were away, the house went through general cleaning so our vacuum cleaner was put to good use. But now that our patient is home, he needs to rest most of the day and yet the room where he is in as well as the rest of the house need to be regularly cleaned to keep it free of dust to minimize risks of infection. How do I do that with my fully functional but extremely noisy (and possibly less-than-clean) vacuum cleaner?

His diet also requires a lot of fruits and vegetables so we have resorted to blending smoothies so he gets a good concentration of them. Wouldn’t it be neat if I had a silent blender to replace this 20-something year old blender of mine?

My dilemma may soon be over if I can get my hands on either or both of these Electrolux products:

#1 – The Electrolux Powermix Silent Blender

Showing the silent settings of the blender

Force without the noise…

#2 – The Electrolux Ultra Silencer Green
Silent but strong…
With attachments

Tops for me is the silent feature. Imagine the joy of being able to vacuum, for example, the patient’s room without disturbing his nap, or running the blender in the nearby kitchen without fear of disturbing him. For the Ultra Silencer Green, I love the fact that it cleans the exhaust air by more than 99.99% before releasing it again into the atmosphere. When I now have to be extra careful about sanitation, food handling, and contamination of whatever sort, such green features are always a PLUS for me.

In a sense, our life has changed. Weekends in the past were spent with the kids at home and sometimes with us going out to a family lunch or dinner. That is not possible for now as we always need to consider the needs of our patient. But the weekend is slowly becoming more special in a different way. It is becoming a time when family really comes first, when the patient who used to care for us and our needs now needs caring. It is the time when we have the most opportunity to show our love even in the worst of times. So having a quiet, relaxing weekend is part of that ambience that we are trying to foster.

It would be a wonderful opportunity to be able to use something like the Electrolux Ultra Silencer Green or the Electrolux Powermix Silent Blender to help us care for our loved one in a relaxed, quiet way. These 2 powerful but quiet appliances remind me of the saying “Silent waters run deep”. Indeed.

Find out more about the silent Electrolux products and its other offerings on their official website.
Follow @electroluxPH on Twitter.

Sharp (Phils.) Corp. stays 30 years in the Philippines through thick and thin

Posted on by jane

2011 marks 30 years of Sharp’s presence in the Philippines. Wow, have they really been here that long?

Come to think of it, Sharp has been a part of my growing up years. At some point of time in my life, we’ve had a Sharp television set, washing machine, and karaoke. Not to mention several Sharp calculators!

At a recent media event held at Makati Shangri-la, we were able to listen to several of Sharp’s Japanese executives, including Sharp (Phils.) Corp.’s President and GM, Mr. Juntaro Shimamoto, who took us through Sharp’s history in terms of electronic offerings as well as where they are going in the future.

Sharp products over the years

Sharp Phils. executives
Some stuff that I found very interesting during the event were Sharp’s ‘green’ endeavors built into their products. Their poly-crystalline silicon (PSC) solar panels are now in use at a Cepalco-operated farm in Cagayan, the first solar farm in the country. Appliances like their air purifiers, ion generators, airconditioners and refs are incorporated with Plasmacluster Ion Technology that suppresses harmful airborne elements to promote a clean, indoor environment. 
This I like because our family always has allergic rhinitis attacks from dust and pollen and our home always has to have air purifiers and ionizers to help catch these.
Plasmacluster technology

They’ll soon be introducing into the market the largest LCD TV (all 70 inches of it), the Quattron 735 series.

A sneak peek of the 70-inch LCD TV

And an innovation to the washing machine is what they call the Eco Drum (or hole-less technology). The old technology where the drum had holes was flawed. It allowed black mold in the holes to contaminate and stain clothes. The new, hole-less drum prevents this from happening and comes with a wider tub so you can wash more clothes in one cycle.

Drew Arellano talks about the hole-less drum
Sharp’s executives, throughout their presentations, kept mentioning “Koten”, their trademark marketing strategy. Koten, which means “individual exhibit” is a once a year convention where all Sharp’s products are introduced to the public in a fun and easy way, assisted by Sharp’s team. Families and individuals can walk around their exhibits and see the actual appliances, inspect them, and get further information from the staff. They said they have seen sales of 150% of monthly sales achieved in just 3 days using the Koten strategy.
What’s reassuring for many of us is the statement directly from Sharp’s top management that they are here to stay in the Philippines – through thick and thin. 
It will be exciting to watch and see what Sharp (Phils.) Corp.’s 2012 offerings will look like.