Reverse microwaves.....something that will cool things down or freeze stuff in seconds.

Ref. ice-makers that don't break and do make actual cubes instead of those annoying crescent shaped things.

Robots that clean up my kitchen messes automatically so I can be doing something else. (No spouse jokes here, please.)

You know the pneumatic tube systems that they have at banks to route your deposits back to the correct drive through lane? I'd really like to see that adapted to the home as a cool laundry chute system. Not only could you place your laundry in a capsule to have it delivered to the laundry room, but the clean laundry could be redelivered back to the correct room for it to be stored.

Also along the line of making laundry easier, I'd also like to see more (and cheaper) choices in all in one laundry machines. You know, the ones that use condensation drying and don't need an external vent. Wouldn't it be great if every bathroom and closet had one of these? You get done with your towels and put them into the washer/dryer and they'd be ready to go for the next day. The same with the clothes you wore that day. Come home, undress and put them into the washer dryer and get up the next morning, hang them up in your closet and decide what to wear for that day. Closets could become clothes care "systems" rather than just clothes warehouses.

A good toaster.

I want Rosie from the Jetsons, but skip the maid getup. Maybe Asimo from Honda that can do floors, dishes, laundry, ironing, dusting, and window-washing.

Yup, that and my flying car ought to about do it for me!

A (large) produce fridge like a wine fridge with pullout racks and different temperature zones for optimal storage of different kinds of veg, including humidity control and air filter.

I agree with a lot of Jsceva's past greats like the wall mounted cupboard fridge, and Fasar induction tiles. I'll go the latter one better: Something like a cross between the Fasar tiles and Lavarock cart and Cooktek buffet induction, and the BSH "full surface" as well, where you could have the induction elements under the counter, but not have to have the glass, but that could go up to high cooking temperatures, not just the "buffet" temperatures that the ilk are now, and without losing the cabinet space to rails and cooling. But I guess the technology isn't quite there yet, so I don't know if it counts.

Rosie doesn't meet the criteria. If she did, I'd just go straight to the replicator. I bet I could program a mean replicator. :)

Something from the past that Westsider and I both want dearly is an oven hood. Nu-Tone used to make one. There are some, especially the slide out one that Fori had in her last kitchen, that might work, but the real deal would be better. Or at least a way to easily adapt current ovens to vent outside.

A "handwash" dish cleaner. One that uses UV or something, and maybe a gentle rinse, that would preserve the edges on knives, the gold trim on dishes, and the color on pool tumblers. I really don't mind handwashing the gold trim fancy dishes, but the polycarbonate tumblers are another story! I know some dishwashers have settings for these, and if my dishes weren't cheap crap, I'd try the china cycle on my own, but, in general, I don't have enough to constitute anywhere near a load, and washing a knife is a bagatelle.

This is a fun thought exercise, but really, I have such wonderful appliances, it's hard to imagine anything better. :) 'Tis a wonderful world we live in.

A 36" top freezer refrigerator, in stainless steel.

Regarding "reverse microwaves," Baumatic launched a blast freezer for the home last year in europe. Not micro quick, but getting closer.

Or, how about an anti-griddle?

This is one of those things that I wish I could play with just because it would be so darned cool...but I really couldn't possibly justify it for home, even if I had the money.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Anti-Griddle

I want to be able to put a full load of laundry into the machine and come back later to take out clean, dry clothes. I find it amazing that all-in-ones are still so paltry compared to separate machines.

A refrigerator with all glide-out, full-extension drawers or roll-out tray shelves.

A slide-in induction range with two ovens - small one on top, big one on bottom.

a 42 inch counter depth freestanding refrigerator for $3k...

I don't know enough about restaurant business appliances to know if these exist:

anti-rat P traps in toilet bowls
for faucets, touch control wands that one can install anywhere

fizzy water maker = CO2'd Soda Water
hot cream distributor (heated cream = keeps coffee hot when you add cream to it)
scientifically aerated potato and onion storage bins
germinator for sprouts
living wall panels for herbs
fridge waste heat recycler = puts the heat outside in summertime (through wall)
fridge waste heat recycler = puts the heat into kitchen kickspace in wintertime

I have a refrigerator with all glide-out, full-extension drawers. Undercounter. 15"high by 36"w by about 20"d. Aspects of it could be improved. One thing is that I would like the drawers to have longer glides. You lose a couple inches for insulation; you are left with 15.5" depth glides. Three drawers would be just as practical as two drawers, or more practical.

I recently saw a really old functioning walk in Oak refrigerator that was fantastic. A tour of a hugh old, elegant, restored home and my 2 favorites things were the butlers pantry and refrigerator.

Oooh! Love David's heat reclamation idea. :)

Marcolo, my fridge has full extension drawers. It's a Miele all fridge, though, so built in and expensive. :) But it does exist. :)

I'd love Hollysprings' pneumatic tube system, but I want it for getting kitchen scraps to the compost pile(s) in the dead of winter when the snow is piled up in the backyard. But then we'd need the iRobot folks to build a Tooba (like a Roomba or Scooba) to clean out the tubes.

There already are fizzy water dispensers, as well as a couple of other things on davidro1's list. However, the hot cream/milk dispenser for coffee would be terrific. And actual functional storage for potatoes and onions--how does that not exist already??

I'm with Marcolo on this one. America is getting older. Lower backs are more fickle. Be gone with those large pull out bottom freezers that are so heavy when loaded with food!

Please, some full extension freezer drawers that open easily. A bottom freezer drawer that has a spring open latch that you step on to pop the bottom drawer open so you don't have to bend over and be a weightlifter to get the dang drawer open. Full extension drawers would certainly make an icemaker in the freezer (where it belongs) easier to access.

And while we're in refrigerator mode, vegetable and meat drawers that glide open. Not these cheap plastic on plastic drawers that stick when you try to open them. If that's how they open empty, I shudder to think how hard they are to open when full of produce or meat.

I would love to see a frig with 3 drawers under the refrigerator section:
The top drawer for meats/deli/cheese. (accessible from outside so you don't have to open top frig section. This is available in a few models now.)
Bottom two drawers for the freezer with full extension, easy to open drawers. Icemaker in the top freezer drawer - easy to access. And another full extension drawer under that.

Or while we're dreaming - how about 36" x 36" refrigerator that you can place at eye level (like a built in oven) and a 36"x 36" freezer drawer set that you can put somewhere else. Maybe in a pantry or another part of the kitchen.

It just seems that the space in refrigerators is not used well these days. Manufacturers are trying to make things so gimmicky instead of functional.

I want to buy American made products but not if they are going to break or crack or split in three years. If American appliance manufacturers want to compete, they need to start paying attention to what consumers need and ramp up the quality.

+1 for the fizzy water dispenser...we use a sodastream to make bottles of sparkling water, but it would be great to just have a tap/button.

Marcolo - can you point us to dispensers actually on the market now for residential use? I know everpure had one for a little bit, but it seems to have been pulled off the market as far as I can tell. It was also really expensive, but that's another issue...

My dh and I were dreaming about the commercial fridges with access from both sides...Come in with groceries, open the back of the fridge from the mudroom, load it up....and then all the old food would be pushed to the front so it will be eaten first. Yes, these exist, they are on eBay. I wasn't brave enough though.

For the millions who are not allowed to vent outside, recirculating vent hoods that work as well as vented ones.

Convection microwave ovens that are upper cabinet depth.

Speedcooking ovens that are upper cabinet depth.

Years ago, I came up with an idea for a refrigerated oven. Leave in the morning in a refrigerated state and then by timer, it stops cooling and starts cooking the dinner.
Whirlpool actually marketed the concept and my friends thought I was a genius - unfortunately whirlpool came up with the idea without me....
Great idea - but I didn't go with one for my kitchen remodel.

a2gemini - Not sure what Whirlpool did with that idea but I believe TMIO fell flat on their backside.

"fridge waste heat recycler = puts the heat into kitchen kickspace in wintertime"

This exists already if you buy a fridge with a bottom mounted compressor like some built ins and high end beverage centers and ice makers.

Pumping the heat outside in summer doesn't exist yet though.

plllog - your dishwasher issues (with the exception of knives) are addressed in Miele units with a China/Crystal cycle. Knife edges just don't hold up to constant lathering with hot water and detergent, so the nit picky always hand wash them quickly anyway.

The fizzy dispenser would be the Grohe Blue Chilled and Sparkling.

A white induction range. A fridge with finished (i.e. good looking) sides for under $2K, preferably in white with stainless steel handles, with a bottom freezer and no ice in the door, and oh yes counter depth. Appliances in colors, at various price points and not just the high end. (OK, I did see somewhere one top-freezer fridge in sage with leaves printed on it. Not my style but at least they were trying.)

What else... A quiet air popper. And while we are at it, a quiet electric crank ice cream machine (the ice/salt kind).

A way to harness all that energy from my dogs and kids and transfer it to a generator.

I always wanted an automatic pot stirrer.. Something with swappable spoons/ ladles (wood, metal, round, long, short as the need maybe) that can be attached to any pot across the top think extendable clip-on clamps that can fit pots of different sizes. The dial on the top can be used to set speed, frequency and the torque/ power would be self-adjusting based on need so that the liquidy thing that thickens can all be stirred. This would be useful across different different and different cuisines.

A might useful thing would be a small wet grinder (about 1/2 cup to a cup) that is powerful enough to handle thick pastes.. nut butters, pestos, curry pastes.. without leaking.. Please please be sturdy enough to pop off and be cleaned in the dishwasher. It would be good if it can be used for small amounts of dry spices as well: 1-2 tsps of coriander, a bit of cinnamon, a cardamom and a couple of cloves..

How about a small (2-4 bottle) wine chiller that works in the space of a small drawer.

Another thing that does not seem to exist is a sensible non-redundant residential HVAC system. I do not understand why the kitchen hood needs it's own CFM, the bath fans their own, the HRV.. something else.. all with their own ducts and entry/ exit points. Why can a HEPA filter not work without the heat or AC on.. I cannot understand how this has not been solved..

I second the potato onion storage.. can there not be a recessed-into-the-wall-stay-dark-and-cool bin for onions and potatoes.

lalitha, have you seen this?

One of my daughters had to develop an automatic pot stirrer in one of her engineering classes. This is NOT her design.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lalitha's Dream..

Agree that residential HVAC should take into consideration the humidity generated by the kitchen (which seems far more significant than that from a shower). Where to suck air, to reduce smells, where to put new air, etc.

An air curtain can be made around a cooktop, rising to the exhaust and thereby directing grease smoke into an upwards plume more tightly managed than otherwise.

foodonastump - yup, I went surfing after I posted and saw the info on the TMI0. Looking at the info - it was probably "over-engineered" and cost way too much for the mainstream and the owner wasn't very customer oriented.
I don't even know if the Polara is still made.
Most combo systems are never as good as stand alone (so why did I just order a speed oven?)
Have fun with your imagination.

"For the millions who are not allowed to vent outside, recirculating vent hoods that work as well as vented ones. "

This is not possible on this planet due to the laws of physics.

Marcolo - is that Grohe Gizmo available in the USA ?

david - you obviously haven't seen my shower or most of the ones I design. There is more mositure coming from one of those in 10 minutes than all day in my kitchen. Additionally, Gaggenau has a hood with just such an air curtain.

"I always wanted an automatic pot stirrer"

This is here now ! ! ! see link

Re.: TMIO -
"the owner wasn't very customer oriented. "

That's putting it mildly, he also was an arrogant twit who refused to even acknowledge that some kitchen/appliance industry veterans new a little about the market in which they operated.

The problem with those (fridge/ovens) is that the marketplace for them is VERY small. Meaning the # of people that will actually open up their wallets.

Here is a link that might be useful: Robo Stir

how abut one thing to get rid of all the cooking and food storage. A food replicator like star trek

When planning our kitchen reno, DW wanted an oven broiler the size of a warming oven so less oven would get dirty. Couldn't find one. One might exist now.

antss: An interior vent/filter system that removes effluent almost as well as dumping the effluent outside would not violate the laws of physics, but probably the laws of spousal tolerance. It would have to be big and take up a lot of wall, ceiling, and/or floor space, or part of another room. A CO scrubber would also be needed for pro gas burners. Hot climates would call for refrigeration (heat pump) before returning the air to the kitchen.

It might be more economical to move to where external venting is allowed, even before considering the rate of having to replace various types of specialized filters.

kas

antss
The owner of the company wasn't very customer friendly - sorry - I think I was tired when posting.

a2gemini - Not sure what Whirlpool did with that idea but I believe TMIO fell flat on their backside.
I don't even know if the Polara is still made.Whirlpool's Polara range was on the market for a couple/few years but is no longer. There has been one on the floor at a local appliance store for some years, if it's still there ... it was last time I saw Nov 2010. I've considering buying it just for the novelty, assuming it's for sale and the owner isn't himself keeping it as a collectible.

I would love a good all-in-one washer/dryer that doesn't take 4 hours to cycle.

I want something seemingly simple. A wall mounted instant hot water dispenser.

kaseki - it'd need to remove the moisture too, which will be tough.

Almost as well is not AS WELL if you really want to split hairs.

Some of the items mentioned already exist, or something pretty close:

> A refrigerator with all glide-out, full-extension drawers or roll-out tray shelves.

> vegetable and meat drawers that glide open. Not these cheap plastic on plastic drawers that stick when you try to open them. If that's how they open empty, I shudder to think how hard they are to open when full of produce or meat.

Several brands have these.

> Speedcooking ovens that are upper cabinet depth.

GE Advantium 240-volt, in the over-the-cooktop model, in both their Profile and Monogram lines now

> All-in-one laundry machines that both wash and dry your clothes

LG makes the only full-size (27" wide and deep) all-in-one laundry machine sold in the US - its fatal flaw is that it runs on 120V/15A power, so it takes a long time to heat the water, then a long time to dry your clothes - up to 4 hours in some cases. Fagor sells a smaller (24" wide and deep) all-in-one that runs on 240V and is faster, but has a substantially smaller tub than the LG.

> how about 36" x 36" refrigerator that you can place at eye level (like a built in oven) and a 36"x 36" freezer drawer set that you can put somewhere else. Maybe in a pantry or another part of the kitchen.

Marvel makes a 33" tall, 30" wide refrigerator you can build into cabinets at any height. Sub-Zero has a 27" wide freezer drawer set that fits under a countertop or into furniture, and looks like two stacked cabinet drawers.

> All-in-one laundry machines that both wash and dry your clothes

No, no, lee676. I said one that works well. I know very well there are already several that work badly.

a dryer that folds the clothes...

trash that goes away thru a wall chute,,,into an outside bin which self closes. similar to condo buildings.==which use an up and down chute.

And happy collectors-daily.

A microwave dryer. A robot oven...."Nothing serves food as hot as a robot". A vaporizer the the whole family can enjoy, kinda like a central vac...may be an issue with the pilot light on that.

a 27" gas wall oven or at least a 24" gas wall oven made by Jennair or Wolf or other high end manufacturer.

i agree that 27" width is a good target to shoot for.

I think people resist buying 24"w ovens because (in my view) they feel it somehow implies they are poor or (insert pejorative here). Psychological resistance is high.

Everyone who has a 24"w oven insists it can hold everything they want to cook.

Uh. No. I have a 24" oven and when it goes out I want to swing the hammer myself.

For Thanksgiving it holds a turkey or side dishes. Not both. Not one side dish. Not even one little flat pan below.

Since it's not convection, air circulation is terrible. Cookies burn on the bottom. All cookies. Many other baked goods, too. i have to use double pans or blow through a roll of aluminum foil to insulate.

It would be OK in a kitchen as a complement to a real oven. As the only oven, it's horrible.

An open burner range (restaurant style) made for the home under $2k (or under $3k for that matter!).

I'm not exactly sure why this is so hard, actually. If Imperial can make a 30k BTU 6 burner range and sell it for $1500, why can't we get a slightly lower output, better insulated one for $2500? Why do I have to spend $6k? I feel like this is in the EASY realm of possibility.

I want my s x s fridge to have a full height pull out pantry insert in the freezer so I can organize and use the full depth without things getting lost.

I'd go back in time when a good Kitchenaid dishwasher had a porcelain tub, cleaned dishes spotlessly in under an hour and left them fully dry and almost too hot to handle. It was nice to be able to override the wash cycles and use it as a plate warmer. How I miss my old Hobart built dishwasher from the '70s.

I'd bring back hot water heaters that were hot enough to serve a large family with a 40 gallon tank instead of needing a 50 gallon for two people because of the new government mandated safe heat settings.

I'd like to see more appliance manufacturers offer dials and buttons instead of needlessly putting touch pads on everything under the sun. (thank you Panasonic for doing this with some of your microwaves)

As for small appliances forget the electric can opener. I'd rather have a small easy to store automatic onion peeler that would not only peel the onion but dice,mince or slice into any thickness at a touch of a button.

Refrigerated bread box.

I suppose they make refrigerated drawers nowadays, I'm pretty sure -- these could be dedicated to bread or veggies, I think, as plllog was mentioning a need to address.

But what I want is a box for bread that stays cool without a compressor, which is bulky, noisy, energy-intensive. I just want it to happen (cf cooler with frozen milk cartons, probably...)