Kitchen | Innovation

An oven that can refrigerate? That's the idea behind Whirlpool's Polara. The appliance isn't just a space saver; it's a brilliant time-management tool. When you're ready to leave your house in the morning, you slide food inside and program the controls to chill mode, then enter the time you'd like cooking to begin. In case you're held up at the office, the oven turns into a warming drawer after cooking is complete. And if, an hour later, you still haven't pulled into the driveway, it automatically returns to cooling mode ($1,800; at Sears stores nationwide.)
-Monica F. Forrestall

Published March 2003