Our dens and offices are filled with hip tech, but our kitchens and utility rooms lag far behind those in Europe. For one thing, with strict EU energy efficiency standards, they are all about power and water savings. Here are examples of Europe's appliance superiority from last week's IFA in Berlin.
IFA was lousy with ironing systems – ironing board, steam machine and iron all in one – but the Miele FashionMaster was clearly the straightest seam among them, so to speak. Like most ironing ensembles, this starts with a fold-up ironing board but with wheels to more easily move it into position, and the ironing board inflates so you don't flatten delicate fabrics. Its steam iron draws from a built-in reservoir rather than the iron itself, has a honeycombed plate to ensure steam is evenly distributed and helps the iron sail smoothly across cloth. It's also got a built-in hand steamer to rid your hanging threads of wrinkles. If FashionMaster makes it across the Atlantic, it'll run around an uncool $1,200-$1,500.