A Culinary Experience in Napa with Signature Kitchen Suite
Whew! It has been a week already and I am STILL talking about what I learned in Napa last week.
A culinary experince in Napa…
with Signature Kitchen Suite
Let’s back up just a sec…
The NKBA Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) went virtual in 2021, since an in-person event was not possible. Many brands took technology to the next level to create virtual showroom experiences, one of which was Signature Kitchen Suite. I loved checking out their booth and learning about their newest products!
Well, they also tucked away a few prizes, and after the show, I was pleasantly surprised to learn I had won a trip to Napa as part of the KBIS Winner’s Circle.
Napa!!
Ok. So full disclosure: Napa is not far from here. But this thing happened recently (that rhymes with schmanschmemic) and I’ve been home for nearly 2 years, so even if I am just driving an hour, it’s still A TRIP TO NAPA.
And I can tell you this: the folks at Signature Kitchen Suite deliver a luxury experience from start to finish.
Just a heads up, this is going to be an image-intensive post. There is so much to share! Also, this is not a sponsored post, but I did just get the VIP treatment in Napa thanks to Signature Kitchen Suite, and am writing about the experience because I loved it.
Our KBIS Winners’ Circle group was treated to a stay at the Meritage Hotel & Spa in Napa.
Since I’m somewhat local, it was a quick drive over for me and I arrived as the sun set over the hills in Napa, and there could not be a more picturesque way to begin the trip. We met with the SKS training team over dinner, and had the opportunity to get to know one another before beginning our immersion experience.
We arrived the following morning at the SKS Napa Experience Design Center (EDC) and had an opportunity to tour their beautiful 23,000 square foot facility before beginning our training session. In the classroom we learned about the SKS commitment to the luxury consumer through their 3 core pillars:
Innovation, Precision & Purposeful Design
Signature Kitchen Suite’s 3 Core Pillars
And after learning about their products in more detail, I believe they are truly delivering all three.
Some of the highlights:
- Their range is the first and only in the industry to have a built-in sous vide well
- Their 2-zone induction flex burners can operate as a single unit or two separate units, and can boil water faster than a gas burner (about half the time when we tested it!)
- The use of vacuum insulated panels, a metal and glass interior, and a linear inverter compressor in their built-in refrigeration equates to more precise cooling (within 1 degree), whisper-quiet refrigeration, and the largest interior capacity of all same-sized models on the market.
- Signature Kitchen Suite also has a unique service promise: they will repair units under warranty within 5 days or they will replace them.
- With the use of NFT, Signature Kitchen Suite is able to perform diagnostics through your cell phone so you don’t have to wait for a service call just to find out what the problem is.
Signature Kitchen Suite’s motto is “True to Food” – and they have coined the term “Technicureans” to describe the clients who will love their products: we are experience-driven. We are foodies who love to create a gourmet experience at home, and we embrace the ways technology improves our lives. Particularly, we see the added value of an appliance that doesn’t just save time, but also contributes to a luxury experience and makes cooking a pleasure.
And no, they did not pay me to say any of this.
So why do I know this? I’m glad you asked.
Not only did the team at Signature Kitchen Suite bring us to their beautiful facility to learn about the products and see them up close and in person, but they also truly delivered a luxury, immersive experience by inviting us to actually *use* the products to cook a restaurant-worthy meal.
Under the direction of Chef Nick and guidance of Sous Chef Jordan, we prepared steak, lobster tails, mushroom gratin, salad with freshly baked croutons, crostini with fire roasted peppers, and scallops, along with a freshly baked apple pie.
In their state of the art cooking theater, we used steam-assisted baking, full steam ovens, gas and induction cooking, sous vide, and convection baking. After we wrapped up, we were treated to lunch and went back into class to learn more about refrigeration and wine storage.
Following our module on wine storage, we were treated to a wine class, and then had one more opportunity to join chef Nick in the kitchen as he and Jordan put the finishing touches on the meal, and then we retreated to the stunning dining room for our amazing meal to close out the day.
On day 2, we learned about dishwashers, and the LG suite of products including laundry care and the ThinQ smart home products. We ended with Chef Nick’s signature Sous Vide Limoncello spritzers!
Once our training was completed, we were treated to a wine tasting excursion and dinner in the Napa area. In every way, the SKS team planned and delivered a 5 star experience and it has truly been a treat to experience it!
Oakville Wine Room, wine history museum, and oven-fired pizza lunch on the patio. Notice those wall-to-wall Plum wine dispensers in the tasting room and the map on the ceiling above that beautiful chandelier!
Trefethin Winery. The stunning table in the tasting room used to be a tree in front of the main building!
Okay, so what did I learn in Napa?
I learned that having the right appliances in your home can revolutionize the way you live.
Imagine:
- A combi-steam oven that can microwave popcorn, bake potatoes in 12 minutes, cook pork chops or veggies (or chicken nuggets, if we are being perfectly honest)
- A steam-assisted oven that makes perfect pastries every time
- A cooktop with gas burners and 2-zone induction burners and a sous vide bay
- A range with steam cooking and steam assist built right in to the ovens
- Knobs that each have a timer built in
- Pan sensing technology on the induction top
- Smart cooking presets for many recipes and the ability to add your own
- Gas grates that can be flipped over to hold a wok
- A sous vide bay that maintains the desired set temperature within 1 degree so you can set it and go about your day.
- A refrigerator with beautifully lit shelving, maximized capacity, and lift-and-go bins so you can load them on the counter and put them back in.
- Fully-integrated fridge and freezer columns that are whisper-quiet and preserve temperature with 1 degree accuracy
- Innovative technology: all-metal interior with sealed doors, and innovative linear inverter compressors with fewer moving parts to cool efficiently and accurately.
- Under-counter refrigeration drawers with 6 different independent temperature modes
- Undercounter wine storage with 2 zones and the same beautiful chamfered birch slide out shelves , as the larger units.
- Insta-view glass and touch display lighting so you can view the contents without needing to open the door.
- A wine storage column with multiple temperature zones that mimics the natural environment of a wine cave and can boost and preserve humidity for optimal storage.
- Wine storage that can catalog your collection (if you want it to), suggest food pairings and the optimal time to open it for best taste.
- A quiet dishwasher with PowerSteam and Quadwash technology that can power through the toughest messes with no rinsing and will reduce spotty glasses by 60%
- Easy to adjust racks for versatile loading and zone-specific half-load cycles.
- A washer with a sidekick pedestal washer underneath for smaller loads to get laundry done even more quickly.
- A clothing styler that can remove 99% of of germs and odors from your clothing like jackets and sweaters, and can even press your trousers.
If I had to pick a favorite, I’d go with the 48 inch rangetop with the sous vide bay AND the gas and induction surfaces, followed closely by the Combi Oven with steam and steam assist. Having the opportunity to use them and to experience steam and sous vide results first hand made both of these a must-have for me.
I want to give a heartfelt thank you to the team at Signature Kitchen Suite for the invitation and the wonderful experience. I appreciate the hospitality and the opportunity to learn and participate!
Over to you, friends: What items or features are at the top of your appliance wish list?
Sounds like a dream trip! And I’m with you…that range is fabulous!
Hi Crystal: This is the best post I’ve ever read about the benefits [ to me ] of buying the Signature Kitchen Suite range of appliances – and I’ve read a LOT of them.
I’m so glad you had such a wonderful experience — thanks for taking us all along with you.
Crystal, WOW! What a trip! Thank you so much for sharing all your inspiration and fabulous appliance pictures.