Appliance Reduces Counter Clutter

Nearly everyone is interested in reducing kitchen counter clutter. Can openers, juicers, mixers, blenders, food processors, knife sharpeners, toasters, coffee makers and other helpful appliances tend to clutter kitchen counters to the point where there’s little or no working space.

So General Electric deserves plaudits for a new idea in kitchen convenience and entertainment. Called the Kitchen Companion, an FM/AM radio with clock timer, it mounts under any kitchen cabinet.

Features include an electronic digital clock, a programmable timed AC outlet to turn appliances on and off, as well as a countdown timer for timing of cooking and baking. The smooth touch-pad controls are easy to use and easy to clean.

The three-way programmable timed appliance outlet accepts up to 1,650 watts. The three choices are auto, which can be set to turn an appliance--a coffee maker, for instance--on and off at precise times; ever on, which can be used as an extra kitchen outlet, and off, which will cause the outlet to remain off continuously until auto or ever on is engaged.

The countdown timer times up to an hour and 59 minutes, a buzzer sounding when the time has elapsed. The timer display shows the time remaining.

A time-hold capacitor stores energy to hold time and auto time in memory during momentary power failures. The time display blinks when power is restored until the clock is reset.

A five-inch dynamic speaker, backed by 700 megawatts of audio output power puts out a quality sound and automatic frequency control prevents FM signals from drifting.

The package includes a mounting bracket with screws and an allen wrench for easy installation, a cord wrap and cord hook to prevent cord dangling on the kitchen counter.

General Electric’s Kitchen Companion is actually one of several newly introduced Spacemaker appliances, all of which mount under cabinets. They include a microwave oven, a can opener, a combination radio-TV set, a coffee maker and a jar opener-knife sharpener.

All are available at appliance dealers and discount stores, such as Hartman’s, which has 11 stores in this area. Regularly priced at $66.97 at Hartman’s, the Kitchen Companion was recently offered by the store at a sale price of $54.99.

General Electric permits stores to set their own prices on GE appliances.