This week, the Consumer Electronics Association selected the Kenmore Toast 'N Wave combination microwave/toaster as an "Innovations 2003 Award Winner" in the Home Appliance category. Innovations 2003 is endorsed by the Industrial Designers Society of America and recognizes the best-designed and engineered products sold in the U.S. The award is judged by a preeminent panel of independent journalists and designers. The Kenmore Toast 'N Wave was selected from more than 600 entries received.

"You can never have enough counter space in the kitchen," said Tina Settecase, vice president and general manager for appliances at Sears. "In a survey conducted among consumers who are in the market to buy a countertop microwave, more than 50 percent said they like the microwave/toaster and would buy the Toast 'N Wave."

The innovative product combines a 0.9 cubic foot, 900-watt microwave with a two-slice toaster featuring electronic controls and a nine-step browning control. It's one more example of how Sears develops products that anticipate and respond to the changing needs of its customers.

Features include an electronic touch control positioned along the top of the product, rather than to the right of the microwave cavity. The microwave portion of the product also includes six auto cook settings and three-stage cooking, including defrost, plus a child lockout feature.

Placement of the control panel at the top of the product frees up space for the toaster. The control panel includes toaster keys for "toast," bagel" and "frozen," plus nine settings to control lightness and darkness.

The Kenmore Toast 'N Wave (Models #62292 and #62299) is a perfect gift for the holidays and is available now at Sears and on sears.com (Regular price: $129.99). The product will be featured as a winner at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Jan. 8-12, 2003.

Kenmore, the most popular appliance brand in America and available only at Sears, is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2002.

Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a broadline retailer with significant service and credit businesses. In 2001, the company's annual revenue was more than $41 billion. The company offers its wide range of apparel, home and automotive products and services to families in the U.S. through Sears stores nationwide, including approximately 870 full-line stores. Sears also offers a variety of merchandise and services through its Web site, www.sears.com . In June 2002, Sears acquired Lands' End, a direct merchant of traditionally styled, classic Lands' End clothing offered to customers around the world through regular mailings of its specialty catalogs and online at www.landsend.com .