Kitchen couture

Source : Business Times – 14 Nov 2009

Gaggenau takes a purist approach in appliances

Think German appliances, and you think technology and reliability. So it comes as a bit of a surprise that one leading German maker of premium kitchen appliances actually makes a deliberate decision not to go after the latest technology. The reason, however, is simple – Gaggenau is just more concerned about reliability. ‘Technology is very fast, but we try not to go with every new one,’ explains Sven Baacke, one of five designers at Gaggenau, and whose areas of focus are ovens as well as the presentation of the Gaggenau brand and its showrooms worldwide.

‘It’s not about gadgets for the brand. For our ovens, we take seven to eight years before a new design comes out. We don’t just get a new technology every six months because we have to research what is a really good invention and what is not and think forward, in terms of years. The life cycles of our products are very long, and they take a long time to create because they are part of a whole system that comes together.’

And Gaggenau does well, he says, not so much because it rushes out the latest models fast as it can, but because ‘what we really do is cooking’.

‘We work with many chefs and people who try to do new things,’ explains Mr Baacke on a recent visit. ‘And we really like cooking – otherwise you can’t really do kitchen appliances because it’s not just about the look. All our appliances are professional.’

Gaggenau, for instance, stakes its claim as the first to introduce professional combination steam and convection ovens into households 10 years ago. These ovens offer the same power and strength as those in professional kitchens. ‘What we really try to do is invent things first and not just put a cover on it,’ says Mr Baacke. ‘It’s function first, aesthetics after.’

And the German penchant for functionalism is perhaps why people tend to describe German designs as being ‘very straight’ he says. ‘Other than functionality, we try to keep the products very pure. We avoid plastics and instead use real materials such as wood, aluminium and stainless steel.’

This is why Gaggenau, despite not having a new oven line presented since 2007 is still so successful. Global economic woes notwithstanding, the brand is expected to grow its 2008 turnover of just under 200 million euros by a healthy 9 per cent this year.

Looking ahead, quality kitchen appliances will increasingly be in demand, and kitchens of the future will have to be able to serve the needs of different cooking cultures, says Mr Baacke. ‘Besides ovens, they may have to incorporate things like a teppanyaki griddle, rotisserie, wok burner and powerful hood. All the different cooking needs will be found inside.’