€ 1 bn sales topped in Germany / Biggest order ever comes from India / New combination unit as exhibition highlight

Nine out of ten Miele customers would like to own a second built-in cooking product alongside their oven according to the Gütersloh-based domestic appliance manufacturer Miele. But increasingly, consumers are faced with having to choose between a microwave and a steam oven. The solution to this dilemma was unveiled today by Miele at a press conference marking the opening of the LivingKitchen exhibition in Cologne in the form of a fully fledged steam oven and a fully fledged microwave in one and the same unit. A further eye-catcher at the Miele booth is an XXL cooker which demonstrates exceptional versatility, now staging its European trade show premiere at the LivingKitchen.

'A new world of cooking' – with this claim, Miele is presenting around 400 built-in Generation 6000 appliances on an area covering almost 1000 m². The focus is clearly on the new combination unit with the model designation DGM 6800, which in its unique space-saving way combines the quality of results of a steam oven with the speed of a microwave. 'As this appliance is a master of both disciplines without compromise, we see great market potential and are extremely excited at the feedback from both the trade and end-users' according to Frank Jüttner, Managing Director of Miele Germany, at the press conference.

Miele is equally curious as to the response of trade show visitors to its new range cookers, cooking appliances in American size and format paired up with the quality and features familiar from Generation 6000 built-in appliances. Miele is presenting its 1.22 m (= 48") wide model featuring two ovens (one of which includes microwave), six gas burners, a stainless-steel griddle and a warmer drawer, in Cologne. 'Our range cookers have met with a very positive initial response in the US and Canada', says Co-Proprietor and Managing Executive Dr Reinhard Zinkann. Whether Miele decides to launch these units in Europe as well depends largely on the level of interest sparked at LivingKitchen.

Dr Zinkann also used the opportunity presented by the press conference to present a brief summary of performance during the current business year: 'In the first half of the 2014/15 business year which commenced on July 1, 2014, Miele continued and consolidated its growth despite mixed economic conditions'. This is not least attributable to the market success of the current Generation 6000 built-in appliances. Miele's turnkey project business selling kitchen appliances to fully fitted new-build complexes is also generating sales momentum. Miele, for instance, is currently supplying around 12,000 built-in appliances to the 3000-apartment Golf Estate in India. 'This is the single biggest order in the history of our company', Zinkann continues. In Germany, Miele recorded its first billion euros in sales during the 2014 calendar year and is set to continue this high-level growth.

Further focuses of innovation from Miele at the LivingKitchen will be cooker hoods, subject to EU-wide energy labelling since January 1, as well as smart-home technology represented by a fully networked kitchen. The Miele@mobile app which allows Miele machines to be remotely monitored and controlled will soon be released for download from the Apple and Google stores.

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Additional information on press conference as download:

Press conference presentation

Statement by Dr Reinhard Zinkann, Executive Director

Statement by Frank Jüttner, Managing Director of Miele Germany

Other press releases and photos from LivingKitchen

Company profile: Miele is the world's leading manufacturer of premium domestic appliances including cooking, baking and steam-cooking appliances, refrigeration products, coffee makers, dishwashers and laundry and floor care products. This line-up is augmented by dishwashers, washer-extractors and tumble dryers for commercial use as well as washer-disinfectors and sterilisers for use in medical and laboratory applications (Miele Professional). The Miele company, founded in 1899, has 8 production plants in Germany as well as one plant each in Austria, the Czech Republic, China and Romania. 2013/14 turnover amounted to approx. EUR 3.22 bn with sales outside Germany accounting for around 70%. Miele is represented with its own sales subsidiaries and via importers in almost 100 countries. The Miele company, now in the fourth generation of family ownership, employs a workforce of around 17,660, 10,411 thereof in Germany. The company headquarters are located in Gütersloh/Westphalia, Germany.