Range cookers for Europe? / LivingKitchen as 'important seismograph'

Whoever thought they knew everything about cookers and ovens are in for a Miele surprise at the forthcoming LivingKitchen exhibition. The company is set to unveil its American-style range cookers for the first time in Europe: big-format cookers which uniquely combine the American joie de vivre with the quality and sophisticated appliance technology of Miele.

These range cookers were initially developed for the North American market where 'big is beautiful' has always been the name of the game. These ovens are easily twice as big as those on their European counterparts, and the market is dominated by freestanding units. According to a Canadian dealer, a 'heavy-duty look and feel' is what discerning customers in the US and Canada would expect of a range cooker. Loosely translated, this equates to 'durable professional-grade equipment with visual and haptic properties which leave no doubt as to an appliance's purpose.'

Miele lives up to these expectations in terms of design by including a large proportion of stainless steel. Further design highlights include solid, backlit rotary knobs, hinged handles which support sweeping ergonomic movements when opening appliance doors, and a high-resolution M Touch display. A particularly nice feature: For better readability, the control panel containing a TFT display swings upwards at the touch of a button. And, like all other Miele appliances, these new offerings are designed and tested to last 20 years.

Whereas the usual range cookers are rather conservative when it comes to technical features, the Gütersloh pioneer has decided to tread new ground. The HR 1956, a 1.22 m wide (48") freestanding unit which will be on display at the LivingKitchen exhibition, will offer a range of applications and functionalities which are revolutionary by American standards. These include two ovens, the larger of which has a volume of 92 l. The smaller oven cavity is an oven with microwave (43 l). An additional warmer drawer has also been included. The cooktop comprises six gas burners and a stainless-steel griddle for contact grilling. So have you been counting? This broad range of functions makes the HR 1956 a five-in-one wonder!

Top-class results are guaranteed by a wealth of tried-and-tested features which will be familiar to Miele customers from the top models from the current Generation 6000 range of built-in appliances. These include a patented and wireless food probe, Moisture Plus cooking (enhanced baking and roasting thanks to the addition of moisture), PyroFit accessories which can remain in the oven during pyrolytic cleaning, and M Touch controls which, inter alia, include a search function for more than 200 automatic programmes. 'With these USPs, the Miele range cooker has an outstanding position in the marketplace', says Gernot Trettenbrein, Miele Division Director Domestic Appliances International.

In North America, Miele starts marketing a complete new series of ranges and associated products. These include range cookers in widths of 76 cm (30"), 92 cm (36") and 122 cm (48"). These are joined by range hoods in matching widths. In essence, these are decor hoods made from stainless steel and intended for wall installation or extractor units for use in cabinetry or custom-built canopies. The programme range is rounded off by a series of range tops – hob units in the widths already listed with up to six gas burners and fluted or smooth griddles.

In Cologne, Miele will be presenting its top HR 1956 model together with a matching DAR 1150 extractor unit – and is eagerly awaiting the feedback of visitors to the exhibition. 'The LivingKitchen is an important seismograph for the range cookers which, recently presented in the US and Canada, are now attracting enthusiastic feedback', says Gernot Trettenbrein. 'We are now trying to sound out whether we can also launch these products here in Europe'.

(637 words, 4,031 characters incl. spaces)

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.