The new EU energy label has been in force since March. The most noticeable change is that the top label rating for energy efficiency, previously 'A+++', has been replaced by a simple 'A'. At the same time, the benchmark has once again been raised in comparison with the previous top rating. Under the new regime, Miele still excels with top marks for energy efficiency – for example on washing machines, where a lot of the frontloaders have been awarded the top 'A' rating.
Touch displays are an integral part of our everyday lives and have long since become indispensable in the kitchen. Miele has already demonstrated this with its Generation 7000 built-in appliances: Ovens, steam cookers and the like are easier and more intuitive to operate via touch display than almost any other cooking appliance before. Now the company is launching another powerful induction hob. It has three PowerFlex Plus areas for variable cooking with up to five pots and pans, is conveniently controlled via an integrated seven-inch TFT colour display and also offers 23 assistance programmes that ensure perfect results when frying.
Amazon's Alexa voice assistant and Miele domestic appliances communicate since 2017, but the latest update of the Miele skill* makes voice control even more convenient. An example? With a friendly "Good morning, Alexa", the blinds open, your favourite music plays, and the Miele coffee machine heats up.
An increasing circle of people are showing an avid interest in cooking challenging dishes out in the fresh air – and are investing in high-end barbecue grills or even complete outdoor kitchens. Both companies intend to tackle this high-potential markets together with immediate effect: Otto Wilde will contribute its expertise in the field of innovative high-end grills and accessories. Miele, for its part, brings many years of know-how in the development, production, connectivity and marketing of premium built-in appliances worldwide to the table. Alongside expanding the product portfolio, further internationalisation is on the joint agenda.
The Miele Euskirchen plant is working as normal from today. At the same time, production was ramped up again at other production sites which were temporarily unable to produce due to a lack of supply of motors from Euskirchen. In concrete terms, this applies to plants in Gütersloh and Ksawerów (washing machines), Bielefeld (dishwashers and vacuum cleaners) and Uničov (dishwashers and tumble dryers).
How do air purifiers with a HEPA filter perform in practice? This is currently a hotly discussed topic, above all regarding use in schools. Answers are provided by a recent series of experiments carried out by the highly reputable HYBETA medical hygiene institute in Münster, Germany, in collaboration with Miele. The test involved putting a mobile PAC 1080 Miele AirControl air purifier through its paces.
After complete evaluation of the tests of all 500 employees at the Miele plant in Euskirchen, 18 cases of Covid-19 have currently been confirmed as positive there. The British virus variant has been detected in a total of ten employees so far. As a consequence, the Department of Public Health has ordered the quarantine of 206 employees up to and including March 9th, 2021. This is a result of the particularly high risk of the British virus variant.
With a top mark of 2.0, Miele's PUR 98 W cooker hood convinced the jurors of Germany's leading consumer watchdog Stiftung Warentest all along the line, securing unparallelled overall victory. In total, the watchdog examined 18 cooker hoods in recirculation mode. The results were published in the 3/2021 issue of the 'test' magazine on February 25.
Despite stringent protective measures, infections with SARS-CoV-2 have occurred at the Miele plant in Euskirchen. The British virus variant B.1.1.7, which is considered to be particularly contagious, was found in six of the eight cases that initially tested positive. Last Tuesday, February 23, all of the plant's approximately 500 employees were tested. The results are expected to be available tomorrow.
Demands for hygiene around the home have reached high levels and, indeed, further increased during the current pandemic. Hygienically sparkling crockery and clean laundry engenders trust and confidence and creates a sense of security in everyday life. And now, the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences has conducted a scientific investigation into whether dishwashers, washing machines and tumble dryers from Miele meet these high demands – and the independent Institute for Integrative Hygiene and Virology (InFluenc_H) awarded Miele its gold seal of approval. Miele's FashionMaster steam ironing system was awarded its seal in silver, the highest award going to a product in this category.
No matter whether visibly soiled or microbiologically contaminated: The reprocessing of medical and dental instruments should be continuously documented. Miele's tried-and-tested DataDiary app represents a reliable and time-saving solution in this respect. The app is designed for thermal disinfectors and small sterilisers. Cycle reports are received automatically and can be saved on a tablet PC. And now a DataDiary update is available – offering even greater convenience in terms of data presentation and archiving. The Android version is immediately available; the version for iPads will follow at the end of 2Q21.
In the 2020 fiscal year (January 1 - December 31), the Miele Group achieved sales of € 4.5 bn, 6.5% more than in 2019. This has even greater relevance in view of the fact that Miele was also massively hit by the turmoil caused by the current pandemic during the past year. 'Thanks to our strong brand, a high-quality product range and the persistent expansion of digital marketing activities, Miele has nevertheless succeeded in surpassing the previous year's turnover by a considerable margin. We will continue to stay our course and, indeed, strengthen it', says the Executive Board of the world's leading purveyor of premium domestic appliances and commercial machines. Strong growth was reported above all in Germany, central Europe and in China. Amongst individual categories, vacuum cleaners and refrigeration products experienced the greatest growth rates. As per December 31, 2020, Miele employed a staff of 20,944 worldwide. This equates to an increase of 466 year-on-year.
A fresh, healthy and sustainable cuisine is increasingly becoming an integral part of daily life for many people – with recipe ideas nowadays found above all online. In this respect, the KptnCook app provided by the eponymous Berlin startup counts among the fastest-growing offerings in the German-speaking world – with Miele holding a stake in the company since 2018. Now, the domestic appliance company from Gütersloh is increasing its stake in KptnCook to over 50%. The common goal is to further fuel the growth of this multiple award-winning app in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and beyond. Furthermore, greater personalisation of offers is planned.
Two appliances from Miele excelled in the recent vacuum cleaner test conducted by the German consumer watchdog Stiftung Warentest. In the vacuum cleaner test, seven models with a dustbag were pitted against seven bagless models. The results have been published in the 02/2021 edition of the 'test' magazine, available from newsagents from today.
As a full-line hygiene specialist, Miele is now expanding its portfolio of bedpan washers. An additional free-standing unit with a width of only 45 cm is ideal for small utility rooms and also easy to integrate into a run of furniture.
