HOME APPLIANCES @
HOME APPLIANCES @ IFA MIELE TURNS UP THE HEAT WITH COMPACT OVEN RANGE By Gary Smith Built-in ovens in compact format have been increasing in popularity in recent years, thanks to their suitability as auxiliary units where a second oven is required. These so-called compact ovens are also interesting for small households or kitchens with limited space, because they only require a cabinet niche with a height of 45 cm and width of 60 cm. The new Miele 153e range with various optional features proves that it isn’t necessary to make compromises in terms of convenience and baking capabilities in order to achieve compact dimensions. The volume of the oven cavity has been increased to 43 litres. In other words, baking sheets from standard 60 cm Miele ovens also fit on to the three rack levels of the compact units. All the new compact ovens are equipped with electronic controls, which regulate a wide range of convenience features. For example, you can programme how a dish is to be cooked with the electronic timer. Eight operating modes can handle all manner of cooking, roasting and baking. Operation with recommended temperatures is a new feature for this class of appliances. The oven suggests a temperature for each operating model that is practical for many applications, but can be changed. Miele has also equipped its compact ovens with Perfect- Clean, designed to take the strain out of cleaning. PerfectClean is a non-stick surface finish for the oven cavity and accessories such as baking sheets and racks. Even more convenience is offered by pyrolytic cleaning, which works by heating the oven to high temperatures to burn all residues to a fine ash. These can then be simply wiped away. Customers can chose between pyrolytic cleaning and a PerfectClean finish. When cooking a quick meal after a hard day's work, even dedicated hobby cooks appreciate a little help. Miele's new compact ovens come to the rescue, providing over 50 automatic programmes, which are standard features on appliances with the newly developed PLUS display. The selected operating mode or automatic programme appears in the user's own language in the display. The company's new built-in food warmer keeps meals warm for a longer period of time without sacrificing texture and quality. This is the result of a hot-air system developed by Miele, which allows the temperature to be regulated between 30° and 85°C. The temperature can be set on the inside of the drawer with sensor buttons. A timer can be set just as easily as the temperature – indeed, the device will run for up to four hours. The food warmer, which can also be used to warm cups or plates, has a soft-closing, automatically retracting tray, as well as a damper in the door. Miele food warmers are available in two sizes. Both units are 60 cm wide and designed to be installed into tall units. The two sizes have 14 cm and 29 cm high front panels, respectively. Arranged vertically with other built-in Miele appliances, such as a steam cooker, a compact oven or a standard oven, each combination of appliances fills a classic niche in the kitchen. For families that do not require a food warmer, Miele offers a 14 cm high built-in plate warmer, which differs from the food warmer in that the temperature is set with a rotating knob. Two other built-in appliances offer interesting combinations: a 10 cm high plate warmer combined with a system drawer with the same format. The system drawer does not require a heating element and combines well with the CVA 3000. The comprehensive range of M 8000-1 microwave ovens with automatic weight programmes are excellent for thawing, heating and either cooking frozen or fresh foods. The weight of the food can be entered using the rotary knob after selecting the desired programme. The automatic programme then calculates the cooking time and power setting. The electronic controls offer a variety of adjustment possibilities, while the desired power and time can be set using the two large rotary controls. Hall 2.1 / Stand 101 Hall 7.1C Plus X Award 30 www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Wednesday, 3 rd September 2008
HOME APPLIANCES @ IFA BOSCH SEES THE BIG PICTURE By Gary Smith Bosch Marketing Manager Helmut Sailers Reflecting on the big picture and the sorts of trends that are emerging at IFA 2008, Bosch Marketing Manager Helmut Sailers points out that energy-saving has always been part of the Bosch philosophy: “Eco awareness amongst consumers is now extremely high and it’s something that Bosch has always pursued, but the accompanying mega-trend that we’re seeing is convenience. Consumers want appliances that are easy to use. Even if there is a lot of technique involved in usage, people don’t want to have to plough through a thick instruction manual. Also products have to be tailored perfectly to fit in to the kitchen and to the new needs of consumers. Cooking techniques are becoming more varied and this has to be reflected in what we make.” Simplicity of use backed up by ever more sophisticated products that do exactly what consumers want is now an immutable law of the market: “We are trendsetters in this new area and we also always pay a lot of attention to energy consumption,” Sailers said. “We are also now offering a range of side by side fridges that are tailored to European needs and made in Europe. A significant number of Europeans live in quite small apartments so obviously the US sizes are impossible for many people. Of course we’ll be selling the product in Asia as well and offering sizes up to 300 litres capacity all tailored to modern expectations in terms of quality, energy-efficiency and a modern and stylish design. Colour and style trends are also changing, although it depends on which part of the world you live in. Some things, however, never really change: “Black is always popular and now white is coming back, especially in kitchens,” he said. “It’s not the same white that you would have seen 20 years ago though, it’s what you’d call an iPod white, it’s very glitzy. Brushed aluminium remains popular as does silver and currently beige/coffee is proving to be a good alternative.” Hall 3.1 / Stand 106 Hall 7.1C Plus X Award DE’LONGHI: “WE WANT TO BE THE DRIVING FORCE ON THE MARKET” By Richard Barnes De’Longhi is currently market leader in Germany for espresso machines, and in terms of units sold it has a 23.3 per cent share of the market. The major Italian manufacturer is also No. 1 in Europe based on the value of sales, with 21.5 per cent of the market. CEO Helmut Geltner believes that this once again provides confirmation of the company’s strategy: “We want to advance to the position of no. 1 in all espresso sectors and become firmly established in this position. We have already made considerable progress in this respect recently.” Helmut Geltner believes that a strong product portfolio is the reason for this success. “Over the past four years we have built up a complete range of coffee machines, from a starter model to premium, fully automated coffee makers. All of these machines not only feature elegant styling but are distinguished in particular by their outstanding quality and attractive priceto-performance ratio.” A remarkable new innovation is also on show at IFA 2008: as a successor to the bestselling PrimaDonna, the new top-of-the-range ESAM 6700 PrimaDonna Avant with its large touch display is intended to make its mark in the premium sector. The Italians are responsible for creating some distinctive trends, turning the coffee machine from a kitchen aid into an accessory for the home. Hall 3.1 / Stand 206 Hall 7.1C Plus X Award IFA International • Wednesday, 3 rd September 2008 www.ifa-international.org 31
