Soul food: Gaggenau
Brand story by Emma Moore
München, Germany
22.04.21
Craftsmanship is at the top of Gaggenau's list of values, because ‘it's the only way to breathe soul into products’, says Sven Baacke, the company’s Head of Design.
A team of five assemble the control panels in a clean room at the Lipsheim factory. Protective clothing is worn to prevent dust particles entering the space, where they could damage electrical parts
A team of five assemble the control panels in a clean room at the Lipsheim factory. Protective clothing is worn to prevent dust particles entering the space, where they could damage electrical parts
×It might come as a surprise from a company that wholeheartedly embraces the advancement of technology in kitchen design, but craft and hand-building are high on Gaggenau’s list of values. ‘Finished by hand, this is the only way to put soul into the products’ says Sven Baacke, Gaggenau’s Head of Design.
The distinctive TFT touch displays are one of the features that are built by hand to ensure precision and quality is maintained
The distinctive TFT touch displays are one of the features that are built by hand to ensure precision and quality is maintained
×One does not, in fact, negate the other. At the Gaggenau plant in Lipsheim, ovens and extractors are produced in small batches that highly skilled technicians assemble by hand using cutting-edge equipment. From the latest welding device, to a state-of-the-art cleanroom (where control panels are compiled manually in a sanitised, dust- and static-free environment to ensure no damage befalls the sensitive electrical components), the tools are advanced, but it’s the manual assembly of parts that ensures the necessary precision and quality control.
The Vario downdraft ventilation 400 series is a finely-crafted appliance that sits almost invisibly between cooktop appliances, eliminating vapours and odours at source
The Vario downdraft ventilation 400 series is a finely-crafted appliance that sits almost invisibly between cooktop appliances, eliminating vapours and odours at source
×Production consists of a lot of manual work and fine-tuning’ affirms Alexis Graff, Production Manager at Lipsheim ‘We apply very high quality standards especially with regards to materials such as aluminium and stainless steel, which we produce in 3mm panels.’ These panels are used to frame certain appliances, such as the innovative and infinitely discrete downdraft ventilation 400 series system, which features a highly sensitive air-quality sensor that detects odour and reacts to vapour. It silently and efficiently extracts and filters airborne detritus from cooking sessions – while visually it remains almost invisible, tucked between countertop cooking appliances. ‘Our products are high quality but also have a high emotional impact,’ says Graff. It’s something that is perhaps only possible when human touch is incorporated into the production process.
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