Manufacturers Guide

Kitchen Appliance Manufacturers Guide Most of us have heard of the top kitchen appliance brand names AEG, Hotpoint, Indesit, Bosch, Zanussi, Cannon, Smeg, Miele and Neff to name but a few, but what makes Miele different from Hotpoint? What companies are Italian?  Which ones are German? Who should you be buying your appliance from if you want it to last for 20 years (yes one manufacturers appliances are designed for 20 years of continuous use, this company then tests their products in a way that simulates 20 years of hard work to make sure that have got it right)?  Some kitchen appliance manufacturers create products which are high end and highly stylised, while others focus on durable products for use in a family home.  Find out a little more about the appliance brands you are so familiar with, below. AEG- Slogan: "PERFECT IN FORM AND FUNCTION"   AEG website Founded in 1889, using patents purchased from Thomas Edison, AEG has been a part of the largest appliance group in the world, Electrolux, since 1994.  AEG stands for "Advanced Engineering from Germany."  In 2003, Electrolux began to market the premium German AEG brand with its new slogan, "Perfect In Form and Function."  AEG's product line has been created for consumers interested in performance, high quality products.  AEG now presents itself as a coveted European brand for discerning buyers, paying attention to high quality and attention to detail. AEG's dedication to producing extremely quiet appliances means that they have partnered with the UK Noise Association and follow the guidelines of keeping decibel levels of their products extremely low. AEG created a space saving range, called The Compact Range, specifically designed for small homes.  The Frontline Future range is a modular cooking system which allows you to build a bespoke style kitchen easily with your own specifications. AEG offers a 5 year guarantee on all of their products, and have won several design awards. BAUMATIC- Slogan: "YOU WILL BE MINE"  BAUMATIC website Baumatic is an Italian white goods manufacturer, founded in the UK in 1992.  The company places strong emphasis on style, quality, and safety.  Baumatic products are available in 65 countries around the world, and are very popular due to their beautiful design coupled with reasonable pricing. Baumatic is the only Italian appliance brand that has been approved by the National Italian Chefs Team; this team has reached the finals in every cooking competition it has entered since 2002. Caring for the environment has always been a priority for Baumatic.  All Baumatic products conform to the highest European standards to protect the environment in the manufacturing process. BEKO- Slogan: "COOK, CLEAN, COOL"   BEKO website Beko has been based in the UK since 1991, and is currently the largest brand for refrigeration in the UK.  Beko has consistently been noted for its product line by Which? magazine.  In the area of white goods, Beko currently manufacture refrigerators, freezers, cookers, dishwashers and washing machines.  Worldwide, one Beko product is purchased every two seconds. Beko products are all built to the highest European & International safety and environmental standards, with each product being built in its own dedicated facility. BELLING- Slogan: "THINK OF EVERYTHING"   BELLING website Belling was founded in 1912, expanding over the years, until being acquired by the Glen Dimplex Group in 1992.  Recognised for its high quality, the Belling brand was kept intact, and won the #1 Cooking Brand award in 2006.  In 2007, Belling received the top award for Appliance Customer Care for the third year running. Belling is renowned as a family brand and is known for producing affordable appliances geared towards family use.  Belling is currently the largest supplier of cookers in the UK.  Their expertise lies in cooking appliances, and they also produce a range of built-in dishwashers, refrigerators and washing machines. BOSCH- Slogan: "INVENTED FOR LIFE"  BOSCH website Bosch, a German based company, has been trading in the UK since 1898.  The Bosch brand has always denoted quality and reliability, as well as a focus on specific needs of individual consumers.  Bosch's range of domestic appliances are specially created to meet domestic requirements without too much fuss, and ease of use is a key factor in the design of all household products. All Bosch's products are manufactured with as little stress on the environment as possible and Bosch is constantly looking at new ways of reducing energy and water consumption while still maintaining functionality at a high level.  Bosch dishwashers use as little as 9 litres of water per load (a dishwasher can use up to 60 litres of water), which is less water than washing by hand.  It is able to do this by heating the water to 75 degrees celcius, which guarantees a hygenic wash without the water usage.  Bosch washing machines have super-quick 15 minute wash and rinse cycles, which is currently the fastest on the market. ELECTROLUX- Slogan: "THINKING OF YOU"   ELECTROLUX website Electrolux, founded in 1910, is a Swedish corporation manufacturing home appliances, which sells its products to 150 countries worldwide.  They are the second largest white goods manufacturer in the world.    Electrolux calls its design philosophy "Thoughtful Design", which is based on Scandinavian design traditions.  Electrolux places high value on the design, ease of use, and functionality of all of its products. Electrolux products conform to all European standards of Sustainable Energy.  Electrolux received an award from the European Commission in 2007 for its efforts at continuously trying to improve the energy efficiency of its products in their manufacture and daily use. HOTPOINT- Slogan: "OUR IDEAS, YOUR HOME"   HOTPOINT website Hotpoint was founded in 1911 in the UK, and is currently owned by Indesit and General Electric.  Hotpoint is perhaps best known for its refrigeration and washing machine ranges. Hotpoint places great focus on making white goods and home appliances that contribute to the smooth running of your home.  They are renowned for combining advanced technology with common sense usage.  Faster and quieter product operation is always being pursued. Hotpoint has a Number of colour finishes. Just look for the appropriate letter after the Model Number for the colour you require. These colours are Satin Aluminium (A), Polar White (P), Sandstone (T), Black (K), Stainless Steel (SS) and Graphite (G). Hotpoint currently has the largest after-sales service operations in Europe to ensure excellent customer service and quick repairs if need be.  The dependability of its products coupled with the after-care make it an obvious choice for reliable family appliances. Hotpont have a easy to use appliance finding tool which is worth looking at and can be found here Hotpoint appliance finding tool INDESIT- Slogan: " WE WORK, YOU PLAY"   INDESIT website Indesit is an Italian company, founded in 1930, and is one of Europe's largest home appliance manufacturers.  Indesit merged with Hotpoint in 2007, and is currently Europe's number 2 white goods company behind Electrolux. Indesit's cooling products account for about 1/3 of its production.  They manufacture about 5 million washing machines a year, with production geared towards protecting the environment.  All Indesit hobs, cookers, and ovens and manufactured with Class A certification. KITCHENAID- Slogan: "FOR THE WAY IT'S MADE"  KITCHENAID website The Kitchenaid brand gots its name with the invention of an electric eggbeater in 1919, when someone declared it the best "kitchen aid" they'd ever used.  Kitchenaid is now owned by the Whirlpool corporation. Kitchenaid products are manufactured to the highest standards and are noted for their classic designs.  Their ranges are based on professional use appliances, modified for home use. LG - Slogan: "LIFE'S GOOD" LG website LG Electronics, Inc. (LG) was founded in 1958 and has become known as a technology innovator in kitchen appliances.  LG employs more than 82,000 people over its 110 operations including 81 subsidiaries around the world. In 2007 LG enjoyed global sales of around £22 billion. The LG group is comprised of four main business units - Mobile Communications, Digital Appliance, Digital Display and Digital Media. LG is the world’s leading producer of front-loading washing machines and is recognised for its appliance ranges which include a stylish Side by Side Refrigerator with built in hi-tech TV, round cavity Microwaves and Direct Drive technology Washing Machines, MIELE- Slogan: "FOREVER BETTER"   MIELE website Miele is a family owned German appliance company founded in 1899.  The company manufactures domestic appliances, vacuum cleaners, and coffee systems, and created the first electric dishwasher and washing machine.  Miele was the most successful company in Germany in 2007, beating out Google and Porsche.  Miele was also named the best appliance brand by Which? magazine in the UK. Miele is a high end brand, competing alongside Bosch and Siemens for its customer base.  All of its products are designed for 20 years of continuous use, and Miele's commitment to the environment means that their production process does not produce any hazardous materials, and most product parts are recyclable.  Miele products are all incredibly energy and water efficient. NEFF-   NEFF website Neff is a family run German company founded 125 years ago, with their appliances becoming available in the UK in the 1970s.  Over the years Neff has built a reputation for building great looking, very high quality products. Neff were the first to come up with the concept of a modern fitted kitchen package.  Neff was also the first company to introduce a full size oven with a microwave, and patented Circotherm cooking, and these days are arguably best known for their cooking appliances. Neff's design and engineering have been recognised with many awards over the years. SIEMENS- Slogan: "GLOBAL NETWORK OF INNOVATION"   SIEMENS website Siemens is a German corporation founded in 1847 and is well known for its high quality products and design innovation. Extensive research is done in manufacturing every Siemens product, with care taken to make sure that the needs of its discerning customers are met.  Siemens sits at the upper end of white goods choices and their appliances are designed with the highest standards in mind.  Siemens appliances come with 5 year guarantees. Most Siemens appliances have been given an A rating for energy efficiency, with many achieving an A+ rating. SMEG- Slogan: "TECHNOLOGY WITH STYLE"   SMEG website Smeg is currently Italy's largest manufacturer of domestic appliances.  The company was founded in 1948, and remains a family run private business. They are very well known for their retro-style colourful refrigerators.  Smeg is best known for its stylish products, which stand out in their designs. Smeg currently manufactures three ranges- the main range, the Cucina Selection, and the Kitchen Studio Line, with a full range of products for each of these lines. WHIRLPOOL- Slogan: "SENSING THE DIFFERENCE"   WHIRLPOOL website Whirlpool, based in the US, is the largest white goods manufacturer in the world.  They produce a full range of white goods in the mid-range level. Whirlpool products are manufactured to high standards with family use in mind.  The ranges are stylish and durable, well priced and built to last. ZANUSSI- Slogan: "THE SCIENCE OF APPLIANCE"   ZANUSSI website Zanussi was founded in Italy in 1916, and was the first company to launch the first gas cooker in 1951.  In 1984 Zanussi was bought by Electrolux, and remains a leading brand for domestic kitchen appliances in Europe. Zanussi is well known for its high quality and stylish products in the mid-range price bracket, and have begun to produce some lower priced appliances as well.  John Lewis' line of domestic white goods are all re-branded Zanussi appliances.