By Martha Uniacke Breen
Many prestige European appliance brands have long and impressive histories. But few, if any, can trace their lineage all the way back to feudal times the way Gaggenau can. And the story of how the legendary German maker came to Brown’s Appliances in Port Carling is as interesting as the story of the company itself.
According to its website, Gaggenau’s history began in 1683, when a benevolent local landowner, seeking employment for the people in his fiefdom, established a smelting plant and hammer and nail forge in the Black Forest town of Gaggenau. The plant thrived and eventually evolved into an ironworks. By 1873, it was producing high-quality industrial products, including enamel-coated advertising signs – the genesis of the robust blue-enamel coated oven interiors still found in some Gaggenau products.
By the 20th century, the company began to specialize in coal- and gas-fired stoves (along with, curiously enough, bicycles, which engrained in its workers a respect for both ergonomics and distinctive design). Throughout the century to come, Gaggenau was the source of several industry firsts: the first electric oven; the first eye-level-mounted oven and separate cooktop; the first freestanding freezer and refrigerator units. And in 1999, Gaggenau produced the first steam oven, still one of its best-loved inventions.
Brown’s Appliances owner Jennifer Veitch was familiar with the Gaggenau brand and its distinguished pedigree, of course. But with just a single 1,500-sq.ft. location on Maple Street in Port Carling, there simply wasn’t room to carry all the high-quality brands she would like to. Then one of her regular customers, a successful area builder, called with a request.
“He had a client whose personal chef was very particular; he would only work with Gaggenau cooking appliances, and he had specified he wanted the Vario model; he was very specific about how he wanted it set up.” The Gaggenau Vario cooktop can be configured with a precise layout of induction heat or gas burners, grills, and other elements, and each is custom-made to order.
“We looked into it and discovered that the same distributor carries Bosch and Thermador. Since we already carried Bosch, we knew we would have the service connection, which is critical for us. But the distributor told us that if we wanted Gaggenau we had to take on Thermador as well, since the two brands were always sold together.” From a business standpoint, it was a bit of a conundrum. Then she got a brain wave.
“We already partner with several kitchen stores in the area” – Cutter’s Edge in Huntsville, Northern Living in Parry Sound, and Woodsmith’s of Muskoka in Bracebridge, along with others – “and I thought, why not install the units, plumbed and fully functional, so customers can try them in action?” She approached Chervin Kitchens in Port Carling with the idea, who immediately agreed it was a win-win for both partners: Chervin would gain a suite of fully working display kitchens to show its clients, and Brown’s would be able to show off some of the finest appliances in the business: not just Gaggenau, but KitchenAid, JennAir and other great brands. Today, all three are among the store’s most asked-about lines.
Veitch says Brown’s best-selling Gaggenau appliance to date has been its “honeycomb” induction cooktop. Induction cooking was a revelation when it was introduced a few years ago, and may one day completely replace natural gas (which is, after all, a fossil fuel). The heat is produced by direct electromagnetic conduction – technically, induction – between the pot and the surface, so that the rest of the cooktop stays cool to the touch. Because the “honeycomb” gridded design covers the entire surface, you can place a pot anywhere on the cooktop, or up to five separate pots simultaneously, and all will heat to perfection. It doesn’t even require a vent hood, though you can install an overhead or downdraft exhaust if you wish.
The induction cooktop’s companion combo steam/electric oven, available as a wall-mounted, fully plumbed unit in two widths, is another of the brand’s most strikingly designed products. Veitch points out that with older steam units, you had to fill a reservoir to provide the water for steam, but this model can be fully plumbed, making steam instantly available when needed. She uses one herself.
“When I’m doing a roast, I’ll start it at 400 to get a good sear on the outside, then turn it down to 325 degrees for even cooking, all the while injecting steam to maintain moisture – which gives you a super succulent roast.” It’s also great for leftovers, which can often get dried out when you reheat them.
Gaggenau’s modular, columnar-style fridge and freezer units are particularly useful at the cottage, she says. “Often guests will bring a lot of food, or you tend to stock up between trips into town to shop, so you need a place to put all that food!” Having a full-size freezer solves the problem nicely.
The units have useful features such as push-to-open, no-handle doors (“They self-close after a few seconds; great if you have your hands full,” she observes), and like all Gaggenau products, are too beautiful to hide behind self-panels. Because they can be conjoined in multiple ways, you could, for example, combine the fridge and freezer with a wine cooler in the centre. Because the wine cooler has a glass-panelled door, it avoids the monolithic “wall of appliances” look. And the interiors are all stainless steel, which holds the cold more efficiently.
Gaggenau’s small appliances are as thoughtfully made as its full-size units. One particularly lovely example is its in-wall espresso maker; like the steam oven, it can also be plumbed, so perfect espresso is yours at the touch of a button – a tiny, perfect blessing on a chilly Muskoka morning.
“COVID really taught us how to cook again,” says Veitch. “Cooking has become a family activity, with several cooks working together and kitchens that are bigger and often open to the family room.” Luxury appliance makers like Gaggenau have taken this to heart, with new models that are easy, safe and efficient for the whole family to use, and as pleasing to look at as they are to work with.
