No Throwaway Disposable Culture For Us: Meet Miele!
Brooke and I were delighted to be invited to see the new Miele Experience Centre showroom and meet the leadership team behind Miele. Besides getting a chance to see their beautiful products (and taste the treats made in the Miele test kitchen), we had a chance to learn about the goals and philosophy of the company which we are happy to share with you. Some of you may already be Miele fans, and we hope that for those new to the brand we may peak your interest in learning more.
feeling very short with the Miele leadership team
Miele is a family owned company and we were excited to actually meet, direct from Germany, Dr. Markus Miele and Dr. Reinhard Zinkann, 4th generation, direct descendants of the original founding fathers of the company, an unbroken line of leadership.
The family business continues to adhere to its values and brand claim; the only company/family business that focuses on appliances. The company is auto financed, meaning the funds are reinvested back into the company. Miele produces their own electronics, by doing it themselves, they are deeply embedded in the process.
There are 90 Miele Centres around the world including Beijing, London and a new one in Paris. Vancouver, is the fastest growing market in the last 2 years due to the high influx of discerning buyers.
A highlight of the Miele Centres, is the test kitchen and classroom. If you need some help with learning how to use your appliances, or learn some new recipes, just head on down to the Miele Centre for one of their Master Class sessions. There are chefs on hand to show you how to cook like them!
Pacific Coast Eggs Benny, White Chocolate and Vanilla Poached Pear Pudding and Croissants made by Miele chefs
Overall, Miele is about delighting the consumer. “We want customers to come in and touch and feel everything. We want them to walk into the showroom to fresh baked cookies and more…The best and only way for consumers to engage with the product is to experience them.”
Dr. Reinhard Zinkann, with Yves Dalcourt (New President of Miele Canada), and Brooke
The appliances are built for the long term, as evidenced by the company’s 18,000 long-standing employees. Germany is the strongest market so far but North America is growing as they research and develop for the way the North American market cooks. For our markets, Miele has especially been focusing on the cooktop range and how we use this appliance differently from our European counterparts. We had a glimpse of new state-of-the art Miele kitchen, featuring the all-new DGC XXL, largest steam combination oven on the domestic appliance market.
User interface is extremely important and Miele is the only company with the ‘End Touch’ interface that operates like an iPhone. For example if you want a medium rare tenderloin, you would simply enter that direction on the touch pad. These appliances really do take the mystery out of cooking times.
The company’s philosophy of ‘affordable luxury’ is a straightforward value proposition based on quality and innovation. The appliances last for many, many years. I can attest to this through my own personal experiences with Miele. The six Miele appliances in our home kitchen have made daily living so much better. Miele’s approach of giving everyone the options they need has proven itself time and again at our house.
When we renovated our kitchen 8 years ago, we chose almost all Miele appliances including the Miele integrated Mastercool refrigerator, a convection oven, a steam oven, a warming oven, a ventilation hood, and an integrated dishwasher. We have had absolutely no regrets because all of our appliances have worked flawlessly!
The latest innovations from Miele include combining a convection oven with a steam oven; the warming drawer that works as a slow cooker; white ovens, knock open dishwashers with no handles and last but not least, induction cooktops. These cooktops are now supplanting gas ranges as master chefs’ appliances of choice.
white ovens
According to Dr. Zinkann, there are two key points to emphasize in kitchen design trends.
Firstly, Modern kitchen design now seeks to achieve a clean, seamless look by tucking appliances within cabinetry and millwork.
To enhance this design goal Miele has given us a complete handle-less set of ovens to effortlessly create a fully integrated appliance package.
Secondly, using Miele appliances is a the ultimate way to convey one’s belief in quality workmanship and fine design. We can see this time and again in Real Estate advertisements that promote their project because it features ‘Miele Appliances’. A symbol of status as exemplified in this advertisement for Nelsen Lodge at Revelstoke Mountain Resort in BC.
What I often hear (and even tell myself) is that Miele appliances are expensive! This is true. These appliances are not selected due to their low price point, they are selected because of their superior quality.
Like so many fine products, they are made in Germany, and as Miele says of their products – our high quality “makes us (Miele) forever better and forever different.” Another insight from Dr. Zinkann is that “we are all too poor to buy cheap appliances.” Let’s not give in to ‘throwaway disposable culture’ because that is what happens when we buy less expensive goods that just don’t last. I can personally attest, Miele provides ‘quality for 20 years tested’.
As some of you may know, I am moving! Graham and I have decided to downsize, and we will be moving in the fall into our new, much smaller place. Stay tuned in the next few weeks as I walk you through our renovation plans and why we plan to use Miele appliances!
Here is a sneak peak of our ‘before’ kitchen.
Looking forward to sharing our renovation with all of you!
Tina
