The Chicago Athenaeum recently announced that Thermador(R), the appliance brand that has shaped the luxury American kitchen for over 70 years, is the recipient of its prestigious 2004 Good Design Award for its contribution to the advancement of original design concepts in major appliances. The Good Design Awards’ distinguished jury of international design experts convened in New York in fall 2004 to judge this year’s entries, bestowing four awards on Thermador; two for specific products and two for entire categories.
Product awards went to Thermador’s industry exclusive triple oven, the 30″ SEMW Wall Oven (microwave, warming drawer and convection oven), and the highest rise Universal Cook ‘n’ Vent downdraft ventilation. The two categories awarded this honor were Thermador’s Professional(R) Series Ranges and Cooktops and Built-in Refrigeration. These revolutionary products will join the Chicago Athenaeum’s permanent collection and will be included in an exhibit honoring the 2004 Good Design Award winners, scheduled to open in summer 2005. The world’s oldest design competition, the Good Design Award honors the most innovative and advanced product designs based such criteria as concept, form, function and utility.
“Thermador has a strong heritage of offering consumers powerful appliances with an elegant design,” said Franz Bosshard, president and chief executive officer. “The Good Design Award is a tremendous honor, as it celebrates the very tenets that have made Thermador an American icon — state-of-the-art functionality and aesthetic beauty.”
The Thermador products awarded the 2004 Good Design Award are representative of the scope and variety of home appliances available from the manufacturer, enabling the consumer to create a complete Thermador kitchen. Honored products include:
— The Thermador 30″ SEMW Wall Oven is the industry’s first and only 30″ triple oven, complete with a microwave, warming drawer and SE convection oven. The SEMW boasts the latest in cooking control with its Personal Culinary Assistant(TM) system, making it possible to see and operate all cooking modes with a single touch, while the smooth surface of the Sens-A-Touch(TM) control panel is durable and easy to clean.
— The Thermador Professional Series Ranges and Cooktops have advanced features for a higher standard of performance. Thermador’s legendary Star(R) Burner is redesigned as a three-in-one burner unlike any other on the market today. Its triple advantages include 15,000 BTUs for fast boiling and high performance; unique brass five-point, star-shaped burners provide more even and powerful heat distribution; and the patented ExtraLow(R) simmer, which electronically cycles the flame on and off for precise simmer control for melting chocolate or keeping delicate sauces warm without scorching.
— Thermador Built-In Refrigeration is the quietest refrigeration on the market at just 35 to 37 decibels. With a stainless steel front, stylish exterior grille, tempered glass shelves and brushed aluminum rails, Thermador refrigeration has a dynamic look.
— Thermador Universal Cook ‘n’ Vent (UCV) downdraft ventilation quickly and quietly eliminates steam, smoke, heat, odors and grease from the kitchen with its new 600 CFM Integral Blower. At 15 inches, the UCV is 50 to 80 percent taller than similar competitive units, and when retracted stands above and not flush to countertops.
About Good Design Awards
Founded in 1950, Good Design is the world’s oldest and most celebrated international design competition. It originated in Chicago with the participation of some of the world’s most important designers, including Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, Russel Wright, Florence Knoll and George Nelson. The award publicly acknowledges and elevates the best and finest new design for products and graphics designed and manufactured between 2002 and 2004. The jury judged submissions based on aesthetic criteria first stated in the original 1950 program, including innovation, form, materials, construction, concept, function and utility.
About Thermador
Thermador is part of BSH Home Appliances Corporation, a division of Bosch and Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH, the third largest appliance manufacturer in the world. For more than 70 years, Thermador has been empowering America’s cooking enthusiasts with revolutionary products — from the world’s first wall ovens to gas cooktops with the patented Star(R) Burner and a speedcooking oven that reduces cooking time by 50%. Today, Thermador continues to fuse state-of-the-art cooking functionality with classic American style to create the ultimate in powerful luxury kitchen appliances. For more information, please visit www.thermador.com or call 800-656-9226 to request a catalog. Thermador and Star Burner are registered trademarks, and An American Icon, Sens-A-Touch, Personal Culinary Assistant, CookControl, FullAccess and CookSmart are trademarks of BSH Home Appliances Corporation.