I think I'm In Love....With Thermador!

Forgive me if I can't stop talking about Thermador but wow, there is so much to share and I don't want to leave anything out!  Why do I love Thermador so much?    Get a nice cup of tea and get comfy because there is so much to share!  If you do this post justice, you'll click over to the Thermador website to read more. 

Visiting in the beautiful Thermador Experience Show Room in Irvine, California was a fabulous a highlight of my trip.  From the elegant chandeliers hanging in the foyer to the warm greeting we received by the Thermador team, it was a day to be remembered.  As you may recall, I was a guest of Traditional Home and Thermador to celebrate their Great Kitchens Online Issue.  We were there to celebrate the designers, whose work was featured in the online issue, as well as learn about Thermador's new technology and give feedback on Thermador products from a designer's perspective.  Our initial indoctrination of the Thermador Experience was introduction to the history of the products in a classroom setting.  

In each chair was a Thermador notebook, pen and a chic black apron with Thermador across the chest in tiny little brads, that looked almost stainless! We were thrilled with our goodies. The Thermador team didn't overlook a detail, our visit was very well planned.  The day was fun from beginning to end. 

Here's  the lovely Ashlina Koposta designer and editor of  The Decorista, being the perfect student!  Don't you love the fab chairs with pop up trays?  We all wanted one to take home! The arms were nice and wide, so you could actually sit a can on it or rest your arm, if you were writing and didn't need the tray. To top it all off they swivel too!  My kids would die to have these in our playroom!

The fabulous Lore McKenna, PR for Thermador, Tom Tino, "Mr Thermador" and darling Beatriz Sandoval, Senior Manager in the Marketing Division, who gave us information about the Thermador's history, branding and what sets Thermador apart from it's competition.  Clearly Thermador is built for real cooks, not just for "kitchen eye candy" like so many of the other brands.  I have always known that Thermador was a great product, but I didn't not realize they were the first appliance company to use stainless steel in making their products, as well as being the first to invent almost all the appliances we use in the kitchen.  Thermador is a leader in the industry and so many of the other companies are followers.  I don't know about you, but I would rather invest my dollars with a proven leader's products any day, especially when specifying products for my clients.  It is important to me to chose quality products for my clients that I would buy for my own home.   

After our classroom experience, we went on a walking tour of the 17,000 square foot showroom.  Here is one of the test kitchens with Thermador appliances.  Each test kitchens was designed to show case how the Thermador products look in traditional, transitional or contemporary design. I'm not quite sure how many different kitchens setting there were, but several!  I wish I had taken pictures of each of them!  Each kitchen was dynamic in it's own way. I may do a post on just those if you are interested in seeing them. Email me if you are!

This particular kitchen was a favorite because of the

 beautiful glass tile backsplash and clean esthetic.  

It was really cool to see the how the appliances were designed together in each test kitchen.  For example, look at the stack above and note how efficient this arrangement is.  On top is a microwave, next is a wall oven with the warming drawer below.  That's a lot of cooking ability in a small space.

Do you love the way the refrigerator looks next to the wine column
as much as I do?  It's so chic.

The oenophiles in the group were excited about the wine column. It looks so sleek and makes wine storage so convenient.  It integrates seamlessly in your kitchen design with option of  stainless or with custom door options.  The wine column comes in 18" or 24" widths with the availability of custom panels in sizes 18", 24",30" and 36" widths to most any design.

The Thermador Star Sapphire dishwasher is the only dishwasher that  holds 18 wine glasses!  You can also use the hand wash mode for your fine china. Tell me that doesn't that comes in handy late at night after your guest leave?  Who wants to hand wash wine glasses and china when you are tired?  I certainly don't!  This dishwasher also has a chef's tool drawer on the top rack for knives and utensils.  Please don't overlook  the "sexy blue light" or SBL!  This dishwasher means business!  

Of course, Thermador ranges are as beautiful, as they are functional.  They are seriously built for people who enjoy cooking.  Visit a test kitchen and cook on one of these babies and you will be sold for life!  Hands down, Thermador  trumps the competition in quality and ease of use.  Shown above is the 36" Professional Grand Series Range. To learn more about this range's features click here!  

How beautiful is this range?  This is the 48" Professional Series Pro Harmony Standard depth Dual Fuel Range.  If you want to know more about this range's extensive features click here. I love the chopping block which can be replaced with a griddle.  This range also features six Thermador "star burners".  Do you know what a star burner is or why it is the absolute bomb diggity to have on a range? Ok, so I'm going to tell you so you will know what you are missing, if you don't buy Thermador!  I can promise the only way you can resist Thermador is to not try it.  If you ever cook on it, you will be sold!

photo courtesy of Thermador

Besides being a handsome little guy, the star shaped burner is only available through Thermador products and offers the most even flame and heat distribution of any cooktop or range on the market.  This allows the cooking enthusiast easily master the most challenging techniques and recipes.  It also allows for quick and easy clean-up which is important to most cooks!  Ali Cafferty, Product Marketing, Cooking and Refrigeration for Thermador, did a little test demo to prove that the star shaped burner puts out more heat and covers more of the bottom of the pans. 

Here's Ali sharing the many features of the Profressional

 Series Range with us.

Ali gave Vicki Edwards two ribbons, one strip of ribbon went around the star shaped burner and the other around a regular round burner, then she had Vicki hold up the two ribbons to show how much more heat is given off from the star shaped burned.  Can you see the difference in the length of the two pieces of ribbon above?  The one on the left went around the star shaped burner.  Of course if seeing isn't believing, just cook on a star burner and see for yourself. 

If you don't want a large range you can always opt for a drop in range top

like this 36" Professional Series.  What I really liked about this arrangement was....

How they had arranged the warming drawer below the cooktop.

In a kitchen with this arrangement, you could also have the double

 ovens with a microwave stacked above on another wall. 

Or you could opt for an arrangement like the above which is a wall oven with a rotisserie oven below. There are so many ways you can arrange a kitchen with these great Thermador appliances.  That's why it is so important to have professional help in planning your dream kitchen.  A professional designer will inventory your chosen methods of cooking and tell you what you need most.  You can also visit the Thermador website and take a survey to direct you.  There is also a kitchen planner you can utilize on the website here for starting your kitchen project as well as a photo gallery of kitchen photos for ideas. You might enjoy watching the Candice Olson videos.  I watched several and I found them informative and quite helpful.  The videos are especially useful for the consumer who is trying to learn as much as possible.  

Here is what the rotisserie oven looks like above.  

I know it may be overkill, but I just had to share my closeup of the oven racks.  The quality is impeccable.  Look at how the wire is wrapped around the edges to create strength.  One tug on these racks and I was convinced of the quality and resilience to wear and tear. 

Did I hear someone ask about Thermador refrigerators? Well, yes they make refrigerators, but not just any ole frig! Be prepared to be wowed!  Take a look inside with Thomas Staebler, Senior Product Manager for Thermador!

This is just one of the many possibilities with the Thermador refrigeration systems. Freedom to choose is what sets Thermador refrigerations systems apart.  Freedom to chose the arrangement that works best for your lifestyle and they way you like to cook, serve and store your food.   Click here to see what is available from the refrigeration line and read more about each product.  The options are many!  You have the freedom to create a side by side like the ones shown above, or to do modular columns and spread them through out the kitchen. This is especially nice if you have a small kitchen and don't want a huge wall of stainless glaring at you.   One of the designers joked that she was sure she heard angels sing when the doors of this refrigerator were opened.  It's pretty impressive in person.  

Once the bottom drawer is pulled out, the ventilation under the  refrigerator is revealed.   This is great for many reasons, but one in particular is that it prevents the entire refrigerator from having to be pulled out for service.  Another nice feature of the design is the ability to change the doors from left or right, without any special tools, the doors simply unlock at the hinges and can then be reversed.  

You don't even need a handy man.

You may notice that Thomas is also demonstrating the wine column, which

has a custom panel to fully integrate with the wood in the kitchen.

Next we made it back to our test kitchen.  It is hard to tell the size of this kitchen by my photograph, but it is big enough for 15 people to cook in side by side and have plenty of room!  In the middle of the island is our bounty of groceries gathered from WholeFoods!!!  Can't wait to share what we made with them!  I'll give you the recipes, so you can cook them at home if you want? (Next post)

The first demonstration in our test kitchen was a plating demonstration by Chef Chris.  He taught us the art of plating so we would have some idea of what to do  for our own plates for the contest.  Remember we were in a contest?

Here are a couple of the professional Chef's suggestions for decorating a plate.  If you want a step by step demo check out this youtube video from Dove Chocolate that shows more detail. Wish I had videoed Chris. He make it look so easy.  The first method involved loading the bowl of a spoon with puree, then making a swirl design or dragging it across the plate to make a dash.  The second method was   artfully drawn by drizzling the glaze on the plate in a pattern.  Can't wait to share the creative plating methods we produced. Definitely designers in the bunch!

 We all had so much fun!  Just ask Traci Zeller of Traci Zeller Designs. Traci joked before we got to the test kitchen and said "she would rather design a kitchen than cook in one" but, you can see here she was all smiles in the Thermador kitchen.  What does that tell you?  Thermador is fun to cook on!   It was a great day!

Additionally, I would let to ask my designer friends(you know who you are!!!)  to please design a Thermador kitchen to enter the Kitchen Design Challenge for a chance to win cash prizes, as well as to sign up for Star Partner(click to learn more designers!!!)  You could win prizes and most importantly you could be a star with your clients because they will give you all the credit when they love their

new Thermador Kitchen!

 In my next post I will share who won the plating

 contest and my favorite Thermador product!

You can connect with Thermador here:

    

About Thermador

Thermador has been providing real innovations for real cooks for more than 75 years. The iconic line of cooking, cleaning, refrigeration and ventilation products remains committed to empowering culinary enthusiasts to be their best through continuous innovation breakthroughs – from the world’s first wall ovens and gas cooktops with the patented Star^® Burner to a speedcooking oven that reduced cooking time by 50 percent.

Thermador is part of BSH Home Appliances Corporation, a fully-owned subsidiary of Bosch and Siemens Home Appliance Group, the third largest appliance manufacturer in the world. For more information, visit www.thermador.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter at www.facebook.com/thermador and @Thermador, respectively. For Thermador customer service, call 1-800-735-4328.

All photos property of Lisa Mende Design unless otherwise noted.  

Please do not use without giving credit.

Thermador and Traditional Home sponsored my trip but my opinions are my own.