You may have seen Gaggenau appliances in luxury architectural magazines OR fancy hi-rise apartment
buildings.
BUT should you consider them for YOUR home?
Gaggenau is a great appliance brand, but it’s not for everyone.
In this video, I’ll cover all the major angles, from design and performance to reliability
AND value to help YOU identify if Gaggenau’s right for you.
Hi, I’m John with Designer Appliances, NJ and NY's premier appliance showroom.
Purchasing appliances is a big undertaking, and I’m here to help make it easier.
You can expect that same level of expertise when you visit one of our showrooms.
So to be honest, I never really considered Gaggenau as a brand until recently.
It's made in Germany and part of BSH, the same family of appliance companies as Bosch
and Thermador, but I always thought it was just a fancy, modern version of Thermador
for people with ultra-modern homes.
Since that's not really the style in the areas we serve, and it's super exclusive and hard
to become a dealer for, we didn't really bother making a push to display it in our showrooms.
Well this year changes that.
Through our great relationships with BSH we've learned a lot about Gaggenau and we've become
one of a few exclusive dealers on the East Coast featuring the areas best showcase of
Gaggenau appliances.
So what made us change our mind about Gaggenau and what type of person should consider their
appliances?
Let's start with design - are they just for ultra-modern homes?
Although Gaggenau's website, to its detriment in my opinion, mainly showcases modern designs,
we've come to realize that their appliances can work great in more transitional and even
traditional homes.
We've been quite impressed with some of the creative ways we've seen Gaggenau appliances
utilized in those settings AND If you don't want your kitchen to look the same as everyone
else's, Gaggenau appliances have a unique striking design that stands apart from all
other brands.
For Gaggenau, design is more than just aesthetics.
It's about creating appliances that are not only beautiful but also functional and intuitive.
Every detail serves a purpose, and only those that enhance the cooking experience are included.
This level of attention to detail is what sets Gaggenau apart from other appliance brands
and makes it the top choice for those passionate about cooking.
Gaggenau’s oven collection is truly the star of their offering, featuring stunning
full glass covered stainless steel doors with a side swing hinge that opens from the left
or right, breaking from the monotony of standard ovens while offering enhanced ergonomics.
They’ve opted not to include a trendy touch screen only interface like many competing
brands and instead rely primarily on a dual knob control system to control mode and temperature.
While the screen itself IS touch enabled, it’s only for secondary actions like saving
custom programs.
I REALLY appreciate this when using these ovens.
Personally I find touch screens in the kitchen to be problematic.
Swiping to make small adjustments can be frustrating and sometimes you swipe right by your intended
setting, and when you hands are even the slightest bit dirty they become unresponsive.
For this reason I normally gravitate towards appliances with knob controls.
For example, I love the Wolf M-Series ovens, but their bulky knobs take away from the modern
aesthetic I typically gravitate towards.
Gaggenau is the only brand to offer a luxury minimalist knob interface giving you quick
easy access to cooking modes and temperature settings.
You can specify if you want the knobs on the top or bottom allowing you to position two
appliances on top of each other for an extra custom look.
Popular stacked options include a single oven with either a coffee system or steam oven
on top.
Gaggenau's cooktops are also uniquely impressive.
The 400 series in particular is stunning, designed to be installed completely flush
with your countertops for a seamless look and their vario cooktop modules allow you
to create your own bespoke cooking surface with knobs mounted through the front of your
cabinetry.
These luxury details will set your kitchen apart.
While Gaggenau's refrigeration and dishwasher offerings share many performance and technology
components with Bosch and Thermador, the finishing design touches set them apart.
Their refrigeration lineup includes a full array of built-in refrigerators, freezers
and wine columns featuring luxury details throughout including a full stainless interior,
crystal clear frameless glass shelves, white oak full extension racks in the wine columns,
and the option of stainless steel doors, fully flush custom panels, or even a completely
handleless push to open design.
Warm led lighting makes your ingredients shine and I really love the entertainment style
lighting on the wine columns that let you show off your favorite bottle or bottles of
wine to your guests.
Dishwashers follow suit with luxury details.
Fully glass covered stainless steel matches Gaggenua’s ovens and the interior features
warm led lighting highlighting the crystal clean wash results.
These are the only dishwashers to feature full extension soft close gliding racks on
the bottom and top racks making this the most luxurious dishwasher inside and out.
Gaggenau is an elite brand packed with unique design features that will wow you guests and
provide you years of enjoyment
We talked about design, but what about performance?
If I could sum up the performance of Gaggenau into one word, it would be precision.
Let’s start by talking specifically about cooking performance.
As opposed to their refrigeration and dishwashers, which as we mention share similar features
and functionality with Bosch and Thermador, Gaggenau ovens and cooktops are built completely
on their own platform of innovation.
These appliances are designed with the needs of serious cooks in mind.
With Gaggenau appliances, you'll have the power to achieve perfect results every time,
whether you're cooking a simple meal or experimenting with more complex recipes.
To get the most out of Gaggenau ovens and their incredible steam oven, there will be
a learning curve.
Unlike some other brands that have friendly menu driven touch screen displays, Gaggenau
has more of a mode driven display.
Meaning you’ll need to learn which mode to use and for what types of foods.
But if you're the type of person who can whip up a meal from random ingredients in your
fridge, you'll appreciate the high level of control to fine tune the perfect results.
And even if you’re just occasionally cooking recipes for your family, if you have a passion
or desire to improve your cooking chops, Gaggenau will give you the confidence to try new things.
If, on the other hand, you just heat up pizza on the weekends...
Gaggenau is probably going to be overkill for you.
With Gaggenau cooktops, you’ll also have the ultimate level of cooking precision, from
a gentle simmer to a power evenly distributed searing high heat that’s to their dual ring
burners.
And their full surface induction cooktops give you the freedom to move up to 6 pots
and pan anywhere on the cooktop.
Refrigeration and dishwasher performance are also outstanding and build on the already
solid reputation of Bosch and Thermador.
With Gaggenau refrigeration, temperature remains constant within 1 degree of your set point
ensuring preservation of fresh food and the perfect storage of your fine wines.
Gaggenau dishwashers build on the excellent wash and dry performance of Bosch and Thermador.
All Gaggenau dishwashers feature Zeolite drying, the best drying technology in the industry.
Shifting focus back to precision, Gaggenau gives you the unique ability to select between
multiple temperature ranges, allowing you to tailor its wash cycle to the requirements
of you and your dishes.
Gaggenau appliances are all about precision.
But don’t be overwhelmed.
While there may be a slight additional learning curve, the extra level of control will help
you achieve results you never thought possible.
They look and perform great, but are they reliable?
Gaggenau customers are known for their unwavering loyalty, and once you invest in a Gaggenau
appliance, it becomes clear that no other brand can measure up to their performance
and reliability.
Reliability starts with craftsmanship and the use of the finest materials are at the
heart of Gaggenau's design philosophy.
Each appliance is carefully crafted, with many parts and finishing touches made by hand.
Gaggenau's attention to detail results in exceptionally reliable appliances.
Each appliance is rigorously tested to ensure that it can withstand the demands of daily
use and deliver optimal performance over time.
When you purchase a Gaggenau appliance, you get a full 2-year warranty, which is pretty
standard in the luxury appliance space.
Some folks have complained online that finding a certified Gaggenau servicer in certain areas
can be a bit tricky.
But don't worry, based on our experience, BSH - the parent company of Gaggenau - has
been awesome in the NJ/NY tri-state area.
However, if you live in a remote location, we recommend chatting with your local dealer
to ensure that you have options for servicing your appliance in case anything goes wrong.
And finally, are Gaggenau appliances a good value?
Gaggenau is an elite, luxury brand.
If you are the type of person looking to get the best bang for their buck… luxury appliance
brands like this probably shouldn’t be on your radar.
Gaggenau’s sister brand Thermador on the other hand will get you a built-in appliance
look at a better price point especially when you factor in package discounts.
But if you value craftsmanship, labor over the smallest of details, and want to stand
out with an exclusive brand that’s a reflection of your own personal taste and style, Gaggenau
is hard to beat.
As Gaggenau elegantly states, each appliance is a piece of architecture in its own right,
and it’s the little things and attention to detail that add up and bring years of enjoyment.
And the amazing performance will appeal to even the most discerning home chef, giving
you unmatched precise control over your kitchen environment.
Exclusiveness, unique design, reliability and precise cooking performance are the hallmarks
of Gaggenau.
If you are interested, what’s next?
I would advise against purchasing Gaggenau appliances without the help of a trained sales
associate.
Gaggenau appliances are all about getting a perfectly finished installed look and many
factors can keep you from achieving that, from your kitchen designer not correctly accounting
for a fully flush oven installation to correctly sizing custom panels to create an integrated
refrigeration design.
There’s two options:
If you are in the NJ/NY area, visit one of our showrooms and our team will be happy to
walk you through the Gaggenau product line and work on a package of appliances to fully
meet your needs.
Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred and I’ll include a link in the
description below.
If you are outside of our area, Gaggenau has their own showrooms throughout the country
including California, and Chicago.
I’ll include a link for scheduling an appointment there as well.
We’ll cover each category of Gaggenau appliances in-depth in future videos but in the meantime,
let us know any specific questions or features you’d like to see us cover.