Gaggenau Focuses On Slow Innovation To Build Better And Durable Kitchens

India is moving towards premiumisation where people want the best for themselves and are aspiring for not just premium but luxury.  Thanks to COVID, people viewed their kitchens in a new light and wanted to invest in a well-designed kitchen with the best-in-class appliances. This is where Gaggenau sees potential in India.

As the only appliance brand to be featured among the world’s top 100 luxury brands, Gaggenau stands as a symbol of enduring excellence in the culinary world. With a heritage spanning over 340 years, Gaggenau has redefined the kitchen space through a fusion of craftsmanship, German engineering, and sophisticated design. Gaggenau’s understated luxury speaks to those who value precision and quality. With the ultimate focus on innovation and craftsmanship, 75% of the entire production cycle at Gaggenau is hand-crafted. From an iron forge making nails to the journey of the first patented enamel makers, the brand has stood the test of time. Till date the the same blue enamel used on kitchen appliances.

Every design that is thought through keeps in mind how to bring about that perfection in cooking. The whole idea behind Gagganau is that the consumer doesn’t stress about cooking but knows that perfection will be served right there. “We believe in slow innovation. We don’t innovate as fast as we can. We really look twice or three times that the change really makes sense and will continue to do so 10 years from now. It’s more an evolution than a revolution. The design aesthetics, we call traditional avant-garde,” Sven Baacke, Head of Design, Gaggenau explains. While both concepts are contradictory to each other, it is still the DNA of the luxury kitchen appliance brand.

Backe adds, “A lot of the talent recruited is for research and development. Our in-house designers come up with breakthrough technology and innovation for Gaggenau and our production facilities are in Germany, France, Turkey and Spain.” Since 1683, Gaggenau has elevated domestic appliances through its innovative and modern approach to engineering and design.

Gaggenau is present in over 50 countries across the globe with flagship stores; two are in India—Hyderabad and Kolkata. “The idea is to take the consumer through that culinary journey which heightens their senses. They experience the appliance not just as an appliance but as an elevated lifestyle,” explains Saif Khan, MD & CEO, BSH Home Appliances India. Gaggenau has close to 25 key partners across the Indian states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Gaggenau’s EB333 is an iconic 90-centimeter oven, which has been a success since its launch in the 1980s. The whole surface is brushed by hand, not because they can’t afford to have machines do it but because only a man can give it the perfect finish. The stainless-steel knobs of Gaggenau’s 400 series cooktops are hand assembled. The human touch is non-negotiable for the brand. Product range available in India includes ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers, cooktops, wine cellars and coffee machines.

We spoke to Khan to share how Gaggenau kitchen appliances will fit into Indian kitchens seamlessly.

Edited excerpts:

1. From 2018 to now in 2024, how the growth has been for Gaggenau in India?

For the first few years it was just stable because we were still trying to create the awareness of the brand.It is only now that we will started to accelerate business growth. This year we have grown about 40%.

2. What is driving this growth in India?

At BSH Home Appliances, it was always Bosch that was the first brand, and then comes Siemens, and then comes Gaggenau. But considering the way the Indian market is moving with the affluence of the consumers and aspirations, we’ve started to put also higher emphasis on Siemens and Gaggenau. It’s a brand that’s definitely on focus. We are having more interactions with the architectural community. We are calling in more people to our experience centres. I think Revoluno in Pune has redefined it because it is the first time Gaggenau is being displayed in an Indian-manufactured kitchen.

3. What is your consumer outreach strategy? How do you intend to reach directly to the consumers?

The architectural community is the first ambassador for Gaggenau because anyone who is making a home within our target demographics of luxury and ultra HNIs, which is 45 plus, will always have a high-profile architect. Where we will start to interact directly with a few consumers is probably at premium events such as golf clubs, etc.

4. How strong is your service network for BSH Home Appliances and Gaggenau across India?

Gaggenau products don’t have very high wear and tear. The products are so robust that breakdown is not necessarily an issue. Gaggenau’s B333 oven for instance, has been the same product for the last 30 years. It’s an iconic product within itself and people are using it.

The service differentiator is during the installation and demo. Out TG expects an inspirational and elevated experience when the handover of the appliance is happening. They expect that we fly down a chef to their house and do an in-house demo and it might be a full course meal. This also what our kitchen dealers and trade partners offer when they hand over these high-end kitchens.

We’ve separated the Siemens and Gaggenau service teams from the Bosch service teams because a product like this, even for the installation, needs a white glove service. It is what Gaggenau consumers expect. We have a very robust service which is spread across multiple cities, all the metro cities have a service capability of Gaggenau. Siemens and Gaggenau customers are managed by service partners are employed by BSH.

5. Are there any differences how the products are utilised in India versus other parts of the world?

In homes where Gaggenau is installed in India, the use is not that frequent. It’s usually there in the dry kitchen. So, the Maharaj comes in once in a while when there is a social gathering and he cooks in it. I think this is what differentiates India from the rest of the world. You have a dry and wet kitchen concept, which I have only seen in Asia. In Europe, an appliance like this is used as a daily appliance. I think that is where we have to educate the customers that machinery, any machinery, if you don’t use it frequently, is also detrimental.

6. How are you helping customers make the shift to use Gaggenau products as a daily cooking essential?

We will have to work on a lot of education. The typical mindset in a country like India is that if I have bought something expensive, I have to be very careful with it and not use it too much. This is where, when they come down to our experience centre, the chef demonstrates the cooking for them. He uses all the Indian utensils that are used at home and cooks the way that they would cook at home to show them that you can use these appliances for everyday.

It is also where our innovation and our technology comes in. We’ve had consumers who’ve told us that, with another appliance brand rotis wouldn’t come out fine—they wouldn’t be cooked right in the middle. That’s where we come in and demonstrate the even gas distribution. I think the bigger picture of this would be that when Indian consumers start trusting their help with the expensive appliances, I think that will be the turning point.

7. Globally, Gaggenau works with experts called design curators, which include sommeliers, chefs, interior designers and more. Are you looking to introduce this programme in India?

It is part of our mid- to long-term strategy. The curators that Gaggenau works with also add an infinite amount of input to the design team when designing new products and appliances. We started it recently in Turkey because they just entered the Michelin star list last year. I think as the Indian culinary scene starts to expand, we will also start to engage with a lot of those chefs. We are currently engaging with the chefs’ community for Siemens at our experience centre in Bengaluru. The Gaggenau journey in India will also be quite similar.