Thermador
 | |
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Kitchen appliances |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Headquarters | Huntington Beach, Calif. |
| Products | Ranges, rangetops, ovens, cooktops, ventilation, warming drawers, microwaves, built-in coffee machine, refrigerators and dishwashers |
| Website | www.thermador.com |
Thermador is part of BSH Home Appliances Corporation, a fully owned subsidiary of BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, the third largest appliance manufacturer in the world.[1] The Thermador brand specialize in cooking appliance equipment such as ovens, ranges, cooktops, refrigerators, and dishwashers.
Thermador competes with products made by Sub-Zero Refrigerator, Viking Range, Dacor (kitchen appliances), GE Monogram, Jenn-Air, KitchenAid and Miele.
History
Thermador was founded in 1916 by William E. Cranston, and began as a manufacturer of electric items, most notably portable and built-in heaters. In 1932, Thermador established its appliance manufacturing as Cranston merged with business owner H.H. Fogwell to form the Thermador Electric Manufacturing Company.[2]
In 1947, Thermador invented the first wall oven and cooktop, and introduced stainless steel to home appliances. By 1948, Thermador introduced the first "Pro Range" for residential use. Patterned after commercial restaurant equipment, Thermador developed the first home version warming drawer in 1952, a handy kitchen appliance that keeps dishes and foods warm while the oven is being used. Thermador continued to improve on kitchen appliances with the first self-cleaning oven in 1963.
During the 1970s, Thermador continued to introduce kitchen appliance firsts, including the first "smooth top" cooktop using material developed by Corning Incorporated in 1970. Also, notable personalities such as Julia Child used Thermador oven in her critically acclaimed PBS TV series, and Alice from The Brady Bunch cooked with Thermador appliances. In 1976, Thermador introduced the first "Speedcooking" oven, which combined thermal heat with microwave energy to cook up to 35 percent faster than conventional ovens. In 1978, Thermador introduced the first retractable pop-up downdraft ventilations system.
Thermador continued to set industry standards with the first high-power super burner offering 11,500 BTUs output, an unmatched achievement at the time. In 1987, Thermador introduced the sealed gas burner with automatic reignition.
In the 1990s, Thermador further refined gas burner technology with the exclusive Extralow burner, which cycle the flame on and off to maintain heat output as low as 200 BTUs per hour. In 1998, Thermador launched its patented Star Burner for professional ranges and cooktops that offer 56 percent more heat coverage area than traditional round burners of the same size. Also in 1998, 100% of Thermador assets were acquired by BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte Gmbh from U.S. parent MASCO Corp, headquartered in Taylor, MI.[3]
In 2001, Julia Child's kitchen was inducted into the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History at the Kenneth E. Behring Center featuring a Thermador oven. Thermador produced the first domestic Jet Impingement Oven in 2002. This technology improved Speedcooking by using 60 MPH variable directed jets of air along with microwave radiation to reduce cooking time by 75 percent. In 2006, Thermador announced the Freedom Collection refrigerators, a new modular concept of built-in food, freezer and wine preservation column refrigerators. 2006 also marks the first introduction of the convection warming drawer. In 2008 and 2009, Thermador added Sensor Dome technology to its electric and induction cooktops. Sensor Dome uses infrared light to automatically measure the temperature of the cookware, and uses the information to adjust cooking temperature and time. In 2009, Thermador unveiled the Sapphire Dishwasher that offers the largest wine glass capacity on the market. 2010 saw the launch of the award-winning Freedom Induction Cooktop [4]