Technology for the Kitchen | SHOW REVIEW


Black or bold?


Chefs cook for the crowds on the Samsung stand


The Technology for the Kitchen (TFK) area of Salone del Mobile showcased innovations from some of the world’s leading appliance brands. Vicki Evans was in Milan to spot the latest trends


inappropriate as it was difficult to find a single white appliance in the Technology for the Kitchen (TFK) section of the show. You could have a black appliance or something in a bold colour, but no longer plain old white.


T Made in Italy


Vicki Evans takes time out during the show to meet Smeg CEO Vittorio Bertazzoni to discuss how being an Italian brand has helped it deal with supply chain issues


Smeg is a quintessentially Italian brand and CEO Vittorio Bertazzoni says that its Italian factories and roots have been the key to keeping up with demand over the past few years. “I believe we’ve suffered less because our supply chain is different to many other brands,” says Bertazzoni. “Smeg has five factories, all of which are in Italy. In addition, we have suppliers of components from all over the world. But, the fact that we are a truly European company has helped us because most of our supply chain and components are from Italy or Europe.” Bertazzoni wants to assure customers that Smeg is fully capable of meeting their demands. He says: “In certain categories, we are fully stocked, and we are totally fine. That is because we have a short supply chain.”


Smeg tends to find that when clients have their hearts set on a blue Portofino range cooker or the Dolce & Gabbana FAB fridge, they will generally not settle for anything else.


August 2022 ·


Smeg’s Portofino range cookers


And, as a luxury brand, KBB retailers are vital in the brand’s supply chain.


Bertazzoni explains the relationship between retailers and Smeg: “There is a common interest between us and our retailers. It is in the best interests of our customers, because they give added value and a value proposition. “If you sell a commodity product, you don’t have to put too much effort into the sale, but we know that for those products, the margin is less, and the competition is different. Our ambition is not to have commodity products in our range. That is not us trying to be different at any cost, but because we want to create a value proposition.” The main area of development at Smeg over the past few years has been to its ranges of


A rainbow of matt FAB fridges


built-in appliances. This has been one of the most significant investments Smeg has made in a single product line in the past 70 years. At the show specifically, Smeg was showcasing some new products on its stand, including the blast chiller for its built-in line that is new to home users. So how can retailers explain these new product types to their customers? “It is up to us to have more dedicated programmes for our retailers,” says Bertazzoni. “We all need to work together, because it’s not easy for retailers to sell the products without any interaction from us. If needs be, a member of the Smeg team can go to showrooms to demonstrate these products, or retailers can go to our flagship store in London for training.”


39


he appliance industry has embraced colour. Talking about ‘white goods’ seems


A stand that perfectly exemplified this trend was Smeg. The Italian brand is, of course, no stranger to bold colours, and one of the highlights was the eye-catching rainbow-like display of nine matt FAB fridges.


Visitors to the stand were encouraged to vote for their favourite colour, and the winner of the vote may be put into production. Also, on display


were new additions to the Portofino range in distinctive, vibrant shades. But, from the other half of the Smeg stand came the second major trend – black appliances. In this area, there were extensions to its built-in ranges, all presented in a cool black finish. Standout products on show were its


new blast chiller and a huge concept wine cooler.


Moving off the Smeg stand and to Bertazzoni, there was a special party as the company celebrates its 140th anniversary this year.


The highlight was an appliance that Bertazzoni claims is the world’s first freestanding


range cooker with an


integrated hob and hood. The three- in-one appliance caused a real stir and


it took a good five minutes to get near the appliance as so many visitors were jostling to see it.


The Bora stand was one of the busiest at the show and there too it was difficult to get on the stand, let alone see anything. Crowds were gathered around the new S Pure hob and the X Bo oven. The hob is suitable for small spaces with a compact 600mm design and a round downdraft extractor. The X Bo steam oven – the brand’s first foray into a new product category – seemed to be attracting a lot of interest as well. Smart appliances were also


everywhere. A top must-see at Sharp was its


next-generation 2K20 New Series Smart Appliance Range, and Samsung was showcasing its new SmartThings Home Life app. The new app brings together cooking, energy, clothing, pet care, air care and home care – all in one place. Finally, Siemens demonstrated its new voice control integration, meaning that appliances can be controlled without lifting a finger.


Appliances for aspiring chefs was another huge trend and no other brand demonstrated it better than Unox Casa. Although it won’t be making its way to the UK for another couple of months, Unox Casa is a brand that aims to bring professional cooking to the amateur chef at home with its range of ovens. Brands clearly go all out on the stands at TFK, this was evident across the halls from Neff’s stand that transported visitors to an Italian outdoor kitchen to Elica’s ceiling of rainbow coloured flowers.


After years of being unable to attend


the fair due to the pandemic, it was clear that the brands had a lot of innovations they wanted to showcase.


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