October 2026 ertonline.co.uk


But Siemens was also keen to avoid AI


becoming another three-letter badge slapped onto the front of an appliance.


“Our goal is not the technically maximum


possible, but the implementation of what is technically possible with the maximum benefit for the consumer,” the company said. One of its clearest examples is the iQ700 oven with dish recognition.


The appliance can automatically identify more Refrigeration was another focus. A new


freestanding freezer increases usable capacity without increasing its external footprint, including repositionable storage compartments within the door. Bosch also extended its Green Collection into ovens. According to the company, production materials used for the new models have a 20 per cent lower carbon footprint compared with its standard equivalents, while the Dark Inox handle contains 85 per cent recycled material. One launch ERT had already managed to get its hands on at IFA was the Home Café Series 4 – Bosch’s first semi-automatic portafilter coffee machine. The machine features an integrated grinder with 30 grind settings, five dosing options and adjustable brewing temperature, alongside an anti-static system designed to keep freshly ground coffee heading into the portafilter rather than decorating the kitchen worktop. Bosch also unveiled the OneFlow floor


cleaner, combining vacuuming and mopping in a single pass. It can cover up to 150 square metres on one charge and uses the company’s MicroClean technology to detect fine dirt particles, while its docking station cleans and dries the roller automatically.


As Bosch summed it up, the aim is not “technology for its own sake”, but reducing the number of jobs consumers have to do themselves.


Intelligence moves into the kitchen If Bosch’s presentation centred on making everyday


jobs easier, Siemens pushed


much harder into intelligent technology and premium design.


The company cited NielsenIQ research showing that 57 per cent of European consumers put convenience first when buying smart home appliances, with AI-powered personalisation seen as the next stage of development.


than 100 dishes and suggest the appropriate settings. This year, however, Siemens has expanded the technology so owners can add their own recipes. That means a family lasagne, apple pie or Sunday roast can be recognised by the oven and automatically prepared again in future. It builds on technology Siemens has already


introduced elsewhere, including a talking oven launched in China earlier this year which understands everyday spoken language without requiring fixed commands. AI is moving into coffee, too. The Siemens EQ.600 EQ.aroma is gaining generative AI capabilities through Alexa. Rather than relying solely on predefined voice commands, the system is designed to allow more natural conversations and learn from users’ habits and preferences.


Siemens said the technology will also be


made available to existing appliances where possible before gradually moving into further product categories. Design, meanwhile, remains central to the Siemens proposition. Its matte appliance collection has been expanded following its introduction across ovens, hobs, extractors and built-in coffee machines. Among the additions is a steam drawer designed to fit within a standard drawer niche. Laundry provided perhaps one of the more


interesting launches of the presentation. The new iQ700 washer-dryer combines an 11kg washing capacity with 6kg drying capacity and uses heat pump technology to achieve energy efficiency class A for the combined cycle.


Automatic detergent dosing can hold enough liquid for around 20 washes, while heat pump drying operates at lower temperatures and Intelligent Clean automatically removes lint from the condenser and filter after each cycle.


Siemens also unveiled its Iconic Edition washing machines and dryers, which use what the company describes as an industry-first glass-like exterior material. Finished in high-gloss black with a flat full- colour touch interface, the range is clearly intended to make laundry appliances something consumers might actually want on show rather than hidden away in the utility room. Features include Smart Finish, which Siemens says can reduce wrinkles by up to 50 per cent, automatic dosing and VarioSpeed drying, capable of reducing drying times by up to 38 per cent. Finally, Siemens showed new freestanding


refrigeration with more internal capacity squeezed into familiar dimensions. One new model offers 402 litres - 15 per cent more than its predecessor despite retaining the same external size - alongside HyperFresh 0°C storage designed to keep fruit and vegetables fresh for up to 14 days. Across both brands, BSH’s IFA message was ultimately less about any single launch and more about where value in the appliance market is heading. There was AI, of course. Lots of it. But there was also an unusually strong emphasis on longevity, service, retail experience and making technology useful rather than simply clever. Mr Körche said BSH wants its brands to become “reliable partners for life”, with products offering tangible benefits long after the excitement of buying something new has worn off.


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