Thermador

Thermador has stood for design, performance and innovation in the kitchen and beyond for more than 100 years. The iconic American brand markets high-end refrigeration, cooking and dishwashing appliances with connected experiences to fit the luxury consumer lifestyle.

The "Masterpiece" built-in oven. Thermador was the first manufacturer to produce and sell wall-oven in the USA (Source: BSH Corporate Archive).

The Thermador Star Burner. As an icon of the brand, also immortalized in the Thermador logo (Source: BSH Corporate Archive).

Creative trendsetter: the Thermador brand in the United States

When Thermador was established in 1916, most households in the United States had no access to electricity. Wood- and coal-burning ovens were primarily used to cook and bake. Gas ovens like those made by Thermador were quite advanced for the times. In addition to ovens, the product line of the new company included electrical equipment like transformers and climate devices like portable heaters and air coolers.

Innovations introduced by Thermador enabled the company to quickly become an established player in the U.S. market. By the 1930s, most U.S. cities had been connected to electrical grids. Unlike the old wood- and coal-burning ovens, the modern models needed gas or electricity connections. They could no longer be placed wherever someone wanted. Built-in kitchens were the logical result. In 1932, Thermador became the first company in the U.S. market to produce built-in ovens and household appliances. By the end of the 1940s, most U.S. households had built-in kitchens. As standards of living rose, demand for professional equipment designed for high-quality uses increased as well. Thermador led the way here. In 1947, it became the first U.S. company to sell home appliances made of stainless steel, offering a taste of the future with the first built-in wall oven, as well as a matching built-in cooktop. Wall refrigerators available in copper, turquoise, pink, yellow, and white followed in 1957, along with a built-in refrigerator-freezer. Thermador remained a pioneer in innovative home-appliance technologies. In 1962, Thermador presented its first self-cleaning oven, nine years before BSH introduced the first pyrolysis oven in Germany. That same year, the brand also introduced the all stainless steel dishwasher — the first of its kind to feature a multi-filter system with dual motor and pump for quieter operation. And in 1965, Thermador started a trend that we still see today: The introduction of the first ovens that included doors made of dark glass.

Local hero of BSH

BSH acquired the U.S. maker of home appliances in 1998, adding another highly respected brand to the BSH family in the process. Ambitious goals were set after the acquisition was completed: “We want to be the most competitive company on the sector. If there were an Oscar for product, service and environmental protection, BSH would get it!” BSH also used the brand’s market position to market its own line of dishwashers in the United States. BSH’s dishwashers impressed U.S. consumers not only with their efficient cleaning performance, but also with their low operating noise – BSH dishwashers were eight times quieter than the U.S. models being sold at the time.

Thermador introduced its now-iconic Star® Burner in 1998 – a feature that provides more heat distribution with fewer cold spots. The feature remains the marquee member of Thermador’s gas-range family.

Thermador has continued to introduce innovations in the new millennium, as well. In 2006, the brand revolutionized cooling with a modular refrigeration and freezer system, bringing more flexibility and personalization to food storage with the Freedom® Collection. Thermador’s Sapphire dishwasher debuted in the same year, an appliance whose huge capacity could also easily accommodate wine glasses. In 2010, Thermador responded to the steaming trend in American kitchens and introduced an innovative steam and convection oven that defrosts, steams, cooks and bakes food. Thermador in 2011 introduced the Pro® Grand Steam Range—the market’s only range with a built-in steam and convection oven. And in 2012, The Thermador Freedom® Induction Cooktop was brought to market as the largest, most powerful Thermador induction cooktop with enhanced sensor technology.

Today, BSH produces the household appliances of the Thermador brand in its two North American factories in New Bern and La Follette.

Notes

• BSH Corporate Archives, The Heritage of Thermador, 2001.
• BSH Corporate Archives, Thermador – An American Icon, 2005.
• BSH Corporate Archives, B05-0832, Erwerb Thermador.
• BSH Corporate Archives, A05-0025, inform 2002/1.
• BSH Corporate Archives, F-BSH-001, 40 Jahre – Eine Chronik.
• Bosch-Archives, Bosch Zünder 2006/3.
• Bosch-Archives, Bosch Zünder 2007/1.
• The Blueprint: Vintage Thermador Kitchen Innovation 1950s-1970s, 2016.