His home kitchen in Germany is an open concept space connected to the living room. From it comes a mix of dishes, from dumplings cooked in the steam oven to crisp pizzas and even tarte flambe browned on the baking stone.
An avid cook, Sven Baacke – the head of design for Gaggenau, a German brand for professional grade domestic appliances – understands that the kitchen is not just a functional area, but also a social space, and an expression of the home owner’s lifestyle. “In recent years, we have seen homes increasingly feature open kitchens, so it is important to note that appliances are not just tools, but a key piece of furniture. They are a projection of the home owner’s lifestyle and creativity,” he says.
“The design of a luxurious yet functional kitchen needs to be ergonomic, beautiful yet practical, with an inviting ambience that entices family and guests to gather there. “In fact, some Gaggenau products that have gained significant popularity recently are the built-in coffee machines and wine chillers. These can be positioned within or outside the kitchen space, such as the living room or balcony, indicating a clear trend that consumers are entertaining more at home.”
“We wanted to design a product based on the concept of ‘cooking without limits’, by creating a cooking interface that could be operated easily,” he adds. The product: a minimalist cooking surface built into the worktop, controlled through a large touch display that allows cookware of any size to be placed anywhere on its surface. It automatically recognises the shape, size and position of the cookware, and heat is generated only where cookware is detected.
Such technology sets new standards even for professional kitchens, and little wonder, for Gaggenau’s design is also informed by its working relationships with some of the world’s top chefs, such as Michelin-star chef Marc Haeberlin from Alsace and, in Singapore, Ryan Clift of The Tippling Club.
“For the home cook, we look at ways to import the same kitchen experience, by creating appliances catered to them, to make it easier to create high-end cuisine in the home kitchen.” And, when you have worldclass equipment in your kitchen, whipping up world-class cuisine is just a step away.