Life
Men who cook want a little more from their kitchen appliances
By Britta Schmeis
Nov 9, 2006, 19:00 GMT

Cologne - The car is losing its place as a grown man's favourite toy. Taking its place are the hand mixer, the toaster and the kitchen machine.

The ever-increasing popularity of cooking shows on television and the ongoing 'nesting' trend, in which people withdraw behind their own four walls, have helped men discover cooking.

'Men who cook aren't doing so with simple, purely functional small kitchen appliances,' said Eva Barth-Gillhaus of the German association for home furnishings and home culture in Cologne. So it comes as no surprise that electric kettles, coffee makers and toasters are being designed with men in mind.

There are exceptions, particularly on the low end where there is a 'clear tendency toward simple appliances with little elaborate accoutrement and with inconspicuous design,' said Christian Eckert of the trade association for small electric appliances in Germany's electronics industry central association in Frankfurt. But someone who wants to stand out from the crowd, is looking for innovation and good design.

'The product's usage alone no longer is first and foremost,' said Eckert.

The reasons are obvious, say kitchen experts. Kitchens full of every possible appliance, even those that aren't used much at all, are shown off proudly and gleefully the way cars once were, said Hans-Joachim Adler, director of the consortium of modern kitchens in Mannheim. That's because kitchens have gradually become the place in a home where people tend to socialize.

'The appliances, along with the knives and skillets are the perfectionist hobby cook's business card,' said Barth-Gillhaus. The design, however, should not hinder the functionality.

Many companies are responding by producing appliances with additional uses, said Eckert, describing the most current developments. Coffee makers are coming equipped with integrated water filtration cartridges, for example. Slicing machines not only cut, they weigh the bread, cheese or cuts of meat, and new-fangled ironing systems can be used not only to press the creases out of shirts, but also to air the laundry.

At the same time, kitchen experts are observing a trend in the opposite direction - toward simplification.

'The operation of the appliance should be self-explanatory, thus many makers are going away from full functions,' said Tanja Hess, editor of a German electrical appliance trade magazine published in Coburg. Small appliances still come in classic white, but the main focus lies on steel and aluminium, she added.

For the most part, clear and round forms dominate, which is also visible in car models. Siemens in Munich is selling a series of kitchen appliances designed by the automaker Porsche. The company is advertising the appliances with a slogan that suggests they can get men to make breakfast.

The long-slit toaster has a cover that can be opened with the push of a button, just like the top of a luxury convertible. At 160 euros (200 dollars), it also comes with a Porsche-like price tag.

'Electric appliances done in a retro look, especially the look of the late 1950s and 1960s, also are experiencing a revival,' said Adler. After discreet silver the most desired colours are bright red, orange, yellow and a subdued cappuccino colour.

Bosch wants to make a splash with its special 'redition' line. The kitchen machine, standing mixer and slicer are metallic red and they come in a soft, round form.

Kenwood is coming out with a British Red Retrolook. Its new Traditions line pays homage to London by using the typical red tone of the city's famous double-decker buses. The round forms incorporated into the kitchen machine, the standing mixer and the espresso machine are reminiscent of the designs popular in the 1950s.

The US appliance maker KitchenAid for years has focused on the charm of the era of James Dean and Doris Day.

The main attraction of all these appliances is that they come equipped with the most modern technology inside and every imaginable comfort that the user can't see from the outside, said Adler.

Barth-Gillhaus summed up saying, 'Without high tech nothing runs in the man's kitchen.'