I had the fortune to participate in the Thermador and Traditional Home Great Kitchens Getaway in California recently. We spent time immersed multiple aspects of kitchen use – from design to end-user experience. We toured the gorgeous facility, had detailed presentations and were given the opportunity to get to know the products with hands on experience. And we got to taste the food created with Thermador products. Believe me when I tell you it was amazing…I will actually show you the food later. These products are designed for “real cooks”. I think we all felt like “real cooks” after seeing what can be done in the right kitchen. Come share the experience…
image courtesy of Thermador
Just a peek at what a Thermador kitchen looks like. Amazing, huh?
image courtesy of Thermador
The Masterpiece series steam and convection oven. We will talk about this oven a little later…
Kelly Morriseau in one of the Thermador Kitchen areas. The design styles vary throughout the center, showing just how versatile the brand is. Note the uplit counter by Caeserstone – Concetto. Incredible looking.
Tim Tino shows the group some of the perks of Thermador appliances.
A lot of eye candy was captured along the way to share with friends, clients, readers, followers…
this was quite a learning experience.
image courtesy of Thermador
This Column Wine Refrigerator holds any size wine bottles. (not all brands accommodate all size bottles)
All refrigerators come in columns, for completely customizable kitchen design.
This is the Freedom 18″ Wine Refrigerator.
image courtesy of Thermador
The interior LED lighting is stunning…what difference a well-lit refrigerator makes…!
Designers Rejoice: All Thermador Refrigerator doors have Freedom hinges that will support up to 220lbs. With that in mind, feel free to push the envelope with kitchen design – that makes for some interesting panel possibilities.
Here’s an interesting Thermador factoid. Their dishwashers are SO QUIET that one might not even know they are running. So, to keep you from having to open the dishwasher mid-cycle, they installed a cool little LED indicator that beams the progress of the wash cycle onto the floor. Cool or what?
Thermador Star Sapphire Dishwasher, opened- I wanted to share the glorious shade of blue light, referred to as SBL (sexy blue light). This dishwasher holds 18 wine glasses. Wow. Send out the party invites.
image courtesy of Thermador
Thermador Star burners offer most even heat distribution to the bottom of your pans.
Back to the steam and convection ovens. One of the misconceptions about these ovens is that the small cavity of the oven will not accommodate much food. The small size is the norm for steam ovens, a key element of their design. These ovens can not only cook multiple dishes simultaneously WITHOUT flavor transfer, but they can hold more than you might imagine. I want one of these ovens- they are miracle workers. For example…
This is a 14 lb turkey. It’s a big one. It went in frozen, defrosted, steamed, and then went to convection setting for a TOTAL OF 90 MINUTES. It was cooked to perfection with golden crispy skin, smelled more heavenly than you can imagine, and seriously was the most juicy, delicious turkey I have ever in my entire life tasted. I didn’t know turkey could be so good. Equally important is what these steam and convection ovens can do. Most holiday-only cooks are oblivious to food safety, and turkeys are a common cause of holiday food poisoning because of mishandling and poor planning. This oven is a dream. We should all have one by Thanksgiving if not sooner!
I am going to continue on the turkey front for a moment longer. This turkey rested for a while before Tim Anton was called over to slice it.
Note the STEAM leaving the turkey.
This continued throughout the slicing, and the turkey meat was the most flavorful, tender and juicy I have ever tasted to date. If people knew how good turkey could taste, whole turkeys would be on dinner tables year round. Turkey THIS good was a first for me…
Thermador has a long list of FIRSTS in the kitchen industry:
· 1947 – Thermador invents the first wall oven and cooktop and introduces stainless steel to home appliances
· 1948 – Thermador introduces the first “Pro Range”
· 1952 – Introduction of the first warming drawer
· 1963 – Introduction of the first self-cleaning oven
· 1970 – Introduction of the first smooth cooktop
· 1976 – Introduction of the first Speed Cooking Oven
· 1978 – Introduction of the first retractable pop up downdraft ventilation system
· 1982 – Introduction of the Super Burner – with an output of 11,500 BTUs, an unmatched achievement at the time
· 1987 – Introduction of the first sealed gas burner
· 1994 – Introduction of the first ExtraLow burner
· 1998 – Introduction of the Star Burner
· 2002 – Introduction of the first domestic jet impingment oven
· 2006 – Introduction of built-in modular refrigeration
· 2006 – Introduction of the first convection warming drawer
· 2008 – Introduction of the Sensor Dome
· 2009 – Introduced the first induction cooktop with sensor technology
· 2009 – Introduction of the Sapphire Dishwasher, the largest wine glass capacity dishwasher on the market with Sapphire Glow light
· 2012 – Introduction of the Freedom Induction Cooktop (more than 30 international patents) and Pro Grand Steam Range (only professional range to feature a steam and convection oven)
This is Chef Kyle Jakobi. He took good care of us, fed us well, taught us cooking and presentation pointers, and carefully watched over us as we cooked- he wasn’t going to let us mess up.
Yes, we got to cook with Thermador products!
Chef Kyle doing a plating demonstration… showing examples of more interesting ways to present food. The pointers led to a plating competition…
The winner of the plating competition- by a landslide! (that is burrata beneath the beets, btw) We got to eat all of the beautiful food we made for lunch. Chef Kyle saw to it that everything turned out well.
Just to clarify. Good food wasn’t the only thing happening at the Great Kitchens Getaway…
Lots of fun, great food, exposure to different areas of Orange County- Irvine, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna… A good time had by all, as witnessed by photos below:
Stephanie Moore, Amy Soule, Tim Anton, Kim Allen, Debbie Ehrman, Vicki Hubbard, Kendall Hawkins
Graham Sadtler, Amy Elbert, Dana Wolter, Amy Taylor, Eric and Nancy Dalton, Karen Williams, Lisa Mende, Zach Elkin
Beth Le Manach, Amy Churgin, Jennifer Markanich, Beatriz Sandoval, Ali Cafferty, Lisa Mende, Karin Edwards, Julia Edelmann, Richard Hackett
Amy Churgin, Beth Le Manach, Dana Wolter
Jennifer Markanich
Karen Williams and Karin Edwards
Beatriz Sandoval and Debbie Ehrman
Lore McKenna and Kim Allen
Karen Williams and Amy Taylor
Lisa Mende, Amy Soule, Amy Elbert
Beatriz Sandoval and Zach Elkin
Lisa Mende, Julia Edelmann, Kendall Hawkins, Beatriz Sandoval
Kim Allen and Vicki Hubbard
Stephanie Moore
image courtesy of Thermador
Ali Cafferty and Amy Churgin
image courtesy of Thermador
Karin Edwards and Kelly Morriseau
Kelly Morriseau
Beatriz Sandoval (Beatriz, you win the prize for most appearances in this post!!) and Debbie Ehrman
If you have not seen the current Traditional Home GREAT KITCHENS ISSUE, it is beautiful and full of incredible kitchen design, entertaining tips and recipes- check it OUT.
Many thanks to Thermador, Traditional Home, BSH Group and Finn Partners for the amazing Thermador Experience.
This trip was sponsored by Thermador and Traditional Home. All opinions expressed in the above post are my own.
Great post Courtney and as always great pictures. I will be posting soon but will wait to let your beautiful post have total limelight first! What a great time we had at Thermador and how wonderful the Thermador team and Traditional Home Team were to us. Thermador does make exceptional products. I am a Thermador convert for sure!!!!
It was so fun to be there with you Lisa!!! I want one of everything we saw.
What an incredible learning experience and of course your portrait photography is amazing!!
It was a great trip Kelly, thanks!
It looks like it was a great experience Courtney! Thermador makes amazing products. I especially love the wine column!!
Donna
Thanks Donna, it was a very fun experience. The wine options are great…