Technology is cooking!

Miele’s new range of kitchen appliances are beginning to function more like smartphones and tablets. BRENNAN MENDAY gives us an overview of how some of the latest technology advancements have been built into the devices to make lives easier in the kitchen.

Good looks and baseline functionality no longer cut it in the world of kitchen appliances. Today, increasingly more homeowners are looking for appliances that test the limits of innovation – appliances that not only boast streamlined, design-conscious aesthetics and solid functionality, but that also offer cutting-edge technology that will go that extra mile to help produce only the best end results possible in the simplest and most time-efficient manner possible.

Says Brennan Menday from Miele: “Today’s consumers expect modern appliances to look better, deliver more and be increasingly more energy efficient. To this end, Miele has introduced a new range of appliances – the Generation 6000 range, which set themselves apart from all market competitors thanks to their new design and their innovative technological advancements. In line with Miele’s business motto: ‘Immer besser, which translated means, ‘Forever better’, the company continues to evolve and improve its products to continuously offer its clients only ‘best-in-market’ appliances.””

He offers an overview of just some of the design and technological advancements that have been introduced to the new generation of Miele appliances:

M Touch Technology: Now you can operate your Miele Generation 6000 appliances in the same way that you operate your smartphone… double cappuccino at the touch of a single button, finding the desired automatic programme on a steam cooker in an instant, or selecting the operating mode and temperature in just a few simple steps before baking – all is now done extremely elegantly and more simply than ever before with Miele’s new M Touch controls.

M Touch stands for a high-resolution TFT (thin-film transistor) display, and it is reminiscent of smart phones and tablet PCs. The menu is browsed by swiping or scrolling with the tip of a finger. Functions and menu options appear in brilliantly clear white letters on a black background. Colour elements are favoured for the display in the interests of improved clarity and a low-key approach ¬®-“”OK”” to confirm a function is highlighted in green and the “”Stop”” button is red.

M Touch also offers a large number of automatic programmes, and a search function for added convenience and more streamlined functionality. Using a virtual keyboard, the user simply types in the first letter of a word, for instance B for Beef, and a list of all entries containing the term from which to select the appropriate programme will appear on the display. When switched off, the M Touch display shows the time of day either using an analogue clock face or in digital form.

MultiSteam Technology: Exclusive to Miele, MultiSteam is the highlight on the new Miele steam cookers. This technology is predestined for use on models with a large-volume cabinet. Water from the tank is pumped into a powerful steam generator that is located behind the inner cabinet. The steam is admitted through eight inlet ports. Steam ports are integrated into a module on the rear panel. The benefits include the fact that heat-up times are notably shorter, and that the fast, uniform distribution of steam paves the way for perfect end results.

CupSensor Technology: The fascinating CupSensor feature is the highlight of Miele’s new flagship built-in coffee machines. This feature automatically adjusts the height of the spout to the size of cup or glass that is being filled with coffee (model depending). No matter whether a tall latte macchiato glass or a delicate espresso cup is placed below the spout, with the CupSensor rim detection, delivery is always from the ideal position. This virtually eliminates the problem of spluttering, as well as any milk and coffee splashes. Furthermore, the crema is perfect and the coffee does not cool down as fast. The CupSensor even reacts precisely to beverages made with milk froth by raising the spout by 1cm after delivering milk froth, thereby ensuring that the spout itself stays clean.

FlexTouch Induction Technology: Induction hobs are the new must-have appliances in any modern kitchen worth its salt – induction technology offers fast reaction times, added safety and supreme energy efficiency. Miele’s FlexTouch induction hob is top of its class in this category due to its simplicity of operation and unique flexibility. So much so, in fact, that it won the 2013 international iF Design Award for design excellence.

Featuring Miele’s sophisticated induction technology, Miele’s KM6395 induction hob allows for up to five pots and pans to be placed anywhere on the glass ceramic screen. The hob unit automatically detects both the size and position of the pots and pans, and responds accordingly. The secret lies in the use of 36 individual induction coils that join together to create larger induction zones. Positions of individual pots and pans are relayed to the hob display for precise mapping.

Con@ctivity Technology: Miele is set to introduce a breath of fresh air to the kitchen in the form of the new Con@ctivity technology featured in its two new cooker hoods – the DA6690W and the DA6690D cooker hoods. These two new models feature the new Con@ctivity 2.0 standard technology, which adjusts suction power automatically in relation to what is happening on the hob below, guaranteeing a pleasant room micro-climate. Hob-to-hood data exchange gets communicated via radio-frequency signals. The new cooker hoods are shipped with a separate RF transmitter, which is simply inserted into a Con@ctivity-enabled hob unit. Both models can be used in vented or recirculation mode.

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