Our Story

Our story springs to life on the edge of the Black Forest. This was an area of poor farmers barely scratching out a living, generation after generation. To tackle this, the aristocratic ruler of the region, Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm von Baden, diversified. He established a smelting plant in Rotenfels and a hammer mill and nail forge in Gaggenau in 1683.

As a specialist in enamel, Gaggenau produced hardwearing advertising signs for brands such as Odol, Maggi and Stollwerck. This informed the recipe for the company’s robust oven enamel, which in turn formed the basis for the success of its coal and gas-fired stoves. That same lineage of enamel can be seen today in the form of our iconic blue oven interiors.

The product range adapted into the new century. Gaggenau assumed a pioneering role with a range of innovative products, including coal and gas-fired stoves, as well as bicycles. By 1908, Gaggenau had sold a total of 250,000 “Badenia” bicycles. This success taught the collective of workers and managers the importance of ergonomics, build quality and distinctive design.

When Dr. Otto von Blanquet took over, the company shifted its focus solely towards coal and gas-fired stoves. In the late 1940’s Gaggenau began to produce innovative, economical gas and coal ovens. Electric ovens were also manufactured for the first time, with 180 employees eventually involved in producing the famous “Favorit” and “Futura” models.

When Georg von Blanquet followed in his father’s footsteps, he paved the way for the fitted kitchen revolution. In 1956 the first built-in, eye-level oven, separate cooktop and ventilation appliances were all brought to market, by us.

His appetite for change was matched only by his demand for quality. New functions had to prove useful to chefs, be sturdy enough for the working kitchen and look beautiful.

Gaggenau presented the first 28 cm wide Vario cooktops with top-mounted control knobs – a forerunner of the now classic advanced Vario cooktops series. This series provides a wide variety of specialised appliances that combine to provide a bespoke cooking experience.

The first 90 cm wide oven to reach the European market was inevitably going to impress, with a generous net volume of 87 litres and space for up to four roasts at a time. The EB 300 soon achieved cult status.

Gaggenau – Pioneer of healthy eating: The ED 220 steam oven was the first of its kind to be commercially produced for the private home. Since then steam ovens have become the standard for the private chef who demands the best.

Gaggenau introduced the latest innovation: an automatic cleaning system for the combi-steam oven that can be easily operated at the push of a button.

An aspiration of the private chef, and the professional chef at home, the EB 300 has been a Gaggenau icon for over 30 years. This oven is a 90 cm testament to the Gaggenau difference, its heritage and traditional avant-garde. Wildly individual, distinctive and iconic, it is the heart of the kitchen. This is a predominantly hand built oven, in a world of the machine-made appliances.

This is a very refined series. Designing the new Vario cooling 400 series, the products were treated as pieces of architecture that doubled up as a functional kitchen appliance. The spacious interior enables you to arrange your ingredients in the same way an artist arranges their paint.

Having introduced the steam oven to the private kitchen more than 20 years ago, the Gaggenau combi-steam oven has been continuously refined to remain at the forefront of modern and professional cooking results in the domestic kitchen.