In 1916, the American home – and kitchen – looked vastly different, without the presence of TVs, computers, or even central air conditioning. It was in this year, William E. Cranston founded Thermador, a company that would go on to reshape the kitchen industry and the American kitchen forever.

Thermador was initially established as a manufacturer of electric items such as heaters and air coolers that pre-dated car air conditioning, and are highly collectible items today. In the 1930s, the company’s passion for innovation and high-end performance accelerated when it began manufacturing electric appliances – rapidly sparking life into the heart of the home, the kitchen.

Since then, Thermador has introduced numerous “firsts” and reignited inspiration for the design and function of today’s kitchens and for culinary enthusiasts – with the brand becoming synonymous with innovation, power, performance and timeless design.  From introducing the first built-in wall oven and cooktop more than 50 years ago to changing the shape of gas cooking with the patented Star® Burner, Thermador thinking breaks the boundaries of convention and performance. Within the last decade alone, Thermador has introduced the first Freedom® Induction full-surface induction cooktop, as well as the Freedom® Collection preservation line of modular culinary preservation columns.

Entering its second century, Thermador is at the forefront of the newest paradigm shift in kitchen and home design: personalization. With the kitchen evolving into the central hub of activity and more gathering to partake in the cooking experience, today’s culinary enthusiasts want their kitchens designed around their own unique style of cooking and entertaining – and the possibilities offered by Thermador will exceed their expectations.

Not only does Thermador offer an array of cooking appliances in two different design styles, the Professional® Series and the Masterpiece® Series, but it also offers an incredible variety of highly customizable Culinary Preservation Centers. Now cooks can choose which cooking appliances match their unique cooking style, as well as which preservation configuration matches their entertaining style – whether it is a full wall of built-in refrigeration to store ingredients for weekend entertaining, a beverage center with wine refrigerators in a media room so guests always have a chilled drink within reach, or a breakfast center in the master suite so a chilled snack or beverage can be enjoyed upon waking up in the morning.

Thermador has truly redefined what it means to be an ultimate cook and entertainer throughout every decade. In fact, as a testament to both Mr. Cranston’s and the company’s impact on kitchen design, in 1989 Mr. Cranston was inducted into the National Kitchen & Bath Association Hall of Fame, and is credited with launching the kitchen design industry.

With an exciting year of celebration ahead, we also are proud to look back and share some of the amazing highlights of Thermador from the last 100 years here on this blog over the next 12 months. We also look forward to sharing with you more details on our centennial celebrations and other exciting Thermador news as we embark on our next century of innovation.