European Small Appliances

[DanM]

My wife has been short listed for a job in Geneva Switzerland, so there is a small chance that we will be living there by the end of the summer (oy!). Who knows if this will actually pan out, but a little preparation now rather than scrambling when we get there is time well spent. One part of this move will be buying new cooking gadgets. I would appreciate any advice on a food processor (robot?), blender, stand mixer, and a hot water kettle. I don't need anything fancy, just well built and able to last. 

 

Thanks! Dan Mages

[liuzhou]

You don't say where you are now, but in Europe you will probably find all the same stuff you have at home. It's globalisation.

[DanM]

Some brands are available in Europe. For example, I will probably find a used Kitchenaid mixer if my current bowls and attachments will fit the Euro models. However, there are brands that you cannot get on this side of the ocean or are not as popular, like Electrolux, Miele, Bosch, etc...

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I've seen people's kitchens outfitted with Miele stuff.

 

[JohnT]

I am not in Europe, but in Southern Africa. We get Miele appliances here which appear to me manufactured in China. My Elecrolux electric frying pan is definitely from China as is my Bosch stick blender. However, it appears my Bosch dishwasher appears to be from Italy although the main motor is marked "China". My LPG stove is labled on the back as "Italian Designed" but the burners I had to replace had "Made in China" moulded into the casting. My refrigerator is labled "Product of Swaziland" but the compressor that needed replacement was from China whilst the new one is marked "Assembled in Italy". The technician laughed at me when I mentioned this to him, saying that labelling means nothing.

 

What I am trying to say is that it is a crapshoot in my location of actually where the product really is made and you may find the same products in Europe with the same deceptive labelling. I have often found an appliance that is marked on the box as "Product of Germany", but when you open and inspect the contents you find "China Made" moulded into the plastic parts.

[Kerry Beal]

I'd go for a Thermomix - serves as a blender, food processor and some of the functions of a stand mixer. 

[Franci]

Kerry's idea of the Thermomix is good. But if you don't want to invest in it,  I love my little Bosch MUM. If I am making bread I like it much more than my kitchen aid. And you can get all the attachments you want, cutter and blender included. I have many, included the meat grinder and nuts grinder.  I bought the most basic one for 60 euros. I have one in Italy and one in the US.

And one thing I'd buy without blinking if I were to move back to Europe is Fresco

 

 

[Franci]

Ah, you can find different alternatives to the Thermomix, I have not tried personally, but I have some friends who own it: the cuisine companion from Moulinex

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, Franci said:

Kerry's idea of the Thermomix is good. But if you don't want to invest in it,  I love my little Bosch MUM. If I am making bread I like it much more than my kitchen aid. And you can get all the attachments you want, cutter and blender included. I have many, included the meat grinder and nuts grinder.  I bought the most basic one for 60 euros. I have one in Italy and one in the US.

And one thing I'd buy without blinking if I were to move back to Europe is Fresco

 

 

I too have the Bosch and have not used my Kitchen Aid I got it! 

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, Franci said:

 

And one thing I'd buy without blinking if I were to move back to Europe is Fresco

 

 

 

How can I get one of these in the US? Looks fabulous.

[Anna N]

3 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

How can I get one of these in the US? Looks fabulous.

Yeah.  Don't even want to inquire about cost so my dreams are not smashed to smithereens.

[Kerry Beal]

2 hours ago, Franci said:

Kerry's idea of the Thermomix is good. But if you don't want to invest in it,  I love my little Bosch MUM. If I am making bread I like it much more than my kitchen aid. And you can get all the attachments you want, cutter and blender included. I have many, included the meat grinder and nuts grinder.  I bought the most basic one for 60 euros. I have one in Italy and one in the US.

And one thing I'd buy without blinking if I were to move back to Europe is Fresco

 

 

Indeed - the little Bosch is a beautiful thing!

[Franci]

2 hours ago, gfweb said:

 

How can I get one of these in the US? Looks fabulous.

 

Before they introduced the Fresco, that is counter top, they had the wall version that is more expensive. It's called Freddy, maybe you don't catch the humor but Freddo in Italian is cold . Freddy is available in the US. But it's 2-3 times more expensive than Fresco. The other alternative is to look for a commercial small Irinox. Same brand.

Also Advance Gourmet (I'm dealing with them at the moment for the Hotmix) have the Technofrost counter top, JOF-23, don't know the cost. But soon or later I want a blast chiller! At work and at home.

Edited June 4, 2017 by Franci (log)

[DanM]

The Bosch MUM looks like a fantastic product! I'll keep that and the Moulinex in mind.

 

The Fresco... cool, but will probably not happen for a while, if at all.

 

Dan

[gulator]

On 6/2/2017 at 3:06 PM, DanM said:

My wife has been short listed for a job in Geneva Switzerland

Friend of mine now lives in Geneva (she works for the World Health Organization). One of her discoveries was to order on-line a Bosch MUM  Great quality. She had a KitchenAid in the US. But, the Bosch MUM is really top 

[SweetSymphonybyM]

I would not get a residential Irinox flash freezer in the U.S. Neither Freddy, nor Fresco. ZERO customer support if anything breaks! My Freddy has been broken for 4 months now, 2 months into it I've even contacted a few VPs for Irinox North America in hopes of expediting a repair, and despite a bunch of promises and flattery, they still haven't even found anybody in my area to diagnose it (and I live in a pretty large city on the East coast). 

 

Extremely disappointed with Irinox (!) and am now looking into Vesta Frosty - may not have the sleek looks, but hopefully better customer support!

[SweetSymphonybyM]

What makes this so frustrating, is that prior to purchase, I made a point of asking about repairs in my area, and they reassured me it wouldn't be a problem and that there are a bunch of certified repair technicians in my area. What they failed to mention, is that they are certified in Irinox commercial products and will not come out for their residential units/nor let me bring one to their location for troubleshooting.

 

So be prepared to pay for 2 years of once a week use and then just throw it out. 

[gfweb]

20 minutes ago, SweetSymphonybyM said:

What makes this so frustrating, is that 

 

So be prepared to pay for 2 years of once a week use and then just throw it out. 

Terrible. What's it cost?  

[SweetSymphonybyM]

I GREATLY lucked out getting the first generation of the Freddy model for $2000. The new model had just a few minor tweaks and retails for over $6000.

 

Also currently looking into Techfrost's JOF One - alos an Italian made flash freezer, similarly priced to the current Freddy. Does anybody have any experience?