MANILA, Philippines – At the opening of the first-ever exclusive Miele Gallery in the Philippines, Focus Global’s Loli Sy started her welcome remarks with this German phrase, “Immer besser” (Forever better). This is not only the company philosophy but also the promise of Miele, the 116-year-old German manufacturer of premium and innovative domestic appliances.
“The legendary quality and longevity of the company’s products represent Miele’s continuous contribution to improving the quality of life,” Sy said. She cited a passage from a book in which Steve Jobs, a master of design and innovation himself, commented on the design of Miele appliances, particularly its washers and dryers. “I got more thrill out of them than I have out of any piece of high tech in years,” Job said.
Miele is credited as “the inventor of washing machines.” On display at the new Miele Gallery on the ground floor of the Residences at Greenbelt in Makati is a special artifact from Miele that was shipped from Germany — the first water-powered washing machine that was manufactured by Miele in 1910. Displayed beside it is Miele’s latest washer and tumble dryer model, which uses “the honeycomb drum technology, that takes ultimate care of your most delicate clothes — demonstrating Miele’s leadership and advancement in this category.”
State-of-the-art Miele Generation 6000 appliances are on display in the impressive 110-sqm. space, which is divided into three areas that showcase the brand’s wide range — from coffee machines warming drawers, ovens, steamers and cooktops to hoods, dishwashers and laundry appliances. Built in a sleek, modern kitchen layout is Miele’s Generation 6000 dishwasher with its new and exclusive feature called “Knock2 Open.” A demonstration showed how the dishwasher opens automatically by simply knocking on the door twice, “allowing it to be fully integrated into the kitchen cabinets for a clean minimalist look.”
Coffee enthusiasts will like Miele’s Generation 6000 Coffee Machines, which feature fully automatic programs such as the CupSensor, whereby the central spout automatically adjusts the height of the cup to avoid splashing, whether preparing a tall latte macchiato or a single shot espresso. The One Touch for Two feature shortens preparation time by enabling two servings of coffee to be prepared at the same time.
An innovative feature is Miele’s signature M Touch display, which allows users to swipe or scroll through a menu with the tip of a finger, much as one would operate a smart phone or tablet. The new Generation 6000 Miele Oven removes the guesswork from cooking with its more than 100 automatic programs. “Just select the program, put the food in, and the oven will do the rest,” said Sy. Miele’s exclusive MoisturePlus and MultiSteam technologies are revolutionary features of the Generation 6000 Steam and Combi-Steam Ovens that ensure fast and even steam distribution as well as quick heat-up times for better cooking results.
Also on display are different kinds of cooktops, whether electric, gas or induction, as well as the CombiSets such as grill, wok or teppan, which offer a wide variety of options to mix and match for a customized kitchen.
Gaita Fores of Casa Artusi, Grace Park and Cibo fame held a lively cooking demonstration using the newly launched Generation 6000 Appliances in the active kitchen of the new Miele Gallery in Makati.
It was a delight to watch the celebrated chef as she prepared an appetizing menu which included a bruschetta duet of yellow and red bell pepper capsicums, black olives, anchovy marinated tomatoes, basil and slivers of Parmesan; and a rigatoni pasta dish with a light cream sauce made with butter, cream, and three kinds of citrus rind — lemon, orange and lime. She was generous in sharing tips on how to make the perfect pasta: the water should be boiling vigorously when you drop in the pasta; season the water with enough salt so that it tastes like the sea; do not drain the pasta water 100 percent, since you can later add it to the pasta sauce.
Something new was the dish made with adlay, a kind of grain that’s prepared and eaten like rice but is gluten-free. Drizzled with truffle oil, it opened our taste buds to the pièce de résistance that followed: roast chicken al limone. The spacious cavity of Miele’s Generation 6000 Oven had enough room for roasting two large whole chickens perfectly. “Save the drippings” is Fores’ advice: it adds to the flavor. Dessert was grilled pineapple, melon and banana with ricotta and honey.
Perhaps not everyone can be Gaita Fores in the kitchen, but one can always prepare an appetizing home-cooked meal with confidence, using Miele’s state of the art, user-friendly Generation 6000 appliances.