Two frames, one circle, a piece of art: This is the enticing concept for the Gaggenau Expressive Series, which made its Canadian debut in Toronto last week at Arcadia Earth in The Well. The special event saw the unveiling of three new cavity models – an oven, a combi-steam oven and a combi-microwave oven – to a delighted audience of interior designers, architects and trade specifiers. ’s first completely new design in almost 20 years, the professional-grade series took almost a decade to develop; and it also includes fully automatic espresso machines, culinary warming drawers and vacuuming drawers.
Drawing from the Bauhaus, the aesthetically refined and technologically advanced collection exudes harmony and formal clarity. The Expressive series oven features a brushed 1.5 mm stainless-steel surround with a milled inner chamfer, creating a refined passe-partout that frames the cooking space with visual balance and architectural clarity. This difficult-to-achieve precision was enabled by a proprietary milling machine developed especially for the collection and operated by a specialized trio of craftspeople who complete the pieces by hand-brushing them individually. With no visible hinges on the exterior, and just the slightest gap between the frame and the door to let the appliance breathe, the Gaggenau Express Series is a celebration of lightness.
The inner frame holds the glass front and solid metal plate in place in a delicate balance that exemplifies the brand’s rich manufacturing tradition while advancing modern design, explains Alexander Stuhler, the industrial designer behind the series. “This isn’t just any metal plate; it’s a thick stainless-steel piece that weighs about the same as a mid-sized stainless steel frying pan. We consider this our ‘passe-partout’ for culinary masterpieces, similar to how you would frame a painting.”
The double-frame is complemented by a sculptural dial made of solid stainless steel – the circle at the heart of the design. Sven Baacke, Gaggenau’s Head of Design, explains, “The floating ring is more than just a functional component — it’s a manifestation of Gaggenau’s long history as a forge, founded in 1683. Stainless steel has always been a core material for Gaggenau, and the ring represents the peak of our expertise in working with it.”
A jewel set against the interactive user interface, the ring is also a unique visual indicator for tracking cooking progress: Its glowing orange half-sun fills up in tune with the timer, or as a meal nears the set core temperature. Featuring a high-performance heating system and full surface grill, the blue-enamel ovens reach up to an impressive 300°C (572ºF). And the display – as well as the Home Connect app, which allows for remote control from a digital device – provides ultimate customizability for home chefs, who can pre-set their most go-to baking modes or take advantage of the full range of cooking options available to them.
Soeren Strayle, the collection’s user interaction and interface designer, believes that this series marks a new chapter for Gaggenau. “It carries the essence of our tradition while stepping into the future. It’s familiar, recognizable, yet new.” And the future is also rooted in craftsmanship. “Today, with the display concealed behind the front glass and the ring appearing to float before it, we have achieved a future-proof, tactile element that seamlessly bridges the physical and digital realms. This innovative design lends the appliance a minimalist yet luxurious aesthetic.”
Transforming each culinary moment into an act of expression, the Gaggenau Expressive Series embodies the excitement of great cuisine – meals elevated to an artform deserve appliances that strive for the best. “After nine years of development, we have something that evokes joy through both its design and how it performs,” Stuhler says. “It’s not just another oven – it’s an experience that redefines what luxury in the kitchen can feel like.”
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