Nobody does downdraft ventilation as well as Gaggenau

Gaggenau is a brand of exquisitely designed luxury kitchen appliances, and their 2009 catalogs arrived for my library last Tuesday. Now, I enjoy talking about and specifying appliances as much as the next guy, but Gaggenau's offerings fire my imagination like nothing else on the market.

Gaggenau makes a series of modular cooking components called Vario. Vario started with a 200 series and has been joined by the Vario 400 series. The Vario series approach to cooking appliances is fantastic and though there are other component systems out there, no one does it better than Gaggenau. The 200 series consists of eight, 12-inch components and the 400 series offers 10, 15-inch components. You combine as many or a few of these components together as you like for a truly custom approach to cooking.

The image above shows a 400 Series, 15-inch wide, large, single induction burner; a 15-inch double induction burner and a 15-inch Teppan Yaki grill. Vario components are only 20 inches deep and in the case above, they've been placed in front of an AT 400 Backsplash Ventilator.

Another ventilation option that works int he Vario series is their telescoping downdraft ventilator shown here.

I've seen on of these things at work and trust me when I tell you that there is nothing else like it available anywhere. I swear, it's like something you'd see in a movie. The Gaggenau VL051707 is fully motorized and it comes to life as it rises into position. Once extended, you can swivel it a full 360 degrees and position the downdraft blower precisely where you need it. Downdrafts are notorious for not working as promised, but in the skilled hands of Gaggenau, downdraft technology actually works.

These Vario components are but a fraction of the innovative appliances developed and available from Gaggenau. Wait 'til you see what they do with a wall oven!

Depending on the market where you live, finding Gaggenau appliances can be a challenge. Mercifuuly, that what the Internet's for. The images above are from AJ Madison, an online appliance dealer who ships nationwide. They stand behind what they sell and their prices are the best I've seen. Check them out!