What is true of the future was also true of the past. The BSH of today and tomorrow is based on more than 55 years of history in which it was the driving force for technological as well as social development through BSH products. In a timeline and a look back on 55 years of advertising, we show what impact BSH products had at various times and how they positively influenced quality of life. From this, we can derive structures that may be transferable to the future and help us answer the question of how we want to live tomorrow.
BSH and its predecessor brands have always been characterized by technical innovations. The first electric vacuum cleaners, refrigerators and modern automatic washing machines were technological milestones on the company’s road to success.
Every time something new happened in the field of home appliances, the BSH brands were right there at the cutting edge. And through it all, the focus has always been on one clear objective – making the lives of people, especially housewives, easier. Modern appliances provided time and energy for other things than housework. BSH home appliances became a driving force for not only technical but also social development, and have remained so to this day. An overview.
2022
Oven Range
The iQ700 oven range is the centerpiece of the line-up of Siemens’ connected and AI-enhanced high-end products, offering outstanding cooking results and a high level of flexibility to the entire culinary journey.
2021
FreshUp
The FreshUp from Bosch is a revolutionary portable fabric refresher with Bosch Plasma Technology that removes unpleasant odours from textiles without washing them. Thanks to smart plasma management, it is ideally suited for delicate fabrics.
2020
Dishwashers with Home Connect
BSH's new generation of dishwashers is a milestone for smart home appliances. Thanks to the integrated SystemMaster microprocessor, dishwashers from all our brands, from entry-level to premium model, can be connected, adding value to the kitchen and meeting consumer needs.
2019
Cookit
The connected multifunctional kitchen machine Cookit offers three gateways for real home cooking: Consumers can choose from over 200 pre-installed "guided cooking" recipes with simple step-by-step instructions or they can rely on the support of a wide range of automatic programs. In addition, the Cookit provides unlimited flexibility with its manual cooking mode.
2018
Siemens side-by-side refrigerator
Siemens’ side-by-side refrigerator offers a one-stop food journey solution: two cameras in the fridge, combined with object recognition software that recognizes the most fundamental food stock, as well as radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags inside the freezer allow the appliance to know what is inside. Thus, consumers can use smart food management functions like an inventory list, expiration reminders and storage suggestions.
2017
Bosch Unlimited
Feel the freedom with a cordless cleaner: Bosch cordless vacuum cleaner are powerful, lightweight and agile to deliver maximum performance and convenience on whatever floor surface you have. The interchangeable battery packs with fast charging offer continuous runtime.
2016
Bosch OptiMUM food processor
Functionality, user-friendliness and design – Bosch pours all of its 60 years of experience in food processors into the design of the OptiMUM. With an integrated scale, timer and advanced sensor technology, it takes on more tasks than any Bosch food processor has ever managed before – and thanks to its automatic programs, it does all of this independently.
Bosch OptiMUM ©Pressebild der Robert Bosch Hausgeräte GmbH
2016
Siemens ActiveHumidity
Refrigerators with active storage humidification inject a fine watery mist into the vegetable drawer. Like in grocery stores, the additional humidity creates an optimal climate to allow for best freshness results for a longer period. Fresh produce retain their vitamins longer whilst keeping their typical aroma, crispiness and color.
2015
Cleaning system for the Gaggenau 400 series
As an exclusive world first, Gaggenau presents a fully automatic cleaning system for all 400 series steam ovens with a direct connection to the water supply. The steam chamber is cleaned hygienically with a cleaning cartridge and water.
Combi-steam oven 400 series ©BSH Haugeräte GmbH (Gaggenau)
2015
Siemens sensoFresh
Siemens washing machines with sensoFresh technology make it fast and simple to remove odors from all kind of fabrics and clothes, even dry clean only items and delicates. The revolutionary active oxygen technology neutralises smells without the need for water or detergents.
2014
Home Connect
It all starts in 2014 with ovens and dishwashers. Then in 2015, BSH also introduced washing machines, dryers and fridge-freezers equipped with the Home Connect function.
2014 Home Connect ©BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
2013
Bosch Athlet hand-held vacuum cleaner
The cordless hand-held vacuum cleaner can reach any place where there is dust – no matter where the sockets are. Thanks to its lithium-ion technology, the Athlet has just as much suction power as a conventional Bosch vacuum cleaner.
2011
Full-surface induction hob with TFT Touch Display
New freedom in the kitchen – a single large cooking surface with full-surface induction allows for pots and pans to be placed anywhere. In addition, the TFT touch display shows the shape, size and position of the cookware.
Full-surface induction cooker ©BSH Haugeräte GmbH (Gaggenau)
2010
i-DOS dosing system
The automatic i-DOS dosing system allows for to-the-milliliter accurate dosing of detergent and thus reduces water consumption. The new technology is available, for example, in the Siemens iQ 800 premium washing machine. From 2011 onwards, it also comes with Home Connect and easy operation by app – from anywhere.
2011 iQ 800 ©Pressebild der SEG Hausgeräte GmbH
2009
7-liter dishwasher
The low water consumption of the new 7-liter dishwashers allows for unrivaled efficiency and water conservation. Now that’s sustainable!
2009
SensorBagless technology
SensorBagless technology ensures an optimal performance level of floor cleaning even when using bagless vacuum cleaners.
2013 Relaxx bagless vacuum cleaner ©Robert Bosch Hausgeräte GmbH
2008
Dishwashers with a zeolite drying system
Dishwashers with a zeolite drying system are the most economical yet. This world first makes use of the natural mineral zeolite’s ability for storing moisture and ensures low energy consumption.
2008
The Siemens EQ.7 premium fully automatic coffee machine
The intelligent heating system in the new premium automatic coffee machine from Siemens guarantees a delightful espresso due to a constantly ideal brewing temperature.
2008
The Tassimo series
The introduction of the Tassimo series revolutionizes coffee brewing with the multiple beverage machines and its so-called T DISCs. The Bosch Tassimo is manufactured in cooperation with the partner Kraft Foods. It not only has the shortest heat-up times, but is also the best energy-saving and most compact appliance on the market.
Tassimo (2015) ©Robert Bosch Hausgeräte GmbH
2008
Heat Pump Dryers
Innovative heat pump technology abandons the traditional heating wire and uses air heat for drying clothes. Thus, the first heat pump dryers from BSH greatly reduce energy consumption.
2006
VarioSpeed dishwashers
Dishwashers are now available with VarioSpeed technology. Full performance at double the speed saves time.
2004
Bosch AquaVario
With AquaVario technology, sensors detect the right water pressure and new cleaning agents. These innovative characteristics make BSH the market leader in dishwashers. New operating concepts such as TouchControl and InfoLight are also introduced.
2002
SLIDE&HIDE
With a fully retractable oven door, SLIDE&HIDE from NEFF creates space for convenient access to the inside of the oven.
Slide&Hide ©Pressebild NEFF
2002
New designs for controls
Innovative concepts such as TouchControl and slider technology simplify handling and facilitate intuitive operation. In 2003, Neff develops the TwistPad, a detachable magnetic one-button control for stoves that is elegant, safe and easy to clean.
1999
The Gaggenau ED 220 steam oven
A steam oven connected to the water supply creates a new trend – gentle steam cooking. Asian cuisine, in particular, owes its success in the western world to this method.
©Pressebild Gaggenau
1997
Bosch VitaFresh
The VitaFresh compartments inside the fridge always maintain the right storage conditions, thanks to two different climate zones: In the top, drier zone, with a low temperature setting about 0° C, fish and meat can be hygienically stored in two separate drawers – with no odor transfer. An additional big bottom drawer with adjustable humidity keeps fruits and vegetables fresh longer.
1993
Constructa viva washing machine
The BSH subsidiary Constructa sets new standards for washing machines. Equipped with the fuzzy control system, sensors detect the fill quantity of the machine and can thereby adapt the washing time and spin cycle to the laundry. This technology makes it possible to reduce water and electricity consumption by approximately 50 percent.
1993
CFC-free refrigerators
Sustainable thinking: BSH converts its European production to CFC-free refrigerators and from 1994 also bans any use of CFCs in European BSH refrigerators.
1987
45cm dishwasher
The first dishwasher with a width of only 45cm, such as the GV430 series, is the star of the 1987 Domotechnica trade fair. Sales of 45cm dishwashers soon shoot sky high.
1987 45cm dishwasher ©Siemens Corporate Archives
1987
CLOU
The smoothly operating, ball-bearing CLOU from Neff, a tilt-proof, multi-level telescopic oven shelf rail, is launched in 1987.
1986
The Gaggenau EB 300 oven
The first 90 cm-wide oven on the European market has a large effective volume of 87 liters and provides space for up to four roasts. The EB 300 becomes an icon.
In 2016, the year of its 333rd anniversary, Gaggenau launches the EB 333 as homage to the EB 300. This updated version appears in a more modernized form and functionality, while remaining true to its origins. A distinctive feature is the stainless steel door that reaches across the entire width of the oven.
EB 333 ©BSH Hausgeräte GmbH (Gaggenau)
1985
AquaStop
AquaStop technology offers 100% protection against water damage caused by washing machines. The patent application is lodged in 1982, with the technology introduced in 1985, for example in the Constructa CONTURA and the Bosch SMS 9022. AquaStop is a pioneering success. In its first year, sales figures exceed production capacity. AquaStop has been a standard in washing machines since 1986 – even among its competitors.
AquaStop ©Siemens Corporate Archives
1981
Siemens vacuum cleaners
The Siemens VS 5 standard vacuum cleaner has a production output of more than four million. This is followed in 1984 by the Siemens Black Energy, which soon attains cult status with its sophisticated design.
Vacuum cleaner production line in Bad Neustadt, circa 1985 ©Siemens Corporate Archives
1972
Fully automatic washing machines and dryers
The successful SIWAMAT series continues to grow throughout the 1970s. In 1970, the SIWAMAT 450 automatic washing machine with its numerous programs and functions is added to the premium class. This is followed by the appearance of the first automatic washer-dryer in 1972. The front loaders SIWAMAT V472 with 800 rpm and the SIWAMAT 484 with 1000 rpm appear in 1979. At the beginning of the 1980s, the first fully electronic washing machine, the SIWAMAT 870 electronic, selects the most economical program itself and displays the progress of the washing process.
1970 SIWAMAT 450 ©Siemens Corporate Archives
1970
The Siemens Meisterkoch (Master Chef) series
In 1970, Siemens introduces the Meisterkoch series, which blows the market away with an outstanding range of operations and flexible function. In 1981, the Meisterkoch universal stove is launched. This is a built-in cooker that owes its success to a combination of top and bottom heating, convection, grill, microwave and self-cleaning by pyrolysis. An oven carriage facilitates access to baked goods.
1972 Meisterkoch HL 7470 mit Pyrolyse ©Siemens Corporate Archives
1970
Neff Circo Therm
This multifunction oven with its CircoTherm hot air system and glass front provides insight in the kitchen. CircoTherm still stands for high-quality Neff ovens to this day.
1952
The Bosch food processor Neuzeit I (“Modern Times I”)
In 1952, Bosch launches its first electrically operated universal food processor, the Neuzeit I.
1952 Bosch universal food processor, Neuzeit I ©Robert Bosch GmbH Corporate Archives
1951
Constructa washing machine
In 1951, Constructa introduces the first fully automatic washing machine to the market. Designed by Peter Pfenningsberg, its most prominent feature is its porthole. By 1955, its successor model, the Constructa Deluxe 100, already has an 80 percent market share – and this in competition with 30 other suppliers.
Circa 1956 – Constructa manufacturing hall with washing machines ©BSH Hausgeräte GmbH Corporate Archives
1933
Bosch refrigerator
In 1933, Bosch introduces the first electric refrigerator. It has a round shape and a capacity of 60 liters, and sells for 365 Reichsmark.
1933 refrigerator in a display window ©Robert Bosch GmbH Corporate Archives
1906
Siemens dedusting pump
Shortly after the turn of the century, in 1906, Siemens launches its first vacuum cleaner on the market when it introduces the so-called dedusting pump.
Dedusting pump ©Siemens Corporate Archives
The world is changing – and so are consumer needs, and major issues require smart solutions.
Globalization, individualization, pluralization, digitalization: The world is transforming at an increasing rate and seems poised to become more complex and fast-moving than ever. As a result, we are all more aware of the social and ecological contexts of our lives. We are all challenged as individuals to find new patterns of behavior that guarantee a successful and happy life in a world with so many options. Our lifestyles are changing along with our domestic habits. There are five major areas where consumers will expect reasonable, comfortable and fascinating solutions.
In the next 15 years, experiences will become the social currency of modern life. We will collect them to form the narrative and meaning of our lives.
Instead of owning things, we will have an increasing desire for transcendent experiences that deliver exceptional new opportunities or perspectives for personal growth. We will expect to be able to share our experiences at home with others, featuring ourselves as the heroes of our own stories. Showing these unique experiences will be our way of demonstrating who we are. We will also want to see more guided opportunities for creative development.
We will also need our home experience to be exceptional, creating exceptional sensuality through unexpected textures and rich tastes. Continuous visual and tactile stimulation will diversify and heighten our everyday home experience. Support will come from invisible tech operating in the background, allowing us to focus on our seamless experiences.
With more technological possibilities for tracking and optimizing personal health issues and with the negative effects of modern living on health becoming obvious and even existential, we are more and more aware of our own responsibility to live healthily. We increasingly perceive health as a prominent universal value and individual differentiator in society.
To fulfill our personal and social health expectations, we will progressively seek simple and affordable health solutions that soften the effects of modern work and life. We will want to be supported with data-driven health consultation and other educational health approaches at home. We will strongly feel the need to be protected in our home from an unpredictable and chaotic outside world. We will learn that our health is intertwined with the health of others, which should be protected as well.
We are becoming more and more aware of the fact that our health, wealth and social harmony are increasingly endangered by the consequences of modern life trends. Consumers therefore think and act more consciously and responsibly when it comes to the socio-ecological effects of consumption and living at home.
Personal goals and environmental awareness will be directly correlated with the help of integrated solutions. Resource-efficient behavior at home will become part of everyday interactions. Natural aesthetics in the home and emergent entertaining approaches will provide emotionally rewarding sustainability. We will seek to embed our home lives in nature, its processes and conditions, for a symbiotic cohabitation with our living environment.
Considering visible sustainability as a form of self-expression, we will require tangible feedback and transparency for our actions – perceivable by ourselves and within our socio-cultural context.
Utilizing culturally sensitive solutions, we will commit to new forms of collaborative sustainability allowing us to multiply viable benefits, establishing renewable continuity as a moral cornerstone on a grand scale. This will lead to sustainability becoming a societal dogma, and a common practice at home.
We are living in an increasingly technologically connected world, in which there is a constant digital link between everything, and “online” has become the default status. This changes every part of our lives at home and creates a desire for invisible and adaptive technology that is less obtrusive, but also reenergizes our wish for analog experiences.
We will appreciate the benefits of digitalization, which provides us with smart solutions that transcend possessions. While taking full advantage of our new connectivity, we will not want to be controlled by the digital world, but rather maintain our own control. We may even attempt to break out of our lives, determined by algorithms and strive for unexpected and inspiring moments of unpredictability, challenge and personal growth.
A life in public and always being “on” will become our default state. We will want to focus on one task or project at home and we will expect absolute data privacy at home in our intimate, digital sphere.
The way we manage our lives and homes will change. We will want to profit from a world full of options while at the same time retaining islands of intimacy to withdraw to. And as time becomes a luxury, time management will not only be a craft but also an indication for successful life.
To reduce complexity in life, we will increasingly seek to outsource household tasks and turn to temporary or project-based groups. We will seek to manage the permeability of the home. What is public and how do we connect to it, what is private and at which stage? Maintaining control of the integration and separation of work and life will be a key challenge.
Throughout our lives, we experience the desire to feel the impact of our actions and retain a sense of efficacy. We will look for considerate home appliances which recognize social situations and preferences immediately. Being just “smart” is no longer good enough.
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