Thermador, with its tagline ‘An American Icon’, is one of the first companies that springs to mind when you are talking about American kitchen appliances. The company introduced the first integrated oven almost 50 years ago, and it has been at the forefront of the industry ever since. The company has since been acquired by Bosch, and produces a wide range of goods for the American market.
The Amana Corporation specialises in refrigeration. Founded in 1934 in Amana, Iowa by George Foerstner, the company originally made walk-in coolers for commercial purposes. However, Amana soon branched into domestic appliances, and in 1947 the company was able to introduce and manufacture the first upright freezer for the home. This was followed in 1949 by a fridge/freezer unit, in which the two appliances were placed side by side.
Clearly a leader in manufacturers of American kitchen appliances, Amana was sold in 1950 to a group of investors. This group included George Foerstner. Amana was then acquired in 1965 by Raytheon, the company which had pioneered the microwave oven. Amana introduced a commercial version of its parent company’s Radarange model, which was the first microwave oven to be sold for use in the home.
Today, the Amana manufactures and sells a huge range of American kitchen appliances, from fridges and freezers to ovens, dishwashers and washing machines. Amana is now part of the Whirlpool Corporation, which specialises in washing machines. Another company which specialises in refrigeration is U-Line. Founded in 1962 by Henry Uihlein, the company has been producing American kitchen appliances for domestic use ever since. U-Line has proven itself a leader in innovation, as it introduced the first combination fridge/ice-maker in 1971, and the first domestic wine-cooling system in 1985.
Today, the company produces a wide range of domestic refrigeration appliances for the integrated kitchen, including advanced products such as wine cooling systems and refrigerated drawers. Those looking for the best in American refrigeration appliances often look to U-Line. However, because the company’s products are aimed at the luxury appliance market, they are not often found in large-scale retail outlets, and when they are spotted the consumer should be prepared to pay a little extra for their appliance.
Finally, Admiral is a name which many now associate with American kitchen appliances, but is a company which originally sold televisions during the World War II period. Founded in Chicago in 1934, Admiral also supplied the military with electrical equipment. The success of its TV range enabled Admiral to delve into refrigeration in the 1950s, and became known throughout the US for sponsoring the weekly CBS Radio programme ‘World News Today’, for which its tagline was ‘America’s Smart Set’.
Admiral’s name was immortalised in 1971 when Milwaukee’s hockey team was renamed the Milwaukee Admirals after the famous refrigeration brand. Today Admiral is a brand under the Whirlpool Corporation, and is sold exclusively across America in Home Depot stores.
