Food
A better way with Miele
In response to rising costs of living and increased interest in sustainable ways of living, Miele offers an alternative vision of the kitchen for eco-conscious home chefs.
For over 120 years, German company Miele has carved out its place in the world of lifestyle design and technology thanks to its relentless emphasis on quality and innovation. Driven by its long-held philosophy of Immer Besser – meaning “Forever Better” – Miele has led the way in sustainability across its impressive range through a whole-of-business focus on energy-efficient, reduced-waste products.
Discover the Miele experience
Miele's induction cooktops are faster, cleaner and more efficient than gas.
Sustainability-minded people will find much to love in the Miele way of doing things.
This eco-conscious focus was on full display in 2021’s ground-breaking Future Food System experiment in Melbourne’s Federation Square, which saw chef Jo Barrett form part of a team of sustainability-minded chefs to inhabit its small, self-sustained house in the middle of the city for nine months, where everything produced was harvested, cooked and eaten on-site.
Spearheaded by zero-waste pioneer Joost Bakker, the Greenhouse presented a closed-loop, zero-waste approach to food production, enabled by aquaponics, solar power, a rooftop garden, and energy-efficient Miele appliances throughout the laundry and kitchen, including steam and induction appliances for cooking – the same appliances available to everyday Australians looking to reduce costs and waste.
The Future Food System proved an inspired look at how, in Barrett’s words, “you can live in this style but still live a normal daily life.” That’s the kind of thinking behind Miele’s ethos of “Buy Once, Buy Besser” – its products are an investment in long-term, lasting value for everyday life, helping you do your part for the planet every day.
HOT STUFF
One area in which Miele has persistently led the way is in the power of steam. Twenty years ago, domestic steam ovens were a rarity in household kitchens – today, thanks to the ingenuity and vision of Miele’s engineers, more and more people are enjoying the health and energy consumption benefits of this modern take on an ancient form of cooking.
Unlike many steam ovens, Miele’s Steam Oven (the DG series), Combi Steam Oven (the DGC series), and Steam Oven with Microwave (the DGM series) all generate steam outside the oven compartment, ensuring ideal steam quantity, optimised temperatures, and rapid heat-up time. The result is more efficient cooking that preserves the vital nutrients in food, with heat so gentle you can literally “set and forget”. No more having to constantly supervise your food for fear of overcooking or burning it – now you’re free to focus more on the things that you love, almost as if your food is taking care of itself.
“I really like cooking with a steam oven,” said Barrett of the Miele oven she used in the Greenhouse. “You have way more control and precision with your cooking. You’re able to capture all the nutrients because everything stays there and kind of permeates through, rather than if you’re boiling something – all the water-soluble nutrients would kind of dissipate – so it’s a really healthy way to cook.”
I really like cooking with a steam oven. You have way more control and precision with your cooking. You’re able to capture all the nutrients
- Jo Barrett, Sustainable chef
The Combi Steam Oven and the Steam Oven with Microwave step things up even further, offering you a flexibility rarely afforded to home chefs. The Combi combines the functions of a steam oven and a regular oven, allowing you to use each independently or in combination – perfect for roasting, to achieve that ideal balance of succulent meat inside a crispy outer – while the Steam Oven with Microwave offers the full capabilities of both cooking technologies without compromise, with Rapid Steam combination mode also at hand for good measure.
Lastly, Miele’s induction cooktops truly serve as the cherry on top of its sophisticated range of ovens. Faster, cleaner and more efficient than gas, Miele’s induction cooktops are perhaps the safest way to cook due to the cooktop only heating the base of the pan – surrounding areas remain cool to the touch – plus built-in safety features like Child Lock, Overheating Protection, and Residual Heat Indicators.
Smart, stylish and sustainably-minded, these category-leading innovations are what people have come to expect when they hear the name Miele.
Miele's commitment to sustainability has led to partnerships with chefs like Jo Barrett.
EVOLVING AMBITIONS
Besides its dedication to quality, Miele’s stated commitment to preserving the planet deserves mention. Its focus on sustainability is built upon three pledges: the first, to “Make sustainability happen at every step”; the second, to “Make appliances that won’t leave a mark”; and, lastly, to “End waste by giving our appliances new life”.
It’s a holistic and considered approach that extends across the company’s entire value chain, with the ultimate aim of producing 100% carbon-neutral appliances, and achieving net zero-waste through materials that can ideally be re-used at the end of their lifecycle.
It’s a commitment that has also seen Miele liaise closely with chefs and producers like Jo Barrett and Vanya Cullen of Cullen Wines, enabling them to tell their own ‘Stories of Sustainability’. For Barrett, it was an opportunity to talk about her experiences on Flinders Island off the coast of Tasmania.
“The community on Flinders Island is incredible,” says Barrett of the experience. “Nature is always at the forefront of everybody’s activities. People work on the land, they spend their days either off on the water or exploring the natural beauty that’s here. I think that’s pretty impressive… they live in it, they work with it, so they want to protect it.”
For Miele, it was its first attempt at a fully sustainable production. On-set waste reduction and emissions generated by the shoot were offset through restoration and reconciliation projects. The company is even a member of the UN sustainability organisation Global Compact and signatory of its Diversity Charter – leaving no doubt that, when it comes to walking the talk, Miele does so visibly and with pride.
All of which is to say, sustainability-minded people will find much to love in the Miele way of doing things. From its advocacy and support of like-minded chefs like Barrett to its engineering of lasting, energy-efficient products – not only in its ovens, but also in its refrigeration with PerfectFresh technology, able to keep food fresh up to five times longer – Miele continues to give consumers every reason to buy once, and better, with every product.
Watch ‘Stories of Sustainability’ at mieleexperience.com.au/sustainability