If you’re designing a kitchen and love the look of commercial-style appliances, but worry they’ll put you over budget, then consider Thermador.
Thermador gives you the best value for a full package of great-looking premium appliances. But will you love them for the long haul? How well do they perform? What about reliability and repair service?
In this article, I’ll cut to the chase with our exclusive appliance review to help you quickly decide if Thermador’s a great fit for you.
Stick around, and I‘ll give you pro tips to squeeze the most value out of promotions that will save you thousands of dollars.
Finally, every appliance brand has nuances your contractor might not be aware of. I’ll talk you through how to be your own pro when it comes to Thermador. That way, your kitchen will turn out exactly how you want it—no surprises or regrets.
Table of Contents
Who Will Need Thermador Appliances?
I want to help you make a purchase you’ll love. Most customers come in with an open mind. I listen to what they do and don’t want and guide them toward brands that make sense.
I like to suggest Thermador to people with these priorities:
#1. You want to make a lasting investment in your home that’ll boost its value. Thermador’s in the same ranks as other premium appliance brands like Sub-Zero, Wolf and Viking. In some markets these high end finishes are expected, while in others they set listings apart.
#2. You’re looking for premium appliances with pro-quality looks and performance. Chefs love Thermador. Julia Child had it in her Cambridge kitchen and on her TV show.
#3. You need an entire kitchen package. That’s where Thermador really shines and gives you more than your money’s worth. As I mentioned, one of the best things about Thermador is its strong rebate program.
#4. You love to bake. Thermador’s Pro Grand ranges have some of the biggest ovens on the market. They can fit an 18 x 26 commercial baking sheet which let’s you cook up to 20 cookies on a single tray. This is also great for sheet pan dinners.
#5. You’re a builder or working with a builder. Qualifying new home builds earn more savings on top of the Thermador instant rebate program.
Who Will Not Need Thermador Appliances?
Thermador might not be the best fit for you if:
#1. You’re not sure if you love the industrial look. Thermador’s bright, brawny stainless steel might not necessarily be right for a cottage kitchen.
#2. You want colorful appliances. Thermador has only in stainless steel. It’s beautiful and high quality, but it’s not matte black or Tiffany blue.
#3. You really don’t cook all that much. You can get great-looking, pro-style appliances that aren’t as fully featured for less. If you’re going to use your oven mainly to crisp up leftover pizza, a Thermador might not be worth the splurge.
#4. It’s simply not in your budget. Sure you get value, but Thermador’s not inexpensive. The minimum you’ll spend for a full package is around $10,000.
Thermador Products & Collections
More and more appliance brands call themselves “luxury” these days, but that doesn’t mean you should consider them.
Over the years, my colleagues and I have narrowed down what we carry to the ones we really believe in. Thermador is among them.
It’s part of the BSH group along with Bosch and Gaggenau. It makes ranges, cooktops, ovens, and microwaves; freestanding counter depth refrigerators, built in refrigerators, and column units; undercounter refrigerators and drawers, including for wine and drinks; and dishwashers.
All Thermador appliances belong to one of two collections: Masterpiece or Professional.
Masterpiece looks slimmer, sleeker, and more contemporary, with thinner handles, touchscreen displays, and a metallic gray glass exterior.
The Professional line is more chef-y, with big knobs, bold handles, LCD displays, and the brand’s signature gray glass.
While I really like the sleek look of the Masterpiece series, I personally prefer the control knobs of the Professional. It just feels much more intuitive to cook with the knobs than trying to using touch controls, especially when your hands are dirty.
Thermador Benefits
Now let’s talk about the benefits you get with Thermador.
#1: The signature star burners.
According to the Thermador, they’re 56 percent longer than a round burner of the same size, meaning more area for gas port holes for superior flame spread.
On a normal round burner, the flame typically generates the most heat where the flame makes contact with the pan.
Ever had something cook faster on the edges of a pan vs the middle? This actually happened to me the other day browning breaded chicken breasts. One piece was browning faster than the rest and I ended up over cooking it while the rest were perfect.
This won’t happen as much with Thermador. The star burner more evenly applies heat along the entire bottom surface of your pan.
Its star burners also give you industry-leading temperature control. A classic example would be melting delicate chocolate without burning.
However more practically we use the low simmer to keeps things like sauces warm when we’re doing demos in the showroom.
It’s a fool proof way to keep things warm without scorching the bottom of the pan or having to remember to stir every 2 minutes.
One caveat to be aware of: To get that low simmer, the burner cycles on and off. I’ve had some customers complain that they hear an annoying clicking sound when it does this.
We’ve experienced this first hand and it’s barely noticeable… but if you annoy easily… keep that in mind.
And lastly, they’re raised on pedestals, so it’s much easier to clean the cooking area than it is on other ranges. You can fit a sponge underneath to wipe up spills.
#2: Some of the biggest ovens on the market.
Thermador’s Pro Grand ranges are full commercial depth—they have the ovens that can fit an 18 x 26 commercial baking sheet. That means you can bake 2 dozen cookies on one sheet, at one time.
The Pro Grand model also gives the unique option to have a steam oven and warming drawer in your range.
However, you should know that Thermador’s less expensive series of ranges, Pro Harmony, are cabinet depth, stick out less but they can’t fit a commercial baking sheet.
Thermador ranges come in 30, 36, 48 and 60 widths and with different cooktop configurations. My Advice: If you have the space, a 36 inch range is the minimum width you should consider. 48 inches, with a double oven, is really the sweet spot.
#3: Cooktop customization.
I like to point out how many ways you can personalize a Thermador range and its cooktop, especially the dual fuel ones.
You have the option of picking between standard burners, a griddle, a charbroiler and even induction elements.
The most popular configuration for us a 48 inch range with 6 burners and a griddle. On the 36 and 48 inch sizes, you can opt for gas burners and a 12-inch induction top. That way, you can boil water lighting fast using induction.
Induction fans: Just note that Thermador doesn’t offer a range with an all-induction cooktop right now.
#4: Speaking of induction, Thermador makes some of the best induction cooktops on the market.
It has three lines—Freedom, Liberty, and Heritage—and I strongly recommend Freedom. I love the pot detection feature: You can set a pot or pan anywhere, and the cooktop will sense its shape, size, and position, and power that precise area.
#5: Soft gray glass.
Thermador cooktops and oven doors feature blended gray glass, which you might prefer to the sharper, harsher black most other brands use.
#6: Fridge flexibility.
Thermador has a broad range of fridge styles. Starting with Thermador’s built-in refrigerators, they’re available in multiple configurations (bottom freezer, French door, and fridge, freezer and wine columns letting you create any size refrigeration setup you can imagine).
These units have that impressive built in look at 84” tall and have impeccable build quality.
They’re one of the only luxury brands to have a full stainless steel interior that not only looks great but won’t hang onto orders or discolor like plastic, all while insulating better.
The soft close drawers and theater style lighting feel premium. Thermador also recently redesigned the shelves and bins to be even more user friendly.
Our most popular column configurations is 48”, with a 30” refrigerator and a 18” freezer column.
If you have the space and really want a show stopper setup we’ve had customers install a fridge, freezer, and wine column all together.
A majority of the people we work with are renovating their kitchens completely and can customize their new cabinets to fit these appliances, however if you’re just replacing an older built-in fridge, Thermador conveniently offers specific model numbers that are the perfect fit for other brands older generation models.
If you don’t have a high enough ceiling or budget for a true built-in refrigerator, Thermador is one of the only luxury brands that also offers a freestanding counter-depth fridge at around $5,000.
While you don’t get the impressive built-in height, these still have dual compressors for high-end food preservation, glass shelves with stainless steel trim, and drawers lined with stainless steel mats for easy cleaning.
With the fully lit back panel and theater lighting, they look and feel solid. Thermador makes undercounter beverage and wine fridges with handles and finishes to match the rest of your kitchen too.
They’re great for freeing up storage space in your main fridge for food.
Thermador’s wine fridges also have some of the nicest wooden gliding shelves I’ve seen on any luxury brand. They’re smooth rolling, sturdy, and even smell like a wine cellar.
#7: Fantastic dishwashers that you can get for free.
If you’ve been researching dishwashers, you may have noticed that Bosch ranks high on just about every list. Because Thermador and Bosch are sister companies, their dishwashers share the same great technologies.
Thermador has three models: Emerald, Sapphire and Star Sapphire. All three are basically top of the line Bosch dishwashers with higher-end finishes.
Sapphire is a worthwhile upgrade over Emerald and has the best drying technology on the market, a built in water softener, and is quieter. But all three do a great job.
They also all have WiFi and a well-designed, spacious third rack.
The Sapphire models also have interior LED color changing lighting.
With Thermador’s 1, 2, Free instant rebate program, you can get a the emerald dishwasher for free or the sapphire for a small upgrade fee of around $500 or Star Sapphire for around $1,000.
We think it’s worth the upgrade to Sapphire. At 48 dB we think the Emerald is a bit loud for a high-end dishwasher, and the 44 dB of the Sapphire is really the sweet spot you wanna be in.
Also the drying on the Sapphire truly is great. The Star Sapphire is even quieter at 42 dB and gives you some more loading options for wine glasses, but we not as sure if the extra $500 is worth it there.
#8: Thermador’s excellent 1, 2, Free instant rebate program.
Buy a Thermador stove and they’ll throw in a dishwasher—with no mail-in card or hassles. That saves you $1,400 right away.
Add a Thermador fridge, and you get more free stuff.
You can equip out your whole kitchen for a great price—whether your budget allows for a counter depth fridge or three columns with all the works.
#9: Excellent service.
This might not be your first priority, but it should be up there.
Thermador has a great two year warranty and nationwide service network. In New York and New Jersey, the customer service is top notch. You don’t even have to call an 800 number; you can submit a repair request online.
Be Your Own Pro
Finally, let’s talk about how to be your own pro.
I want to help you avoid costly installation day mistakes and future regrets. Take my advice, and your Thermador kitchen will turn out exactly the way you pictured it.
#1: Choose a style—Masterpiece or Professional—and stick to it.
That way, all your handles will match perfectly. If you’re looking for a cooktop and separate ovens, don’t forget my tip about the controls; I strongly prefer the Pro line’s knobs to the Masterpiece’s current touch screen interface.
#2: For refrigerators, double check the hinge location, especially for columns. It’s a pro that most Thermador fridges have reversible hinges, but that’s not true for every single one. Best to confirm.
#3: Getting a Thermador dishwasher? Make sure you have a standard outlet to plug it into under your sink. Most older homes have dishwashers that are hardwired, but some newer dishwashers including Thermador’s need to be plugged in. You might need to have an electrician convert your hardwired connection to an outlet. If you do, you’ll be glad you did it before delivery day.
#4: Talk through your appliance installation plans with your design team. Do you want them to be flush and smooth with your cabinets or a bit proud, meaning they stick out a little? There may be workarounds to get the appliances and the look you want.
For example, if you want a Pro Grand range, which is designed to stick out of standard depth countertops, and a flush installation, you can work with your cabinet maker to pull the surrounding cabinets and counter out by three inches and get a cleaner finish.
I hope I’ve given you a good idea what Thermador’s all about.