This week, kitchen brand Whirlpool
WHR
The announcement comes at a time when induction cooking is starting to finally make inroads stateside. America’s love affair with gas cooktops have kept US adoption of the technology lagging behind that of Europe and other regions, but the design appeal, health benefits, and a slow but steady spread of local restrictions around gas cooktops in new build construction (even as some of these restrictions have been overturned) have led to an uptick in adoption of a technology introduced almost a century ago.
By adding downdraft technology, Whirlpool hopes to capitalize on the growing popularity of a venting technology that does away with the traditional vent hood and puts additional wind at the back of induction cooking here in the US. Reviews for downdraft ventilation, which like induction has taken off faster in Europe, have been mixed, but gradual improvements in the technology have caused some to give it a second look.
“There’s been roughly 50% growth or induction over the last seven years so it continues to grow and is accelerating and growth in the United States,” said Michael Gross, Senior VP for Whirlpool, in an interview with Forbes. “That’s why we believe this partnership really answers that kind of unmet need for consumer demand in the induction downdraft segment.”
For this rollout, the US appliance giant is teaming up with a European standout in BORA, a downdraft pioneer that has earned raves for its extraction technology. For BORA, this deal marks its entry point into the market and, for the first time, a partnership with an external appliance manufacturer.
“This is this is the first time since the beginning of BORA that I have given away the right for the technology,” Willi Bruckbauer, company founder said in an interview. “I founded the company in the year 2007. More and more people liked the idea, like the product, and now it’s ready to go from Europe to the US.”
Another reason Whirlpool and BORA might feel the timing is right for induction downdraft to the US is the growing trend towards open plan kitchens. According to a Houzz 2024 kitchen trends study, 43% of renovating homeowners are opting for an open design concept, up from 38% in 2022. Open kitchens often mean placing a cooktop within a kitchen island, and using downdraft ventilation removes the need for hanging a venting hood in the middle of a kitchen. And, even if a new kitchen design doesn’t have an island, ventless cooktops can keep sightlines open, allowing for positioning in front of window views.
According to Whirlpool, the new induction downdraft enabled cooktops will be available in the Jenn-Air and KitchenAid brands in North America starting in the second half of 2025.