Francesco Casoli, president of Italian cooker hood brand Elica, has officially opened the company’s new UK trade showroom in Aldershot.
The 110sq m facility will be available to studios, consultants and interior designers and showcase Elica’s expanding range of cooker hoods.
Speaking at the event, Casoli (right) stressed the company’s commitment to being true “air architects” – with the goal of improving and preserving domestic air quality.
“This new facility perfectly displays our determination to constantly innovate and to create products that meet the constantly changing demands of our customers,” Casoli said. “Our products prove that there need not be any compromise between performance, design and technical innovation. We are sure that our existing and future clients will make great use of this facility for the benefit of their own business.”
Howard Bogod (left), managing director of DR Cooker Hoods, Elica’s exclusive distributor, outlined the company’s three product ranges – the new Stream and Téchne lines, as well as important additions to its existing iconic hoods, with key new products on display in the showroom.
Stream is a collection of hoods and induction hobs that are capable of interacting intelligently and wirelessly with each other and with Snap – Elica’s new air quality balancer. The system functions by combining data from sensors within the hoods and the new range of induction hobs. Fitted with innovative wireless technology, the hob transmits real-time information about the way it is being used to the hood, including which zones on the hob are in use, the cooking power being used and even the presence of pots and pans.
Hoods in the Téchne line feature a range of new technologies: sensors that automatically detect the quantity and quality of vapours and adjust the hood’s performance; the Tune White function that enables users to set the tint of the LED light to match that of the other lighting in the kitchen; A class or better energy rating, and high-performance filters that can be regenerated.
Elica is also continuing to pioneer new finishes and materials in response to trends in home design. It says international manufacturers, particularly at the top of the market, are experimenting with alternative metallic finishes to standard stainless steel and Elica has responded with new hoods having complementary finishes, such as polished copper, bronze, cast-iron and machined steel.