Capitalizing on its 66-year global legacy in sustainable operations and a commitment to health and wellness, Beko Home Appliances, the U.S. subsidiary of Arcelik, one of the world’s largest home appliance manufacturers, has launched the Beko Healthy Kitchen, a resource of products, people and partnerships that explores the kitchen as the intersection of personal and planetary health in the American home.
Beko unveiled its vision to the appliance trade and public at the 2022 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), to transform the U.S. industry in 2022 and beyond through expert councils, inspired kitchen designs and buildouts, corporate strategic alliances and at least 35 new cooking, cooling and cleaning products with proprietary technologies and features that empower Americans to lead healthier lives while contributing to a healthier planet.
“We’re out to establish nothing less than a new standard for healthy, sustainable kitchen design in the U.S.,” said Beko Home Appliances president Zach Elkin. “Working with dealers, designers, builders and others similarly committed to the evolution of the American kitchen and home, we’ve created an industry resource on behalf of the growing universe of homeowners who put their health and wellness, and the health of the planet, above all else.”
A global appliance manufacturer with a product presence in 400 million homes in 140 countries, Beko operates under the premise that healthy living is only possible on a healthy planet. The company’s commitment to zero carbon manufacturing coupled with its growing product line that empowers people to live healthier, more sustainable lives has distinguished it as the world’s most sustainable home and kitchen appliance brand.
The announcement has been years in the making. Since entering the U.S. market in 2016, Beko has been working with thought leaders to shape the concept of a healthy kitchen. Rather than one rigid definition, the result has become an evolving understanding of what a healthy kitchen can and should be – encompassing everything from floorplan and interior design, appliance mix, surfaces and lighting to nutrition, recipe-prep, technology and sustainability practices.
Simultaneously, Beko’s global R&D team has been developing a suite of next-generation refrigerators, dishwashers, cooking and laundry appliances, including new-for-U.S. products and variations of Beko’s best-selling appliances in Europe, befitting the world’s healthiest, more sustainable kitchens and homes.
Four main elements comprise the Beko Healthy Kitchen:
- Beko Healthy Kitchen Council. Last year, Beko assembled a formal council of leading kitchen and home designers, nutritionists, dietitians and health and wellness experts to develop a consensus on the healthy kitchen. Much of that vision coalesced in September 2021 at the first-ever Beko Healthy Kitchen Summit – three days of trends presentations, brainstorming and workshops on healthy, sustainable kitchen design led by brand, industry and media experts. In addition to advising Beko on appliance design and functionality, Council members created some of the healthy kitchen designs being presented virtually at KBIS and realized in homes in 2022 and beyond.
- Healthy Kitchen Strategic Alliance with Dole Food Co. Inc. To demonstrate the scope of the Heathy Kitchen – extending beyond kitchen design to include nutrition, recipe-prep and food-based sustainability – Beko formed a strategic alliance with Dole Food Co. Inc., one of the world’s largest providers of fresh fruits and vegetables. Under terms of the three-year cooperative marketing agreement (CMA), the two companies will participate in joint healthy-living promotions and donate Beko refrigerators filled with Dole produce to hunger-relief charities. Beko is also placing its refrigerators in Dole locations throughout the U.S. to allow Dole registered dietitians and recipe and product developers to benefit from Beko’s revolutionary EverFresh+ and HarvestFresh technologies that maximize fruit, vegetable and vitamin preservation and minimize food waste.
- Launch of New Beko Products. At the core of the Beko Healthy Kitchen is the KBIS debut of at least 35 new Beko cooking, cooling and cleaning appliances that will hit U.S. dealer and retailer showrooms in 2022. Highlights of Beko’s year-long product and product line launch calendar include the following:
- February 2022 (KBIS): Next-generation Beko cooking appliances including Beko ranges with AirFry that capture the flavor of fried foods without unhealthy oils and for a fraction of the fat and calories; and a revolutionary Beko Double-Wall Oven boasting 11.4 cubic feet of capacity – the most of any oven in the U.S. – and 3D cooking capability for maximum heat distribution at minimum cook times.
- April 2022 (Earth Day): A new family of Beko dishwashers equipped with CornerIntense, a Beko-patented technology that replaces the traditional circular spray arm with a rectangular design to deploy water and detergent to every spot in the wash drum tub, including the corners, to get dishes cleaner using less water. Meanwhile, Beko’s IonGuard eliminates odors without the use of harmful chemicals, and EverClean empowers Beko’s cleaning story.
- June 2022 (Summer Solstice): Beko refrigerators with HarvestFresh+ that recreates the natural, 24-hour sun cycle to keep fruits and vegetables fresh for up to 30 days while preserving essential vitamins and minerals, making healthier, produce-rich diets more accessible for all.
- September 2022 (Back to School): Wi-Fi-enabled washing machines and dryers with state-of-the art functionality and sustainability features including RecycledTubs made from 60 recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. Also featured is AquaTech technology that uses the power of water to replace harsh drum movements, resulting in up to 50% faster wash times that are also up to 50% gentler on fabrics without compromising washing performance.
- Healthy Kitchen Buildouts. To demonstrate the Healthy Kitchen and provide inspiration for future buildouts, Beko is working with select U.S. homeowners to document the creation of Beko Healthy Kitchens featuring Beko appliances and design practices that promote health, wellness and sustainability. One high-profile example is tech icon Michael Wann, who is incorporating two Beko Healthy Kitchens in his custom home taking shape in Santa Monica, Calif. Wann intends for his 4,500-sq.-ft. home, to be completed in summer 2022, to be one of the world’s healthiest, most sustainable private residences and an ongoing example of the latest, widely accessible trends in healthy, sustainable living and design.
Beko works with a network of dealers throughout the U.S. to sell a growing family of kitchen and laundry products offering wellness while achieving the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s highest honor for energy efficiency each of the past five years. Behind Beko products is a culture committed to exceeding ENERGY STAR, EPA and DOE requirements and setting new standards for carbon-neutral manufacturing, training, energy communications and sustainability at its 28 global production facilities.