LAS VEGAS (Jan. 6, 2012) — Thermador (http://www.thermador.com/), the luxury appliance brand that pioneered the world’s first wall ovens and gas cooktops for the American kitchen, introduces its latest kitchen advancement that will again enable the culinary enthusiast to cook beyond convention — the Thermador Freedom® Induction Cooktop. The new Freedom cooktop is the first full-surface induction appliance with the flexibility of a natural-mapping user interface that intelligently recognizes cookware size, shape and position to deliver heat without boundaries.

The Thermador Freedom Induction Cooktop will be demonstrated for the first time at the CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES held on Sunday, Jan. 8 at The Venetian in Las Vegas.

“Induction is perhaps the most revolutionary cooking technology. Thermador takes induction cooking to the next level by answering two questions with the new Freedom Induction Cooktop: what if you could place cookware anywhere on the cooktop? And, what if you can use cookware of any size and shape on the cooktop?” said Zach Elkin, Thermador director of brand marketing. “Thermador’s industrial designers and engineers imagined what was possible and they’ve delivered the world’s first induction appliance to eliminate conventional burners and instead offer one limitless cooking surface with an intuitive touchscreen interface.”

The Freedom Induction Cooktop offers all of the benefits of traditional induction technology: instantaneous and precise temperature control, making it as responsive as gas; safer cooking, as the surface stays cool to the touch; and easier cleaning with its smooth and flush surface. At the same time, Thermador’s new cooktop enables home cooks to place their cookware anywhere on the cooking surface, including specially shaped cookware such as griddles and oval-shaped pans.

The natural-mapping user interface of the Thermador cooktop empowers home cooks to move their cookware around during the cooking process, which is especially helpful as they add and remove different dishes during meal preparation — such as sauces, boiling water, and sautéing — so there are no limits on where to place the cookware.

With more than 30 international patents, the Thermador Freedom Induction Cooktop is built with 48 individual 3-inch induction heating elements below the surface of the appliance. This translates to a 63-percent more effective cooking area on the surface by eliminating the conventional standard of predefined elements. Additional product highlights include:

A 6.5-inch, full-color touchscreen display that recognizes pot shape, size, and controls power setting and cooking time

Surface area to accommodate a 21-inch x 13-inch pan with the largest cooking surface in the industry

A range of 4,600-watt maximum power output with Boost feature and 15-watt minimum power output

The Thermador Freedom Induction Cooktop surface is made from transparent ceramic glass, which allows for the integration of the color touchscreen. In additional to the touchscreen interface showing the position of all cookware on the cooking surface, the touchscreen also performs live updates as cookware is moved to a different position, giving the home cook an intuitive cooking experience.

Thermador Freedom Induction Cooktop will be available July 2012 with a MSRP of $4,949.

About Thermador

Thermador has been providing real innovations for real cooks for more than 75 years. The iconic line of cooking, cleaning, refrigeration and ventilation products remains committed to empowering culinary enthusiasts to be their best through continuous innovation breakthroughs – from the world’s first wall ovens and gas cooktops with the patented Star® Burner to a speedcooking oven that reduces cooking time by 50 percent.

Thermador is part of BSH Home Appliances Corporation, a fully-owned subsidiary of Bosch and Siemens Home Appliance Group, the third largest appliance manufacturer in the world. For more information, visit www.thermador.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter at www.facebook.com/thermador and @ThermadorHome, respectively. For Thermador customer service, call 1-800-735-4328.