Full steam ahead: BORA accelerates the development time of its new steam oven by 30%

BORA aims to bring the highest quality and usability in steam cooking to the home kitchen

German manufacturer BORA is on an ambitious mission to reimagine the kitchen as a living space. Since 2005, the manufacturer has continued to drive innovation in the kitchen appliance space, with a focus on quality and function.  

For BORA’s very first steam oven, the manufacturer teamed up with Zühlke to create a product that combines premium quality with ease of use and elegant design. With a strong track record in product engineering and bringing ideas all the way to commercialisation, Zühlke helped to streamline and optimise the product development and testing processes. 

Development at eye level and at the highest level of quality

Our team collaborated closely with BORA to prime the new steam oven – the BORA X BO – for success.

 From the outset, we coordinated  diverse development stakeholders and project partners, and our holistic support included software engineering, product engineering, and electronics development.

The oven’s central control board was developed directly at Zühlke's electronics laboratory in Vienna where the whole device was then put through its paces. Crucially, Zühlke helped BORA to secure the appliance’s EMC certification (electromagnetic compatibility certification).

‘Thanks to Zühlke’s professionalism and effective collaboration, we were able  to implement the project within our ambitious timeframe. Zühlke provided holistic support, taking on versatilie tasks and streamlining workflows to rapidly test, learn, and optimise based on learnings throughout the development process’. Reinhard Hofer, Head of Project Management at BORA

 Despite the added challenge of developing a new product during a global pandemic and lockdown period, our international and multidisciplinary project teams enabled BORA to successfully co-innovate a market-leading product within a very short time.

Award-winning innovation for the kitchen

The development of such a pilot device usually takes up to five years. With our expertise and collaboration, it was completed in just three and a half years.  

Together, we created a built-in kitchen appliance that sets a new benchmark for cooking within the home.  

With functionality from the world of restaurant kitchens, such as self-cleaning and an automatic steam vent for continuous visibility and fresh airflow, the BORA X BO brings state-of-the-art cooking equipment to the home.  

The steam oven features fast heating times and even cooking thanks to optimum heat distribution, even when several levels are fully loaded. Thanks to the huge, flexible 19-inch touch display, the steam cooker can be operated conveniently and from any angle by fingertip, similar to a smartphone. The optimum temperature, cooking time, and steam requirements for respective food types and dishes are stored within automatic programmes. To date, these features more than 120 recipes, which are constantly updated and can be supplemented with your own recipes. 

The device has already won several awards, including the Plus X Award ’Best Product of the Year 2022’, the Plus X Award 2022 for innovation, high quality, design and ease of use, as well as the prestigious Red Dot Design Award and the German Design Award 2022.