BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Feb. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- New products and product suites from KitchenAid, Whirlpool, and Bauknecht have received six distinguished awards at one of the world's top competitions for design excellence, the iF DESIGN AWARD 2020. Coveted iF Labels were awarded to 14 of the brands' products, including the Whirlpool W Collection Black Fiber 4 Door Fridge Freezer, the KitchenAid Built-In Black Collection, Whirlpool's W Collection Black Fiber Built-In Suite, the Bauknecht Class 9 Built-In Suite, the Whirlpool W Collection Venthob and the Whirlpool Essential Washing Machine.

The iF DESIGN AWARD is recognized as one of the most prestigious design competitions in the world. This year, Whirlpool brands were evaluated within a highly competitive field that included 7,300 entries from 56 countries.

"There are few forums for design as competitive as the iF Awards, so it is an incredible honor to receive six awards this year for fourteen of our products, judged to be outstanding in their field," said Gilles Morel, President of Whirlpool Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Executive Vice President of Whirlpool Corporation. "At Whirlpool, we are in constant pursuit of improving life at home and have been driving product innovation to delight our consumers for over 100 years. Our consumers remain at the core of everything we do, especially when it comes to product design, and we are committed to creating household appliances of exceptional quality and performance to continue enhancing people's lives at home."

"It's an honor to have the outstanding work of our global team recognized in this forum," said J Mays, Vice President and Chief Design Officer of Whirlpool Corporation. "This is an inspired and talented group, dedicated to creating meaningful designs that forge an emotional connection and improve life at home for our consumers."

The winning products and product suites from Whirlpool, Bauknecht and KitchenAid are exemplary of Whirlpool Corporation's vision to continuously improve the life at home for its consumers. The company's progressive design in the kitchen and laundry segments has consistently yielded a comprehensive product offering across each of its brands, providing consumers with innovative solutions to turn household tasks into a more pleasant experience.

Whirlpool W Collection Black Fiber 4 Door Fridge Freezer
Part of the Whirlpool W Collection Black Fiber Suite of premium appliances, the new 4 Door Fridge Freezer offers exceptional capacity and versatility, effortlessly smart space management and advanced features such as Internet connectivity. The 4 Door stands out for both its polished design and stand-out flexibility. The appliance's Convertible Space multi-temperature compartment can be fully converted from freezer to fridge with more than six preset temperature options; at a touch of the user interface, the compartment can turn into a fridge to offer 33 percent more space for fresh fruit and vegetables¹. In Black Fiber, the stylish monolithic aesthetics of the 4 Door Fridge Freezer are paired with striking matte black tones, complemented by polished elements such as the 'blade' motif, which emphasizes the touch zone to open the doors and on the dispenser. In this way, design elements highlight function and areas of interaction, while bringing out the quality and craftsmanship this appliance embodies. The touch display allows the user to select crushed ice, ice cubes or water and to manage the Convertible Space with ease.

Whirlpool W Collection Black Fiber Built-In Suite
The awarded products of the Whirlpool premium W Collection Black Fiber Built-In Suite include the Built-In W6 Oven, Built-In Microwave Oven, Hood and Gas Hob with MultiLevel Flame. The sophisticated suite of appliances reflects the contemporary desire for exceptional aesthetics, alongside leading-edge features and outstanding performance. Whirlpool's 'Black Fiber' suite is designed to harmoniously exist within open, multi-use living spaces; its appearance departs from the traditional industrial look-and-feel of domestic appliances and instead presents a seamless fusion of minimalistic, black stainless steel with a warm texture, inspired by nature. Throughout the collection, soft-brushed satin finishing is contrasted by matte black fiber cladding and large, aluminum anodized handles of the built-in oven and microwave. The flush capacitive touch interfaces complete the monolithic, premium appeal of the suite.

Whirlpool W Collection Venthob
Designed for use within high-end kitchens, where wall-mounted hoods or cabinets are not present, the new Whirlpool W Collection Venthob offers a unique interpretation of function and sophisticated aesthetics. The polished, flush grid design of the appliance's unique low-friction and easy-to-clean cast iron grate covering the aspiration channel allows for intuitive edge-to-edge sliding of pots and pans, offering an extended working surface with full flexibility. The graphics applied on the induction surface protect the glass from any scratches, long-term, for an enduring sense of elegance and durable quality.

Bauknecht Class 9 Built-In Suite
The winning products of the Bauknecht Built-in Suite include the Class 9 Oven and Microwave Oven. The perfect synergy of high-quality materials, such as glass and stainless steel, characterizes the striking style of this design line. With state-of-the-art technology and polished 3.5" TFT displays, the Built-In Suite fits harmoniously into every home with its refined aesthetic. The premium range of appliances is the result of a 360º approach to ensuring quality and performance, through a fine balance of outstanding design and advanced technology. The Built-In Oven and Microwave Oven enable maximum efficiency and ease-of-use, while offering an appealing accent in the kitchen. A particular highlight of the products is their interactive displays, which guide users through their selected program, memorizing routines and suggesting perfect settings according to desired results - ultimately making for a delightful cooking experience. Wi-Fi connectivity also enables recipe settings to be downloaded and sent to the appliance, further enhancing user interaction.

KitchenAid Built-In Black Collection
The winning KitchenAid Built-In Black Collection includes the new Built-In Oven, Compact Steam Oven, Microwave Oven, Vacuum Sealer Drawer and Plate Warmer. Inspired by the iconic visual language of its small domestic appliances, KitchenAid brand's new Built-In Collection embodies the brand's unmistakable design heritage with bold use of color and distinctive motifs, such as the iconic medallions, which are present on the appliances' handles. The black stainless steel emphasizes other iconic elements, such as knobs and the polished chamfered frame, which reflect exceptional quality, as well as the craftsmanship and "Maker" ideology that are intrinsic to the KitchenAid brand.

Whirlpool Essential Washing Machine
Whirlpool's 'Essential' Washing Machine boasts a minimalist, mysterious style and offers intelligent and interactive control of the drum. The design inspiration behind the leading-edge appliance originates from the highest level of black belt in the field of combat. The sleek, horizontal control panel is used to form thin strips, with a 14.7° inclined design that is more intuitive and convenient for users to read. The entire frontal design of the washing machine uses just six cosmetic parts, creating a well-balanced, high-quality aesthetic, lending a touch of elegance to the modern home.

The iF DESIGN AWARD, with a history spanning nearly seven decades, is seen as a benchmark for assured quality and exceptional design. To receive a coveted iF Label, each product is judged by an international panel of design experts who examine, touch, explore, test, analyze and thoroughly discuss every entry, with the winners chosen from thousands of submissions from around the world.

About Whirlpool Corporation:
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the leading major appliance manufacturer in the world, with approximately $20 billion in annual sales, 77,000 employees and 59 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2019. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, JennAir, Indesit and other major brand names in nearly every country throughout the world. Additional information about the company can be found at whirlpoolcorp.com.

¹  Considering the capacity of the convertible space set up at 4°C

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation