Visual minimalism, maximum efficiency

The Gaggenau Vario 400 Series Downdraft Ventilation System is a completely re-engineered downdraft ventilation solution. This state-of-the-art system has been designed for the way we live today, removing unwanted vapors and odor, quietly, without the visual interruption of a traditional hood.

Gaggenau introduced the original downdraft ventilation system in Europe in the late 1970’s. Committed to continuously improving its appliance portfolio as living styles evolve, Gaggenau recognized the importance of offering a less invasive ventilation option for the home kitchen. Witness, from design concept to finished installation, just how this re-engineered approach delivers efficiency, beauty, performance, and comfort in one fully integrated system.

The Munich-based Gaggenau Design Studio is where Gaggenau products are conceived and developed. Nico Zendel, lead product designer for the group, shares his vision for the new Gaggenau Vario 400 Series Downdraft Ventilation System, inspired by the Bugatti Veyron hypercar.

Manufactured at the Gaggenau factory in Lipsheim, France, the Vario 400 Series Downdraft Ventilation System is handcrafted using laser cut, double-brushed stainless steel coupled with fully automated technical processes for optimum performance. Built to rigorous standards, the system is evaluated and tested by world-renown professional chefs.

Greater than the sum of its parts, the Gaggenau Vario 400 Series Downdraft Ventilation System features a variety of components that adjust to the specific needs of each kitchen design. Regardless of cooking style — gas, teppan or induction — the Vario 400 Series adapts. Multiple ducting options, installation configurations and cooking units are combined to create more flexible storage spaces, recirculation, extraction, and even the placement of an oven underneath.

Chef Clare Smyth, MBE and chef at MICHELIN three Star restaurant Core, in London, specified the Gaggenau Vario 400 Series Downdraft Ventilation System for her personal home. For her, the kitchen is the epicenter of the home, and the Gaggenau Downdraft, with its automatic adjustment system, allows for simultaneous cooking and entertaining effortlessly.

The Gaggenau Vario 400 Series Downdraft Ventilation System epitomizes everything that is A Statement of Form — an expression of the Gaggenau brand. Re-engineered to deliver quietly elegant performance, the Downdraft is celebrated around the world. Designed using the Gaggenau professional kitchen principle, the system meets the rigorous standards of professional chefs, including those associated with MICHELIN restaurants here and abroad.