Did you know you can cook bread with steam?
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Electrolux began with a simple idea: make everyday life easier at home.
In the early 1900s, the company made its name transforming how people cleaned their homes, pioneering vacuum cleaners that quickly became household essentials. But Electrolux wasn’t built to stand still. As it conquered the vacuum market, its ambition expanded into the heart of the home — the kitchen.
By the 1960s, Electrolux was turning its engineering focus to cooking appliances. Innovation came quickly. In 1969 the company introduced the world’s first pyrolytic self-cleaning oven, using intense heat to reduce food residue to ash — a breakthrough that redefined convenience in the kitchen.
Electrolux accelerated its culinary expertise in 1984 with the acquisition of Zanussi, the renowned Italian appliance maker with a deep heritage in cooking technology. Founded in 1916, Zanussi had pioneered gas cookers and electric ovens in Europe, bringing both technical mastery and iconic European design to the Electrolux family.
This move marked a turning point. With Zanussi’s manufacturing strength and design heritage, Electrolux rapidly expanded its cooking portfolio — ovens, cooktops and stoves — establishing itself as a global force in kitchen appliances.
Further acquisitions, including AEG, Frigidaire and Westinghouse, added decades of engineering knowledge and culinary innovation. Together, these brands helped shape Electrolux into one of the world’s largest appliance companies.
As kitchens evolved, Electrolux continued to push forward. The rise of built-in appliances and modular kitchen design inspired premium ranges such as the ICON kitchen collection, launched in the United States in 2004.
Today, Electrolux cooking appliances combine European design with advanced technology, from combi-steam ovens to integrated cooking systems that bring multiple cooking functions into a single appliance. It’s innovation designed for the way people cook now — healthier, more versatile, and more precise.
Electrolux’s story is also deeply connected to Australia. Vacuum cleaners were being sold here as early as the 1920s — often through door-to-door demonstrations — helping the brand build a strong early presence. Over time, Electrolux established local manufacturing and expanded through the acquisition of Australian icons such as Simpson and Westinghouse, with Westinghouse appliances still produced locally today.
From a small company built on motors and lamps to a global leader in home appliances, Electrolux has spent more than a century redefining life at home — first by cleaning it, and now by transforming how the world cooks.
