Space-age coffee at a gilded-age price from Miele

Coffee seems to have overtaken oil as the most valuable liquid on our planet – such is the plethora of chains, independent coffee houses and the now burgeoning coffee machine manufacturing output.

In the UAE it is hard to walk into any supermarket without finding a shelf devoted to the art of delivering the black liquid up front. We are a coffee community and the marketeers know it.

Don’t get me wrong, I love coffee. I own my own coffee maker – though I’m not talking a mere glass container with a stainless-steel plunger. The machine I have is a one-stop shop of caffeine entertainment. But perhaps it is no match for the Dh17,000 Miele machine available to coffee connoisseurs in Dubai.

There’s no doubt the coffee it makes is good. I’m not sure whether it’s Dh17,000 good, but then again I don’t fish in the river that this machine swims in.

The coffee machine that I sampled is part of a trio of kitchen appliances that live together as part of one unit, so if you want this coffee maker you have to have your kitchen built around it and the matching microwave and mini-oven.

Miele does offer stand-alone coffee makers, but they are big, and I mean big. Not like the barista machines with cute spouts, grills and steam; more like a small safe sitting on your counter top. Miele machines generally take coffee beans and grind them, but customers found that if the machine was not used for a certain amount of time the beans spoiled. Hence Miele now offers a stand-alone coffee machine with Nespresso embossed on the front. It takes vacuum-packed coloured pods and can be yours for a mere Dh11,000.

q&a coffee talk

Stavros Politis, the managing director of Miele, reveals more about the high-end kitchen and domestic appliance brand.

How many people in the UAE buy Miele kitchens/coffee makers?

On average, we sell around 35 – 50 kitchens per month. By this I mean a kitchen completely outfitted with Miele appliances, with five to six appliances on average per kitchen. When discussing the coffee machine in specific, we sell about 10 coffee machines per month on average.

What is the USP of Miele coffee makers?

The taste, convenience and quality of the machine and the coffee it produces. Feedback that we constantly receive is how easy to use and to maintain our appliances are. One thing that we think is a great USP is the one single touch for two cups feature. Whether you have guests and are serving to multiple people or you and your spouse want your cappuccinos when you both wake up, it is these unique things only available through our intuitive additions to your kitchen that make the biggest difference.

Why the tie up with Nespresso? Isn’t that a conflict in the coffee world?

We find that in the region the look of a sleek kitchen is highly preferred, therefore built-in appliances really do get rid of clutter and fit in with the design schemes of our clientele. Nespresso only produce free standing coffee machines, but Miele specialise in built-in appliances. This relationship really gave both companies the opportunity to reach clientele that we didn’t already have as they are in completely different categories.

Top 5 UAE destinations for Miele kitchens

1. Burj Khalifa – 100 per cent of apartments feature fully outfitted Miele kitchens

2. Le Reve, Dubai Marina – 100 per cent of apartments feature Miele kitchens

3. Sanctuary Falls - 100 per cent of villas feature Miele kitchens

4. Palazzo Versace, Business Bay – 100 per cent of residences feature Miele kitchens

5. The Landmark – Abu Dhabi – 100 per cent Miele kitchens

Source: Miele

ascott@thenational.ae

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