Source: CHEAA-run China Appliance magazine

With kitchen appliances getting popular amid the COVID-19, integrated kitchen appliances especially combi ovens have become the first choice of more and more consumers for its standout advantages such as multi-functional, space saving and stylish design.

Combi ovens

A combi oven uses multiple methods of cooking in one appliance: microwave, convection, steam, etc. Currently, the market is dominated by combi steam ovens and combi microwave steam ovens. For built-in models, combi steam ovens accounted for 92.5% and 80.3% at offline and online market respectively by retail sales value in the first half of 2022, followed by combi microwave steam ovens with a market share of 7.0% and 19.4% offline and online respectively, according to GfK China Market Monitor. As to countertop models, combi microwave steam ovens accounted for 35.3% and 74.0% online and offline respectively while combi steam ovens 56.2% and 23.9% online and offline respectively.

Combi ovens could be roughly divided into two types: models with microwave and models without. Currently more than 30 brands on the market are only capable of producing non-microwave models while several brands capable of making both models. The high technical threshold of microwave is what lies behind the market pattern where combi steam ovens take the largest share. But some market share of combi steam ovens has been squeezed by combi microwave steam ovens in 2022, and four-in-one ovens with added microwave, steam and frying functions particularly stood out.

Market performance

With diversified models, strong functions and an advantage in space saving, combi ovens expand fast amid the overall slide of kitchen appliance industry. For built-in models, combi microwave steam oven market (including single-function steamers and single-function ovens) saw an omini-channel retail sales value of 5 billion Yuan from January to September 2022, down 6.2% YoY, according to All View Cloud. Multi-function combis saw a retail sales value of 3.7 billion Yuan, up 1.5% YoY.

I learn from my interviewees that the market performance of leading brands is in consistent with the overall market performance. Combi ovens of Midea account for 60% of the overall market, and its models with microwave are also in the first echelon. Combi ovens of Panasonic maintain a double-digit growth YoY in 2022, and its combi microwave steam frying ovens stood out particularly. For the first half of 2022, microwave ovens of Galanz rose 20% YoY in sales, of which combi microwave steam ovens are in most demand. Data from All View Cloud show that combi ovens from Siemens and Bosch grow fast in the first half of 2022 with a YoY growth of 4.6% and 2.4% respectively. My interviewee from Robam says its built-in steam oven models took the lead by cumulative sales up to now from the beginning of 2022.

Combi ovens can also be divided into countertop models, built-in models and models developed as a supporting part of other categories. Currently, countertop models account for 80% of Midea’s combi oven products while built-in models 20%. Panasonic and Galanz also put their focus on countertop models while Vatti on built-in models.

My interviewee from Leptis, an original equipment manufacturer, reveals that, countertop models, built-in models, and supporting models for other categories such as integrated stoves and integrated kitchen sinks account for 40%, 35% and 25% respectively of the combi oven products it produced.

Outlook

With a low penetration rate and a fast-growing momentum, the all-round kitchen appliance is not as good as single-function steamer or single-function oven in use when it comes to separate functions. It needs to be further powered by integrated technologies.

Speaking of future development, my interviewees agree that combi oven sales will maintain the growth amid the overall trend of integration of kitchen appliances. And they believe the category can achieve a long, sustainable development if user pain points such as cooking performance and user experience are truly addressed.