With the introduction of LHOV – combining hob, oven and ventilation in one appliance – Elica is taking a significant step into built-in cooking

President of Elica Francesco Casoli

For over 50 years, Elica has been renowned for its design-led extraction with game-changing technologies.

Established in Fabriano, Italy, by Ermanno Casoli in 1970, the company is led by his son president Francesco Casoli and lays claim to an array of industry firsts.

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These include the first duct out hood, first vertical hood with Om and the first chandelier hob with Star.

Most recently, it has expanded into the cooking sector – creating a new category – with LHOV (named after the Love of uniting Hob, Oven and Ventilation in one appliance).

Uniting appliances

Conceived and designed by chief design officer Fabrizio Crisà, LHOV was introduced at Eurocucina/FTK in 2022 and showcased at Clerkenwell Design Week this year.

It features an extra wide oven which allows side-by-side cooking on one level, for a more even bake.

An extraction system removes odours and vapours from the top edge of the oven cavity, as well as prevents steam escaping when opening the door.

In addition, with air intake vents positioned at each side of the five cooking zones,  LHOV can remove odours and vapour from the extractor hob.

Boasting automatic cooking modes, LHOV is operated by smart touch display and through voice control.

Speaking about the reimagining of the oven, Francesco Casoli says: “We are experiencing a real revolution that is firmly rooted in our pillars: design, creativity, innovation and quality.

“My father, Ermanno, was a visionary in the household appliance sector, developing the cooker hood market.

“Today, we are carrying on this tradition and, 50 years later, it is being enriched with new elements and places us once again as pioneers, giving our customers a new experience of the domestic space and, in particular in cooking.

“The company is now stronger to take on further challenges market wise and in the search for new products.

“I am very proud to present a product, LHOV, that expresses all of Elica’s values and will contribute to strengthen our leadership on a global level.”

Connected cooking

It’s not the first foray into cooking for the brand, as Elica launched its NikolaTesla downdraft hobs in 1996.

With the LHOV appliance, it sees the €548m turnover company continue its diversification from its origins as a pure aspiration brand.

The appliance manufacturer produces products, including its own electric motors for extraction and boilers, in seven factories across Italy, Poland and China.

Francesco Casoli comments: “We are not any more an aspiration manufacturer. Of course, for us, it is very important. But we now have a lot of people working in software.

“We have a lot of different technologies, inside the company, that sometimes we put all together and then new products like LHOV come out.”

Already boasting a portfolio of smart extraction, and now LHOV, controlled by its own Elica Connect app, Francesco Casoli says connectivity is an important part of the company journey towards innovation, creativity, and becoming closer to market.

He comments connectivity allows ease of updates, simplification of use, and enables consumers to save time and energy. “We want people to save money when they use our products, and we want to give them software where they can choose how to save energy”, Francesco Casoli explains.

Creating space

He cites the biggest opportunity for the business will be creating more space in the appliance market for the Elica brand.

Having entered a strategic partnership with Italian cooker manufacturer Ilve,  it has allowed the brand to widen its product offer.

Elica has now launched a five-strong range of Virtus ovens, Veritas wine coolers and Ratio induction hobs.

Now offering a range of built-in kitchen appliances, Elica is promising further additions to its appliance collection with their launch at Salone del Mobile in 2024.