Last week, the entire Southern Studio team had the privilege of visiting Sub Zero + Wolf‘s showroom in Charlotte, North Carolina. Sub Zero + Wolf are purveyors of high-end, luxury appliances that are unrivaled in their market. Their commitment to excellence, attention to detail, and hospitality was an inspiration to us.
The morning of our training, the showroom’s executive chef prepared us a breakfast spread – potatoes, banana bread, bacon, protein pancakes, fresh fruit, and strawberry-banana smoothies. We even got to cook our own made-to-order omelettes on a Wolf griddle range top. If we had to rate Wolf’s appliances solely based on taste, they already earned an A+ in our book.
We then got a training tour of the entire showroom. We learned that Sub Zero + Wolf is a third-generation business that started in the twenties in Madison, Wisconsin (where their factory is still located today). The founder needed a refrigeration device to keep his son’s insulin cold… and the rest is history. Refrigeration was the first avenue of appliances (hence the name Sub Zero), and cooking appliances came next with the acquisition of Wolf in 2000. Finally, in 2019, Sub Zero + Wolf began manufacturing their own dishwashers, a new line called Cove.
We had a blast exploring the showroom and envisioning these appliances in our future projects. One of the most remarkable things about Sub Zero + Wolf is the way they incorporate state-of-the-art technology into their appliances. We learned that they use a unique air filtration system that removes ethylene gas, a gas that hastens the ripening of fruits and vegetables, from the air inside the refrigerator. Because this is filtrated out of the air, produce lasts weeks longer than we are used to with standard appliances. The average family produces $2,000 of food waste every year, but this cost would be radically reduced with a Sub Zero refrigerator because of their unique air purification system.
After passing an extremely thorough testing process, each product is shipped to it’s new home where it is meant to last up to 25 years. For context, the average run-of-the-mill appliance only lasts 6-8 years. These pieces of equipment really do stand the test of time.
We also learned that the air in refrigerators and freezers should be different: freezers should have dry air while refrigerators should be humid. Therefore, Sub Zero manufactures their refrigerators with two different compressors (as opposed to just one in a typical appliance) to produce both variations of air. The final product: an appliance that keeps food fresher, longer.
For lunch, we got another taste of what these appliances are capable of. The executive chef and sous chef prepared us a feast starting with soup and homemade bread. Believe it or not, the bread was baked in their signature steam oven which utilizes both steam and heat while still allowing food to brown and crisp. Next we had salmon with roasted vegetables (also cooked beautifully in the same steam oven for just twelve minutes), risotto cooked on an induction cooktop, and shrimp seared on a hot griddle. Is your mouth watering yet?! The unmatched technology found only in Wolf cooking appliances was apparent in both presentation and taste of the food.
After hands-on learning, an educational tour around the showroom, and a cooking demonstration, our team left with a wealth of knowledge about Sub Zero + Wolf. We are convinced that their appliances are the best of the best. We believe the kitchen is the heart of the home and deserves to be equipped excellently, and we are eager to continue designing homes to incorporate Sub Zero + Wolf kitchen equipment! What a fun and educational team building experience. We are now big fans of taking the train from Cary to Charlotte!
