The Hob Is Hot: British Kitchens Pivot From Retro Fridges To High-End Induction Ranges

Forget retro fridges, the hob is hot. In Britain, demand for Smeg’s pastel, retro-style fridges has cooled as households tighten their budgets, even as interest in high-end kitchen gear persists among the middle and upper classes. The shift comes as inflation and higher borrowing costs tighten consumer wallets, prompting buyers to alter what they prize in a kitchen. Smeg, long associated with nostalgic fridges that became a staple of late-20th-century home design, has reported a dip in demand, with its top models priced around £4,000. The trend mirrors broader weakness in other luxury kitchen brands that once flirted with a showroom-filling aesthetic. Aga cast-iron cookers and Le Creuset cookware, both fixtures in the homes of many well-heeled households, have also faced slower sales in recent years as cheaper lookalikes flood the market. Yet the door remains open to future purchases of high-tech, high-quality kitchen equipment, with the focus shifting away from conspicuous cooling to smart, performance-driven cooking surfaces.

Industry data show the pivot toward state-of-the-art cooking hobs and integrated appliances as a core trend. The Aga, a British-born brand now owned by Illinois-based Middleby, has long been a status symbol in rural and affluent homes, but this summer it posted a painful drop in sales and acknowledged inflation had negatively impacted demand. In contrast, La Cornue—another French heritage label under Middleby—has leaned into a fusion of tradition and technology. Its electric range cookers with induction hobs are sold at premium prices, underscoring the demand for modern cooking tech even among lovers of classic design. At John Lewis, a La Cornue 110cm electric range cooker with five induction hobs is listed at £9,039, while a 90cm version runs about £8,240, illustrating the price band that endures for high-end, tech-enabled range cookers.

Smeg’s managing director, Daniel Hadley, acknowledged that marketing conditions have become more challenging amid the broader economic environment, but he stressed that consumers remain aspirational about quality. He noted that rising living costs have kept people at home more and cooking and entertaining, and that rather than trading down, many households push to buy the best product they can afford. The brand has also diversified beyond retro designs, expanding into other kitchen essentials, including kettles, to elevate tea and coffee routines.

Even as the segment contends with softer demand for fridges, other prestige brands continue to thrive or adapt in different ways. Le Creuset’s iconic stoneware and enameled cast iron pots and pans remain highly coveted on resale sites such as eBay and Vinted, though new purchases can still carry eye-watering price tags. Since 2020, Le Creuset, founded in 1925, has seen pre-tax profits fall by nearly 80 percent, underscoring how even beloved heritage brands are not immune to economic pressures. The broader economic backdrop has grown more complex: the OECD warned that price pressures could be more acute in Britain than in most other major economies this year, with growth expectations hovering around 1.4 percent and then slowing in the mid-2020s as tax and spending measures bite.

Meanwhile, separate PMI readings suggested private-sector growth slowing to its weakest level since May, with higher costs dampening demand and hinting at more job volatility. Taken together, the data depict a country wrestling with stagflation-like dynamics, even as consumers still invest in durable goods with a strong heritage and a promise of lasting performance. The kitchen, long a stage for social signaling and domestic life, is increasingly defined by the balance between tradition and technological advancement.

Within this framework, the hob has emerged as a focal point. Induction cooking and related technologies have become the new status symbol for many households seeking performance and efficiency without sacrificing design. The market dynamic is nuanced: while one segment retreats from pricey fridges, another advances toward premium hobs and integrated systems that promise faster, more controlled cooking. Brands able to bridge heritage with modern tech—such as La Cornue—have managed to position themselves at this intersection, offering products that honor traditional cooking methods while investing in contemporary induction capabilities. In Britain’s current economic mood, the kitchen serves as a cultural barometer for how households define value, aspiration, and lifestyle, even as the broader economy faces headwinds.

The trend suggests a durable consumer appetite for premium, well-made products, provided they offer tangible benefits in performance and convenience. It also signals a shift in how prestige is communicated in the home: not merely through a conspicuous refrigerator, but through the sophistication of the cooking experience itself. With manufacturers recalibrating their offerings to emphasize induction technology, energy efficiency, and smart controls, the kitchen remains a central theater for culture, design, and entertainment in contemporary Britain.