Flameless gas cooktop sales rise in pandemic

Wpis dostępny jest także w języku: polski

The home appliance industry managed to avoid the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Poles confined to their homes noticed any shortcomings or non-functionality in the equipment – and decided to change it. As a result, many home appliance companies saw increases in sales of their solutions in 2020. One of them was Solgaz, a Polish manufacturer of innovative flameless gas hobs.

The pandemic has taken its toll on many industries – not least because of the initial hindrance to workplaces, strictures and government orders. Manufacturers of household appliances were undoubtedly affected by the temporary closure of stationary stores, which were the main sales channel. In the short term, effective online sales emerged in its place.
Despite this, some companies enjoyed stable and growing customer interest during the pandemic. This is the case of Solgaz, a Polish manufacturer of household appliances with 18 years of experience, specializing in the production of unique products on the market – patented gas hobs based on gas-under-glass technology. Ireneusz Bartnikowski, President of Solgaz, talks about the reasons for the growth in a difficult time for many companies.

New reality

Last year was a time not always full of optimism for many Poles. Forced isolation, social distance and the transfer of work from the office to the home have caused a completely different approach to purchasing decisions, putting some planned investments on hold, and dealing with what is happening right around us. Long-term confinement to homes has shown many shortcomings of our dwellings, the interiors of which had hitherto seemed sufficient, and the enforced change of lifestyle has influenced the emergence of completely new needs.

– The outbreak of the pandemic and the confinement in houses was the driving force for many minor and major renovations in our homes. These resulted from the fact that the previous functionality we required from our home space was no longer sufficient for many of us. We felt the need to improve and beautify our interiors. A large impact on the desire to change the kitchen space, for example by replacing household appliances, was the cessation of work of catering establishments, which are used by many Poles. Many of us also discovered new passions and culinary skills during the lockdown, which required kitchen modernization – says Ireneusz Bartnikowski, President of Solgaz.

During the temporary closure of stores, buyers started looking for home appliances solutions on the Internet. Online sales during the pandemic became a driving force for many companies, including Solgaz.

Towards gas

One of the most popular solutions that has reigned in Polish kitchens for years are gas stoves. The low cost of cooking on gas has not always compensated for the disadvantages of this type of equipment – the difficulty in cleaning the protruding burners, which are difficult to reach, and the generation of large amounts of grease, which is deposited not only on the cooktop itself, but also on the oven, countertop, pots, or walls, as well as the increased likelihood of burning or setting fire to a cloth lying in the vicinity. Hence, during the pandemic, supporters of gas cooking were eager to replace traditional solutions with modern gas-under-glaze cooktops. Ceramic hobs without protruding grates are easy to clean, plus a gas hob uses up to 50% less gas than a traditional gas stove. Because of these benefits – combined with gas prices, which – unlike electricity – are not burdened with large increases, the sales of gas hobs without flames even during the prevailing pandemic has increased dramatically.

Solgaz sp. z o.o. – a Polish domestic appliance company founded in 2002. Solgaz manufactures ceramic gas hobs based on their patented gas-under-glazing technology (the so-called “flameless gas hobs”). Solgaz’s offer also includes induction hobs, ovens, and hoods.