Braun.
Designed for what matters.

We believe that good design can make lives better - 100 years ago, now and in the future.

For 100 years, Braun has kept to three important principles, inspired by people: Good design is simple, useful and built to last. Until today, people all over the world turn to us because Braun products make life better. They trust in our brand when it counts the most: Whether they want to prepare that special dinner for a first date, iron their best shirt for an important job interview or prepare a vast breakfast for the whole family.

From inventor’s workshop to global brand

Ingenious.

In the early 1920s, engineer Max Braun founds a machine-building workshop in Frankfurt am Main. On the strength of its groundbreaking inventions for the emerging radio broadcasting industry, the firm opens its own factory building with 400 employees in 1928.

Helpful.

During the postwar period, Braun expands its product range with newly developed devices that simplify everyday life. In 1950, simultaneously with the first foil shaver, the Multimix food processor makes its market debut, inaugurating the company’s household line.

Visionary.

After the sudden death of Max Braun, his sons take the company helm in the early fifties. They lay the groundwork for a people-focused corporate culture that extends to all areas of the company – from its letterhead to its exhibition stands, its health service to its whole-foods cafeteria.

Less, but better.

Under the aegis of design legend Dieter Rams, Braun’s radical new Bauhaus-inspired, functional product design sets a new style standard. The company won a rapid succession of national and international prizes and awards for its products. Braun became world-famous as a design brand, and the company became the first to introduce “good design” to the mass market.

Innovative.

Braun reaches the limits of a family-run firm. In the late sixties, Gillette takes over the successful enterprise with its 5,700 employees. This opens up new markets and distribution channels to Braun. Investments increase the company’s innovative strength and broaden its product range, which soon grows to include coffeemakers and electric irons. Characteristic German design, quality and engineering prowess bolster Braun’s standing against cheaply produced competing products.

Today.

Procter & Gamble’s takeover of Gillette in 2005 makes Braun one of twenty-four global brands of the largest consumer-product group in the world. P&G transfers the rights to the Braun brand in the area of household appliances to De’Longhi S.p.A. in 2012. Along with the corresponding patents and production facilities, De’Longhi acquires a large part of Braun’s employees, thereby ensuring that Braun household appliances will continue to offer distinctive design, technological innovation and reliable quality far into the future.

Braun produced the KM 3 food processor for more than three decades.

Here you can see the KM 3-31 model from 1957. The development of the KM 3 began with the construction of a test model to determine the most suitable rotational speed for the drive. After extensive mixing and kneading trials, the development team designed the drive unit. When it came to the form of the KM 3, the design department developed various models of the base plate, bowl, mixing arm and motor base that were combined with the technology until the first preproduction model, the wistar, emerged.

De 10 principes van een goed ontwerp door Dieter Rams

Dieter Rams werd een van de meest toonaangevende ontwerpers, die de onvergetelijke designtaal van Braun ontwikkelde en de 10 principes van een goed design vastlegde, een designhandleiding die vandaag de dag nog steeds relevant is.

1 Een goed ontwerp is innovatief.

De mogelijkheden voor innovatie zijn eindeloos. Technologische ontwikkeling biedt altijd nieuwe mogelijkheden voor innovatief ontwerp.

2 Een goed ontwerp maakt een product nuttig.

Een product wordt gekocht om te worden gebruikt. Het moet voldoen aan bepaalde criteria, niet alleen een functie hebben, maar ook esthetisch zijn. Een goed ontwerp focust op het nut van een product en negeert alles wat er mogelijk afbreuk aan kan doen.

3 Een goed ontwerp is esthetisch.

De esthetische kwaliteit van een product is dat het nuttig moet zijn, omdat de producten die we elke dag gebruiken ons welzijn beïnvloeden. Enkel goed uitgevoerde objecten kunnen mooi zijn.

4 Een goed ontwerp maakt een product begrijpelijk.

Het legt de nadruk op de structuur van het product. Bovenal laat het het product voor zichzelf spreken. Het product moet vooral voor zichzelf spreken.

5 Een goed ontwerp is onopvallend.

Producten die een doel vervullen zijn hulpmiddelen. Het zijn geen decoratieve objecten of kunstwerken. Het ontwerp moet daarom zowel neutraal als beperkt zijn, om ruimte te laten voor de zelfexpressie van de gebruiker.

6 Een goed ontwerp is eerlijk.

Het maakt een product niet innovatiever, krachtiger of waardevoller dan het werkelijk is. Het probeert de consument niet te manipuleren met beloften die niet kunnen worden waargemaakt.

7 Een goed ontwerp gaat lang mee.

Het vermijdt trendy te zijn en is daarom tijdloos. In tegenstelling tot een trendy ontwerp, gaat het vele jaren mee, zelfs in de hedendaagse wegwerpsamenleving.

8 Een goed ontwerp is grondig tot in de kleinste details.

Niets mag willekeurig zijn of aan het toeval worden overgelaten. Zorg en nauwkeurigheid in het ontwerpproces tonen respect voor de consument.

9 Een goed ontwerp is milieuvriendelijk.

Ontwerp levert een belangrijke bijdrage aan het behoud van het milieu. Het bespaart middelen en minimaliseert fysieke en visuele vervuiling gedurende de levenscyclus van het product.

Braun Design is environmentally friendly.

10 Een goed design is zo minimaal mogelijk.

Simpel, maar beter, omdat het zich richt op de essentiële zaken zodat de producten niet belast worden met niet-essentiële zaken. Terug naar eenvoud.

Take a video tour through the Braun Museum in Kronberg, near Frankfurt.

The Braun Museum showcases the great history of Braun with many insides and interesting facts and figures about products from the past and today.

We're building for a better life - back then, now and in the future.

1953 | Braun Factory

Braun Multimix Blender

The 50's established the milkshake as a western staple, enabled in part by the Multimix, the state-of-the-art blender with a detachable mixing glass container. It cuts ingredients with industrial-grade efficacy. Still widely in use today.

1957 | Gerd Alfred Müller

KM3/31

A hugely influential blender or “food processor” as it was known that birthed a whole new product category: “kitchen machines” or appliances. With its hyper-reduced, simple and useful design one of the most influential industrial products of all time.

1963 | Reinhold Weiss

KSM 1/11

Design doesn’t get much more minimalistic than this: a coffee grinder so purpose-built it needed just one, centrally placed button to operate. Finely ground beans were just a finger click away.

1963 | Reinhold Weiss

HT 2

This toaster’s sleek, reduced design so inspired renowned artist Richard Hamilton that he based one of his works (aptly titled ‘Toaster’) on it. Oh, and it also browned bread to perfection.

1972 | Florian Seiffert

KF 20

With a stacked, vertical design that resembled a water tower, the KF 20 was known as the Aromaster. Instantly recognizable for its unconventional shape, this coffee maker added a touch of the extraordinary to everyday morning filter coffee.

1972 | Jürgen Greubel, Dieter Rams

MPZ 22

This electric juicer, also known as the citromatic, was a dependable and incredibly easy-to-clean staple of kitchens across the world for decades. It took over two decades before Braun decided an update to the original design was due.

1981 | Ludwig Littmann

MR 6

A precursor of the more sophisticated MR 500, the MR 6 was sturdy and tough, meaning it could blend foods that other products couldn't handle. An important stepping stone on the way to perfecting the handheld blender.

1984 | Hartwig Kahlcke

KF 40

This coffeemaker was somehow controversial within Braun, being made of cost-efficient polypropylene rather than sturdier polycarbonate, Braun's go-to plastic. Hence the KF 40's corrugated surface states a design solution that won over Dieter Rams.

2016 | Markus Orthey, Ludwig Littmann

MultiQuick 9

An all-round food blender that condensed the functionalities of devices many times its size into a simple, handheld 'wand'. The definition of reduced design: compact, yet powerful.

A brief story about the history of Braun household products.

Today’s success of Braun’s household products is based on a company history full of excellent science and thoughtful development. We have brought together a few of Braun’s leading light creations, from the very beginning until today. Even more time travelling and a thrilling online experience awaits if you visit the Virtual Braun Museum.

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Braun.
Designed for what matters.

We believe that good design can make lives better - 100 years ago, now and in the future.

From inventor’s workshop to global brand

Ingenious.

Helpful.

Visionary.

Less, but better.

Innovative.

Today.

Braun produced the KM 3 food processor for more than three decades.

De 10 principes van een goed ontwerp door Dieter Rams

Take a video tour through the Braun Museum in Kronberg, near Frankfurt.

We're building for a better life - back then, now and in the future.

A brief story about the history of Braun household products.

Food preparation

Cooking

Breakfast

Garment care

Get inspired

Sustainability

Service

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Food preparation

Cooking

Breakfast

Garment Care

Get inspired

Support

Food preparation

Cooking

Breakfast

Garment Care

Get inspired

Support

Braun.Designed for what matters.

We believe that good design can make lives better - 100 years ago, now and in the future.

From inventor’s workshop to global brand

Ingenious.

Helpful.

Visionary.

Less, but better.

Innovative.

Today.

Braun produced the KM 3 food processor for more than three decades.

De 10 principes van een goed ontwerp door Dieter Rams

Take a video tour through the Braun Museum in Kronberg, near Frankfurt.

We're building for a better life - back then, now and in the future.

A brief story about the history of Braun household products.

Food preparation

Cooking

Breakfast

Garment care

Get inspired

Sustainability

Service

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Americas

Asia - Pacific

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Braun.
Designed for what matters.