Buying an oven in Europe used to be simple: German meant engineering, Italian meant style, Scandinavian meant clean design. Today it’s more tangled. Several once-European appliance names now sit inside Chinese groups, while others are still independent, family-owned, or firmly European. If you care about supporting European manufacturing, after-sales service in the EU, and long-term parts availability, it’s worth knowing who actually owns what.

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Let’s break it down.

Why Ownership Matters
When a European brand is bought by a large non-European group, two things often happen over time:

  1. Production is rationalised – some models get made outside Europe or on shared platforms.
  2. The name stays, the DNA shifts – you still see the “old” badge, but the design, service network, and parts policy slowly align with the parent group.

That’s not always bad – Chinese groups like Haier and Hisense can be very innovative – but if your goal is “I want a German/Italian/European oven from a company that is still run in Europe,” then you have to look past the logo.

Brands Now Under Chinese Ownership
There are two big European footprints now owned by Chinese appliance giants:

1. Haier Europe (China)

  • Candy
  • Hoover (appliances)
  • Rosières
  • Baumatic

These are very present in Italy, France, and the UK. They’re fine for budget to mid-market, but if your brief is “I want to buy a European oven from a European company,” these are no longer it.

2. Hisense (China)

  • Gorenje
  • Asko
  • Mora
  • Atag, Pelgrim, Etna (well-known in the Benelux market)

Gorenje used to be the cool Eastern-European maker with quirky designs; Asko was the Scandinavian “professional at home” alternative. Both now sit in the Hisense family. Again, this doesn’t make them bad – but they are no longer independent European brands.

So What’s Still European and Worth Buying for Ovens?
Here’s the good news: the core European cooking players are still European. If you want to buy once, install it in a nice Italian or Dutch kitchen, and not think about it again for 10–15 years, these are the names to look at.

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1. Miele (Germany)

Still family-owned, still obsessive about build. Their ovens are precise, interiors feel solid, and steam/combination cooking is a real strength. If you cook a lot and want something that feels “engineered, not styled,” Miele is the safe European bet. Pricey, but it shows.

2. BSH Group: Bosch, Siemens, Neff, Gaggenau (Germany)

This is where people get confused. Bosch owns the BSH group 100%, and under that sit:

  • Bosch
  • Siemens (home appliances)
  • Neff
  • Gaggenau

All of these are European. The positioning is different:

  • Gaggenau – luxury, design-driven, very German, very architectural.
  • Neff – the cook’s brand; great built-ins, Slide&Hide doors, good for people who actually bake.
  • Siemens – techy, modern, glass, pairing well with contemporary kitchens.
  • Bosch – the reliable workhorse; if you choose the higher Series (6 or 8), you get very respectable specs.

If you walk into a kitchen studio and want something “properly German,” any of these four will do. This whole group is still European-run.

3. Smeg (Italy)

Not Chinese, still Italian, still family. Smeg is for buyers who don’t want a black glass rectangle in the wall – they want something with character. Their 60cm built-ins are decent and pair nicely with Smeg hobs and their iconic range cookers. You buy Smeg when the kitchen is visible and you care about aesthetics as much as roast chicken.

4. Bertazzoni / La Germania (Italy)

Old Italian cooking family from Emilia-Romagna. If you like freestanding/range cookers, gas + electric combos, and very “chef at home” vibes, this is a brilliant European option. It’s not a rebranded Asian cooker – it’s Italian through and through.

5. ILVE (Italy)

Smaller, niche, but loved by people who cook. If you’re doing a country kitchen in Tuscany or Provence and want a statement cooker that actually cooks, ILVE is a name to keep. Again: Italian, not Chinese-owned.

6. Electrolux Group: Electrolux, AEG, Zanussi (Sweden / EU)

Electrolux is a Swedish group, publicly owned, with heavy European manufacturing. AEG is the one to look at for built-in ovens – good price-to-tech ratio, pyrolytic cleaning, steam options, sleek lines. If someone says, “I want a European oven but Miele is too expensive,” AEG is the obvious answer.

What About Alessi?
You mentioned Alessi – that’s more of a design house (kettles, moka pots, tableware). Partly private-equity backed, but not an appliance OEM in the same way. Think of Alessi as “Italian design to dress the kitchen,” not “Italian brand to build into the kitchen wall.”

How to Choose If You Want to Stay European
Use this filter:

  1. Is the parent company European?
    • Yes → keep.
    • No → check whether it’s Haier or Hisense → probably skip.
  2. Is the brand still cooking-focused?
    • Miele, Neff, Bertazzoni, ILVE → yes.
    • Mass-market laundry/entry brands → less interesting for ovens.
  3. Can I get EU service and parts in 10 years?
    • Miele, BSH, Electrolux/AEG → very likely.
    • Recently acquired brands → depends on parent strategy.

A Shortlist for 2025 Buyers in Europe
If tomorrow you had to pick an oven and you said to me, “I don’t want Chinese-owned brands, I want European heritage,” I’d hand you this list:

  • Top tier: Miele, Gaggenau
  • Enthusiast / serious home cook: Neff, Siemens, AEG
  • Style / Italian kitchen: Smeg, Bertazzoni, ILVE
  • Solid mainstream: Bosch (Serie 6/8)

Brands to park for this specific goal: Candy, Hoover, Rosières, Baumatic, Gorenje, Asko, Atag, Pelgrim, Etna – not because they’re bad, but because ownership has shifted and you said “European brands now that are worth buying.”

Final Thought
The appliance aisle is full of European-sounding names, but not all of them are still European companies. If you care about buying within Europe – for quality control, for the service network, or simply to support European industry – stick to the German groups (Miele, BSH), the Italian cookers (Smeg, Bertazzoni, ILVE), and the Scandinavian giant (Electrolux/AEG). That way you get the heritage you thought you were paying for.