It all began in the 1970s with an interdisciplinary team of researchers who came up with the idea of using glass-ceramic in the kitchen instead of in space.

Special properties such as near-zero expansion of the material at high or low temperatures made it ideal for applications in satellites and the world's largest telescopes. And so it was that the black glass-ceramic cooktop from Mainz sparked an international revolution in the kitchen. In the beginning, electric radiant heaters provided the heat, while alternating magnetic fields now provide the modern and energy-efficient heating of cookware (induction).

A particularly attractive feature is that CERAN® glass-ceramic is suitable for all types of heating and, as a true icon, is constantly setting new trends in kitchens around the world. No wonder SCHOTT CERAN® has been named "Brand of the Century” several times.

A true icon: SCHOTT CERAN®

"When CERAN® cooktops came onto the market 50 years ago, electric radiation was the most common technology," explains Kathrin Becker, Director Marketing Cooking at SCHOTT. "Today, Europeans like to heat their food with induction, while gas remains the most popular option in the USA and Asia. We are pleased that SCHOTT CERAN® cooktops are making everyone happy all over the world – no matter which heating technology is used. But only the original CERAN® cooktop from Mainz has the best features and the highest quality by SCHOTT. That won't change with the millions of cooktops to come."

Jörg Wingefeld, Head of Sales & Marketing Glass-Ceramics at SCHOTT, reveals the recipe for success behind 200 million CERAN® cooktops sold: "Through continuous innovation and the highest quality standards, we have been able to reinvent our product again and again over the past 50 years, growing and opening up new markets all over the world."

However, the roots of black glass-ceramics remain at SCHOTT's corporate headquarters in Mainz, Germany. After all, this is where the raw glass for each and every one of the 200 million cooktops was manufactured using our high-tech melting processes.

From short-time work to record production

The coronavirus pandemic drastically changed the home appliance market in recent months: "The extreme increase in demand for home appliances due to events such as lockdowns led us from a short-time work situation to full capacity utilization with new production records," explains Dr. Jan-Peter Ortmann, Head of Operations in the Glass-Ceramics division at SCHOTT. "By quickly implementing hygiene concepts and digital collaboration, we were able to satisfy market needs throughout. The last few months in particular have shown us that we can continue on our growth path in the future."

SCHOTT plans to reveal how this will be achieved at the end of August with an exclusive digital event for customers in the household appliance industry, an event that will include the launch of a CERAN® product innovation that will usher in a new era of cooking.

1 SCHOTT CERAN® was voted "Brand of the Century" by the German publishing group ZEIT in 2013, 2016 and 2019. This puts it on a par with premium brands such as Miele, Mercedes-Benz and Montblanc.