BORA’s Appliances: Our Experience

Thinking of renovating your kitchen? Looking for that extra edgy finish for your kitchen design to host amazing dinner parties?  
Whether you are looking for appliances with great design which will last a lifetime or whether you want to impress your friends with a great cooking experience, BORA can cater to a variety of tastes and needs, offering you the choice to design your own extraction hob. Intrigued? We were too, so we went to a training session and cooking demonstration at BORA Lab, their showroom in London.
Here’s how it went down and a combination of reasons why we fell in love with BORA’s hobs.

​Why choosing the right hob can completely change the way you live your kitchen

With 40+ years of kitchen design experience, we usually come across clients that want a bespoke functional space where they can comfortably move and organise their kitchenware. In recent times though, we have had an increase of inquiries asking for advice on the right appliances to make their cooking experience smooth and clean. 
So, we went out, did our research and partnered up with BORA and their top quality extraction hobs. Above all, we wanted hobs that had great lifetime value, a clean design, and a way to integrate a product that could still be bespoke to our made-to-measure craft. What we learned in our training session only further confirmed that this partnership was the right choice for our business. 

The Design- Vision and Hobs ​

During the session, we learned that BORA (which takes its name after the northerly katabatic wind which blows in areas near the Adriatic Sea) has worked incredibly hard to develop a top-end hob software and design that makes their product trustworthy. Their vision is to develop effective products with clean and fresh air, a quiet operation, simple cleaning, the best materials and design freedom. And they deliver!
Currently, the company has 5 Hobs in the market: BORA Pure, BORA X Pure, BORA Classic 2.0, BORA  Professional 2.0 and the BORA Professional 3.0. Check out our BORA page (link) to see a detailed description of  each one, but on a quick side by side comparison, here’s what you would get with each option. 

BORA Pure
​▪ Minimalist design
▪ Automatic extractor control
▪ Simple cleaning
▪ Extremely easy filter change
▪ Intuitive sControl operating panel
▪ Oversized cooking area 4 24
▪ Minimum volume
▪ Maximum storage space

BORA X Pure

BORA Classic
▪ Minimalist design
▪ Intuitive sControl+ operating panel
▪ Simple cleaning
▪ Precise temperature control
▪ Oversized cooking area 4 24
▪ Minimum volume
▪ Modular system
​▪ Automatic extractor control

BORA Professional

Bora Pure

BORA X Pure
▪ Intuitive sControl control
▪ Extremely easy filter change eSwap
▪ Minimum volume
▪ Simple cleaning
▪ Oversized surface induction cooking zones
▪ Distinctive design
▪ Variable heat retention function
​▪ Maximum storage space

BORA Classic

BORA Professional
▪ Intuitive control knob
▪ Automatic cover flap
▪ Oversized 4 24 cooking surface
▪ Modular system
▪ Oversized surface induction cooking zones
▪ Simple cleaning
▪ Variable warming function
​▪ Minimum volume

The bespoke factor and functionality

Focusing on the Classic and Professional ranges, this is where the magic happens. BORA has  developed a modular system that can be customised to meet customer requirements and needs. It  comes with a wide range of cooktops, from surface induction and gas through to the Tepan stainless  steel grill, all of which are freely combinable with the extraction system. The Tepan stainless steel  grill offers top performance thanks to the unique and precise temperature control. So, excitingly,  you can mix and match BORA’s hobs to the way you prefer to cook.  

In the training session, we were lucky to have a cooking demonstration, and that was the moment  that brought it all together for us. Standing behind a covid protective perspex screen, we watched as our  dinner was cooked on the Tepan grill, side by side with some vegetables. In 15 minutes, we had three  steaks, and two salmons cooked in a sleek, easy and quick presentation with incredible flavours.  Even better, if you like things clean and organised, after enjoying our food, we watched how easily the Tepan grill can be cleaned.  In a couple of minutes, with a bowl of water, some vinegar and paper towels, the steel was back to its  original state (this hob offers a specific cleaning setting, making it just the right temperature to make it easy to clean).

What about the Software and Installation?​

BORA provides all the singular pieces you need to install your extraction hob safely. You have two choices, either through  a ducting system or with an internal filter that works on its own, in technical terms, with  recirculating air or kitchen exhaust air. With both operating modes, the cooking and roasting  vapours are suctioned away by the extractor. The odours and grease particles are removed safely.  However, there is a difference in how the air is channelled: In the recirculating air version, the air  that is suctioned away is filtered through a high-quality activated charcoal filter (which cleans and  removes the odour molecules) and is channelled back into the room. In the exhaust air version, it is  carried away outside. 

​Which version is best for your kitchen depends on several factors – including the surrounding  architecture, for example if you would like the hob on an island or next to the wall. To help you make the right choice, here’s a quick comparison of the pros and cons of each:

Kitchen exhaust air
Advantages:
- Low maintenance as no filter change is necessary 
- Moisture in the air is transported to the outside with the exhaust air
- 100% effective on smell reduction

Disadvantages:
- In winter, energy is lost as warm heating air is suctioned away and transported outside
- Only suitable for passive and low-energy homes under certain conditions
- Requires BORA ducting

Recirculating air
Advantages:
- Easy and inexpensive to install 
- Can be installed in any kitchen, even in passive and low-energy homes
- Design freedom (e.g. kitchen island can be freestanding)
- 95% effective on smell reduction
​
Disadvantages:
- The activated charcoal filter must be changed regularly, which adds a cost of £80 + VAT yearly (price from 2021)
- Moisture in the air remains in the room

Our conclusions
​
As you can tell, we are loving our experience with BORA so far, both in the demonstration (which is open to anyone who wants to understand the products before buying) and from the feedback we get from our clients on the hobs.  
Like with any product, it comes with specific instructions on how to properly care for each part of the hob for a long-lasting lifetime. The company’s instructions manual is quite effective in explaining  everything to their clients, with a step by step guide.  
Top thoughts to take into consideration before you make your choice: the design you have in mind  for your kitchen, how you prefer to cook (induction, gas, Tepan or others) and how much you want to  invest in a product that has a beautiful design, is easy to use and provides a good cooking  experience. BORA will not be the cheapest product in the market but will offer you a fulfilling  cooking experience without annoying residual fumes, smells and grease to clean up. An overall solid  option with great lifetime value and a design that will impress all your guests. 

Useful links
For more information on BORA’s hobs, click here.  
Contact us for prices, specifications or to order your new BORA hob here.

Keywords
Kitchen Design, Interior Design, BORA, Kitchen Appliances, Appliances, Hob, Hobs, BORA Hobs, Kitchen, Cooking, Kitchen Design Ideas, Modern Kitchen Design, Kitchen Worktop, Kitchen Island, BORA cooker