Living for the better

ASK Jonas Samuelson about his favourite household appliance and the chief executive of Electrolux, the Swedish home appliance giant, does not hesitate for a moment. Electrolux's CombiSteam range of ovens, Mr Samuelson declares, takes the top spot for its ability to combine "regular convection with various levels of steam" for perfect results, in the manner of professional kitchens. "When you bake bread for example - just to be a little bit of a nerd for a moment - the really ideal way to do it is to raise the temperature and then give it an initial steam burst," the 52-year-old Swedish national says with gusto.

"That makes the crust caramelise more quickly and you get a sort of crispiness, but it doesn't dry out the actual dough. So you get the crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside type of experience," he notes during an interview with The Business Times in mid-February.

From his own passion for bread-related thermodynamics, Mr Samuelson understands that the business of selling home appliances isn't just a pricing game. Rather, it is about connecting with people's emotions and convincing them to purchase an experience for "better living", he says.