The History of Smeg Appliances

In 1948, Vittorio Bertazzoni Sr. founded Smeg, which stands for Smalterie Metallurgiche Emiliane Guastalla, in Guastalla, Italy. The company began producing cookers in the mid-1950s, starting with the Elisabeth unit in 1956. In 1963, the company expanded into making washing machines, starting with the Leda unit. Smeg released the first large-capacity dishwasher in 1970. Known as the Niagara, it could accommodate 14 place settings at once. In 1971, Smeg began designing and manufacturing built-in appliances like ovens and stovetops. In 1977, the iconic Smeg logo was created by Franco Maria Ricci, a celebrated Italian publisher and graphic designer — it featured six circles meant to symbolize the burners of a gas stove and the knobs of an oven. In the early 1980s, Smeg began making professional ovens for cafés, delicatessens, and restaurants; a line of professional-grade dishwashers soon followed. In 1985, Smeg began collaborating with architect Guido Canali to create design-forward ovens and stoves. (Around the same time, the company also expanded into manufacturing certain medical instruments, but it remains best known for its appliances.) In 1991, Smeg entered into another collaboration, this time with architect Mario Bellini. This was followed by a 1995 collaboration with Renzo Piano. In 1997, Smeg’s iconic FAB range of colorful, retro-inspired refrigerators was released. In 2014, the company launched a line of small home appliances that included items like mixers and blenders; the design work was done by Deepdesign studio and won several awards. The brand has also done collaborations with Fiat, Dolce & Gabbana, Disney, Lavazza, and more. In 2020, the first Smeg cookware line was introduced. Today, Smeg remains one of the most design-forward home appliance brands in the world.