Capital Cooking: The Legend

Something remarkable happened in the mid-1980’s.

Since the middle of the 1970’s, luxury-conscious consumers had been installing full commercial ranges in their homes. They liked the stainless steel construction — designed to be effortless to clean — and the easy engineering of the large knobs and pulls. Commercial ranges had a sense of solidity and gravitas which communicated a certain je ne sais quoi, making the kitchen start to feel like a truly special place where amazing things could be done. But as this practice spread, problems began to arise. Quite simply, these were appliances which were not designed for usage in the home. They ran too hot, too quickly; designed for bulk cooking, they would overwhelm smaller home meals. They were dangerous in homes with children, as they kept their gas light burning constantly and lacked child safety locks. They didn’t even have anything as simple as a broiler. This would not do.

So when Fred Carl, Jr. had his famous idea of a high-end commercial-quality and commercial-style range that was specifically designed for home use, he knew he had to turn to the best to design it. That’s why he turned to Surjit Kalsi. Kalsi, who got started in industrial design in 1957, had nearly thirty years of experience engineering home cooking appliances. He’s been called a “barbecue cowboy” for his original innovative outdoor stainless steel grill (which got him thrown out of a distributor’s office, and is now a multi-billion dollar industry). Kalsi, in other words, is the industry-defining designer who has completely changed the field in the same way Steve Jobs changed home computing. He’s the man who engineered the first Viking range, that legendary appliance that redefined home cooking.

He’s also the chairman of Capital Cooking, where his genius continues to influence and define the industry. Capital carries forward the design legacy of the original Viking range, bringing that same brilliant thinking and innovation to their entire product line, from indoor and outdoor ranges — including the ultra-powerful Culinarian series featuring an open burner system, 23,000 BTUs of cooking power, and a constant even simmer — to the world’s finest stainless steel grills. All of them carry the imprint of the original genius, Surjit Kalsi.

So don’t be afraid of making the switch from Viking to Capital. Viking might have the legendary name, but only Capital has the legend.

 

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