By Martin Vedris

SYDNEY, NSW: It was one of Australia’s most successful and highest-rating TV programs in years — the Masterchef recipe was a winner according to series partner LG Electronics Australia. But the questions are, was it worth it, and what LG products were the contestants using?

LG exclusively contacted Current.com.au today to reveal the answer to a question often asked in the appliance industry about LG’s involvement in the ratings hit reality show: was the partnership worth it?

Although listed as a partner on the official Masterchef website, LG’s branding on the TV show was often quite subtle. Channel 10 could have done more to promote the fact that all the contestants were cooking exclusively on LG cooktops and ovens and all the rangehoods were LG as well.

Every time you saw someone cooking in the Masterchef studio, they were using the following LG models:

• The pyrolytic Multifunction Oven ES551SP, with 55-Litre oven capacity, auto switch off and child lock.
• The 55-Litre LB641058S oven with PyroTech cleaning.
• The MS3448XRS stainless steel finish 34-Litre round cavity  microwave oven.
• The 60-centimetre LG HG6412A four burner gas cooktop with four cooking zones and a triple ring wok burner.
• The 70-centimetre LG HG7512A five burner gas cooktop with five cooking zones.

While LG could not divulge how much its partnership supply deal cost, in a statement he prepared earlier, LG Electronics Australia senior category marketing manager, Stan Bilinski, was very pleased with his company’s association with the show.

“Our strong investment in the cooking category this year is proving to be extremely positive, with the launch of our new range of integrated cooking appliances coinciding with high profile partnerships such as Masterchef and the Good Food & Wine Show,” wrote Bilinski.

“Masterchef in particular was a phenomenal success and the popularity of the show provided a great platform for us to showcase our range of premium cooking appliances to a broad, captive audience.

“By doing this, we were able to draw attention to our products and highlight the quality, sophistication and versatility of our appliances.”