Triumphs Of Science Technology designed to make life easier.
Innovation and technology are driving changes to some of the most-used items in the house, writes Sarah Pickette.
Technology has touched just about every corner of the home now – and it continues to evolve at an incredibly rapid pace. There’s no question that there are many benefits that come from embracing the latest technology in home appliances and fixtures, and much of it is already working hard for us. Take the robot vacuum: it maps out where to clean and remembers its route for next time. Or the dishwasher that has ‘smart diagnosis’ functionality that alerts you to faults that need fixing. Or smart power plugs that mean, if you’ve rushed out and left the iron on, you can turn it off via your phone. You can buy all of these things now. Brands are investing heavily in product innovation (after all, it’s what will give them a sales and marketing edge) and some of the results are quite dazzling.
KITCHEN
“The biggest innovation this year is probably AEG’s induction cooktop that features a wireless probe,” says Gary Brown, senior brand manager for home appliances at Harvey Norman. The SensePro probe measures the core temperature of whatever you’re cooking and will tell you when to turn it or take it off the heat. “It has no wires or batteries and charges itself using the magnetic properties of the cooktop.”
If that doesn’t blow your mind, Miele’s latest flex-zone induction cooktop will. “It remembers the temperature you’ve had a pan, no matter where you move it on the cooktop,” says Gary. “You can have six pots and pans cooking at various temperatures and it will remember every one of them if you shift them around to pull one to the front to stir it.” If you prefer gas cooking to induction, Smeg has developed a dual-fuel cooktop for the best of both worlds.
In ovens, people are really embracing steam, he adds. And not just combi-steam or steam-assist ovens, which are electric and offer a steam injection, but ovens that cook using only steam. Harnessing the power of humidity, pure-steam cooking transfers heat gently and efficiently to lock in taste and nutrients. “It’s a healthy and clean way of cooking,” says Gary, who uses an AEG SteamPro oven in his own home.
When it comes to dishwashers, Miele is set to launch a game-changer later this year. Featuring brand new auto-dosing functionality (similar to that you may have in your washing machine), these new models automatically dispense the correct amount of detergent based on the wash program selected. They can also start autonomously, via the Miele@home app.
Small appliances don’t miss a trick either. The Vitamix Ascent Series has wireless connectivity and a self-detect function that reads the size of the container and adjusts the blending time to suit. The app-connected NutriBullet Balance can weigh the ingredients for your smoothie or soup and give you a breakdown of the calories and nutritional content. Like your morning coffee with a side of tech? Nespresso’s VertuoPlus utilises barcode technology to automatically read cup size, temperature and flow rate. The De’Longhi Primadonna Elite is an app-connected model that allows you to make personalised coffee recipes on your smartphone and the Jura J6 is a fully automatic coffee machine that’s also app-connected.
LAUNDRY
Steam is not only big news in the kitchen, it’s where the action is in the laundry too. “When Covid-19 hit our shores we had a huge number of people enquiring in our stores about the best way to remove viruses from clothing,” says Gary. “The answer is steam – and it will destroy bacteria and allergens too. Australians are embracing steam cycles for both refreshing and cleaning their clothes.”
LIVING
Samsung, Miele and Fisher & Paykel are among the brands that offer this functionality. LG has also upped the ante with its new heat-pump dryer. Not only does it have a super-impressive 9-star energy rating, the dryer’s energy consumption can be tracked and managed via LG’s ThinQ app.
The laundry might also be where you want to dock your robot vacuum. Launching soon is iRobot’s Roomba s9+ robot vacuum, which not only navigates your home and learns where to clean but will dock and automatically empty itself once it’s full. It also features the first anti-allergen filter to be used in a robot vacuum.
TVs are bigger and better than ever, says Gary. “Three years ago, 65-inch was a big screen, today it’s more like 85-inch. These sizes of TVs are getting cheaper as they become more popular.” Driving their popularity is the rollout of 8K resolution. “You might think there’s not enough content to watch in 8K but what these TVs will do is upscale whatever you’re watching to 8K definition. Even on an 85-inch screen, you can put your nose to the screen and it will hold resolution with 8K.” Samsung was the first to bring an 8K model to Australia last year and Hisense is launching its 8K offering this year.
Speakers are another area where there’s been leaps and bounds in technology, with Sonos leading the way in wireless networked home sound. Its new Arc sound bar was released in June and offers software-driven audio that delivers immersive, cinema-quality sound. And of course, there’s Google Home, Amazon Echo, Apple HomePad and the like. These voice-controlled assistants come in a range of shapes and sizes. The Google Nest Hub is now compatible with more than 100 smart devices from 50 or so brands in Australia. It offers you the ability to control your TV, play music, call up photos, turn on lights and boil your kettle simply by using a voice command.
BEDROOM
Smart lights are a growth area for the home and they really come into their own in the bedroom. “Their most basic functionality is that you can ask your voice-controlled assistant to turn lights on and off,” says Marc Alexander, chief product and technology officer for LIFX lights. More usefully, the ‘Day and Dusk’ feature in LIFX lights can help you regulate your circadian sleep cycles by allowing you to fall asleep and wake up more naturally … no alarm required.
Sleep monitoring also continues to pique our interest. “Australia has the world’s highest uptake of wearable tech,” says Allyn Beard, director of mattress maker A.H. Beard. “Sleep duration can have a direct relationship to energy levels and how rejuvenated you feel.” A.H. Beard’s Reston sleep monitors can be placed on top of your existing or new mattress to measure your heart rate, your respiration and your movements, and from that, an algorithm provides you with a ‘sleep score’ and suggestions on how you can improve your sleep quality. “We always like to say ‘you can’t manage what you can’t measure!’” adds Allyn.