A recipe for change
Gadgets delivering more efficient kitchens that can also help us eat more veggies
Of all the rooms in the house, it’s perhaps the kitchen that has benefitted the most from emerging technology, suggests Toronto-based tech expert Amber Mac.
“Many families spend the majority of their time in the kitchen, which is one of the reasons we see so much innovation there. The smart-home revolution is helping realize the dream of a more efficient kitchen that saves us time, and can make us healthier,” says Mac.
Here are five ways technology is changing the way the kitchen looks and functions:
The inter-connected kitchen
Connectivity will be standard in the kitchen of the future, says Mac. GE Appliances just introduced its WiFi Connect app, which lets users preheat the oven on the way home from work, for example, or get coffee started while they’re still in bed. Many of these systems are compatible with such voice assistants as Google Home, which Mac suggests will help make the technology appealing to homeowners of all ages. “After all, using a voice is something every generation knows how to do!” says Mac.
Smaller size appliances will be big
Small-space living has fuelled the rise of compact counter-top appliances. Hamilton Beach’s 2-in-1 toaster, for example, does everything a conventional toaster oven does — bake, broil and toast — but there are also two slots in the top for toasting. Cuisinart’s small-footprint Combo Steam + Convection Oven has conventional bake and convection bake functions, but an integrated chamber for water produces steam, rendering it especially useful for making puddings, crème brûlée and bread with the golden-brown crust reminiscent of a crusty French baguette.
An appetite for apps
The Drop Recipe app (getdrop.com) lets users control connected appliances based on the instructions of some 800 pre-loaded recipes.
For example, if the recipe calls for preheating the oven broiler, it can be done directly from the app. Last year, the company partnered with Bosch on its Series 8 ovens and in January, integrated into GE Appliances.
Later this year, additional manufacturers and appliances will come on board, and the Drop Creator app — which lets users upload a recipe from any source — is being tested in beta.
The growth of the kitchen garden Homeowners can now have yearround access to healthy greens through indoor garden kits and appliances, including the Urban Cultivator. About the same size and shape as a dishwasher, it maintains optimal temperature, humidity, and light for growing micro-greens (seeds for which the company also sells.) It can be plumbed into a municipal water line or function as a standalone unit, and can be used with either 110V or 220V power. High-performance materials Increasingly durable and versatile composite surfaces are making kitchens more functional and better looking. Dekton by Cosentino is an ultra-compact surface made from the same raw material (of which up to 80 per cent is recycled) used to manufacture glass, porcelain, and quartz surfaces. Not only is it resistant to UV rays, scratches, stains and thermal shock, it can be fabricated in pieces up to 320 cm-by-142 cm, and as thin as 0.8 cm, so it can be used on walls, floors and countertops. What’s next? Mac predicts emerging technologies will soon change the kitchen landscape even further. There are lighthearted examples, such as the PancakeBot (pancakebot.com), a lightweight grill/3D printer that traces images from your computer to make customized cakes.
Artificial intelligence may have a longer, and more profound, effect. “I am absolutely positive it will come into the kitchen,” says Mac. “One example is computer vision — which is essentially a camera’s ability to look at something and discern what it is. If you had a camera in the kitchen that looked at the meals you are eating and could identify the components, it would be a very powerful and effective way to get a better sense of your nutritional intake.
“It’s going to happen.”