Go, go kitchen gadgets
WHIZ-BANG ACCESSORIES TO UPGRADE THE CULINARY HEART OF YOUR HOME
Kitchens are the heart of a home and so perhaps it’s not surprising that we are more than willing to spend, spend, spend on the latest accessories and gadgets. From the smartest coffee machines and food mixers to the most technologically advanced air fryers and water purifiers, kitchen accessories are undergoing a serious upgrade.
And Australians have been quick to invest in these products – a trend that gained momentum during Covid lockdowns.
“At that time, there was a significant increase in customers buying ‘nesting’ products, such as kitchen appliances, cookware, kitchen gadgets and bed linen,” says Chris Jones, general manager of menswear, childrenswear and home at David Jones.
“At the moment, the most popular products are appliances that have inbuilt smarts or apps that include recipes. Slow cookers, pressure cookers and air fryers are also popular because they make family mealtimes a lot easier.”
So, what are some of the latest and smartest accessories that your kitchen is crying out for? Not all of these are in stores in Australia yet, but it shouldn’t be long before they’re finding their way into our homes …
EMBER TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED MUG
If you take a while to drink your coffee or tea but get frustrated when it cools down, this smart mug is the answer. A built-in battery keeps drinks at the temperature you prefer using a dedicated app. Drinks stay at your preferred temperature for up to 90 minutes and you simply recharge the cup battery through a charging coaster.
Cost: $170
JURA Z10 COFFEE MACHINE
Described as a “masterpiece of Swiss engineering”, this is a machine for serious coffee lovers.
Gwyneth Paltrow is a fan and has a Jura machine in the kitchen of her New York apartment.
It prepares a range of hot drinks at the press of a button – from a very strong espresso to a smoother latte – and prepares some cold brew specialties, too. And all this happens at the touch of the 4.3-inch touch screen and menu. Cost: approx $4490
MEATER
BBQs will be less stressful this summer thanks to the latest smart meat thermometers.
The Original
Meater is a wireless thermometer that will make sure your steak, fish or chicken wings are cooked to perfection.
The probe stays in the meat and contains two sensors that connect to your smartphone, so you can do something else and know when the cooking is done.
Cost: approx $159
GOZNEY ROCCBOX
Crown VRC executive chef Josh Pelham wants this restaurant-grade portable pizza oven for his home kitchen.
“It takes only minutes to heat up to 500C, unlike normal at-home pizza ovens that need a lot of love and attention with burning coals and taking hours to reach optimum heat,” says Pelham.
It has a thick stone floor for that authentic pizza finish and can be gas or wood-fuelled.
Cost: $799
PHILIPS AIRFRYER XXL DIGITAL
This latest airfryer is the first to use Smart Sensing technology to automatically adjust cooking time and temperatures so food isn’t over or under done.
It’s also essentially only a twostep process – you simply choose your preferred food type and press cook and the technology works out the rest.
You can also link to an NutriU app with 500+ recipes for some clever dinnertime inspiration.
Cost: $629
BREVILLE AQUASTATION PURIFIER HOT
This compact selfcontained purifier sits on your benchtop and delivers instant filtered hot water in seconds, so you don’t have to boil a kettle to make a cuppa.
The best thing about it is that there’s no messy plumbing involved. Pre-set your favourite temperature for your black, white or green tea or your coffee, press the button and your hot water is delivered instantly. Cost: $299
WEEKETT SMART KETTLE
When is a kettle not a kettle? When it’s a smart kettle that co-ordinates with Amazon Alexa, and Google Home so you can switch it on from wherever you are. You can even prearrange a time for the kettle to switch on – ready for when you wake in the morning or arrive home. You can also choose the temperature at which water boils. Cost: approx
$199