Kitchen

In the future, it is predicted that tables will have sophisticated sensors and an intelligent interface to act as a recipe book providing suggested recipes based on the ingredients that are placed on the table. It will also advise on the best way to cut certain ingredients, measure the weight of your food and act as a stove top to cook the meal. The aim is to reduce food waste and help people make more thoughtful decisions about food.

GE appliance designers believe that refrigerators will be able to take inventory of what’s inside the fridge and place an order for a food delivery, making shopping trips quicker and easier in the future. The days of checking the expiry date of your cherry tomatoes are numbered.

Microwaves of the future will be able to do more than heat specific items of food. They will become far more sophisticated, so much so that a company called NXP have created the Sage “smart oven” which incorporates multiple microwave sources as well as convection heating. Having multiple sources allows Sage to sense individual items and direct microwaves to cook them differently. For example, the firm claims Sage could cook chicken, potatoes and peas perfectly on the same plate despite their different heating requirements. And it says that Sage can also cook or defrost complex items such as a sponge cake with a cream filling, heating each component evenly.

Smart faucets have been slowly making their way into smart home portfolios for some time, equipped with temperature gauges and efficiency sensors that make it easy for family members to monitor and control how much water they use in the kitchen or the bathroom. Taps can now register voice commands via Alexa, allowing users to turn water on or off, measure water quantity, and even warm water. Ideal for those who struggle to turn taps, but if you can’t get voice activated taps, there are alternative to help with turning the taps on and off. A height-adjustable sink that moves up and down dependent on the user is a future trend that will be priceless from an inclusion standpoint, making access to the bathroom available to all, regardless of age or potential disability

Whirlpool predicts we will have smart stoves that will sense the type of food items that are placed on top, and heat them to the perfect temperature. And Swedish appliance manufacturer, Electrolux, has already developed a connected oven app, which allows users to control the temperature and humidity of their oven from an iOS or Android device, watch the cooking via an interior-mounted camera and share the results on social media. Perfect for this with mobility issues.

Again, these will always be a part of kitchen life. Alternative equipment has been designed to take the place of such items for those who are less dexterous or have poor grip for example. Additional aids such as perching stools and indoor trolleys can be invaluable to working safely in the kitchen, and will continue to be so.