Smart Upgrades for a Smarter Kitchen

As more of our family’s lives take place in the kitchen, developers are coming up with more ways to make our kitchens as smart as our phones. Here are some intriguing options we found:

  • Charging Stations
  • Built-in kitchen charging stations can now be integrated into the island, under a countertop, or inside a drawer to keep your tablet, phone, and music handy.

    island charging station

  • Refrigeration
  • Refrigerators are currently offering drawers that absorb ethylene gas to keep produce fresh longer, special air filters that absorb food odors, and automatic sparkling water from the door. Some models offer Wi-Fi enabled touch screen monitors with your favorite apps. In Samsung’s newest model, Galaxy S5 and Note 3 users can mirror their devices to the screen and even make calls from the fridge.

    samsung wifi fridge

    What’s Next: Refrigerators are in development that can keep inventory of the items inside, recommend recipes based on what you have on hand, track items that are about to expire, and communicate needed items to your phone while you are at the grocery store.

  • Cooking
  • Convection steam ovens can cook food on their own do it in less time than conventional ovens. Hot air circulates for browning while steam adds moisture to keep food juicy. Wi-Fi capable options let you preheat your oven from anywhere in the house – even your backyard.

    Induction cooktops offer fast, consistent heat without heating up the kitchen. Some models automatically adjust to the size and shape of a pot placed anywhere on its surface. They are easy to clean and can be integrated into your kitchen island.

    What’s Next: Whirlpool’s kitchen of the future prototype features induction cooking integrated into a marble countertop with smart sensors and display screens that allow you to cook, look up recipes, and post to your favorite social media sites right on the countertop surface.

    Whirlpool prototype

  • Faucets and Dishwashers
  • Faucet innovations didn’t stop with pull-down and touch features. Newer options include hands-free motion sensors, finishes that resist bacteria, and easy pop-out and change-up fixtures.

    Kohler Sweep

    Kohler has a new Sweep and Spray design that replaces the standard circular spray with a wide, forceful blade of water. Grohe even offers a faucet with a high-performance filter, cooler and carbonator so you can get chilled, sparkling water right from the tap.

No word yet on refrigerators that clean themselves or dishes that put themselves away. What new innovations do you hope to see soon?

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