New Technology and Your Kitchen

I think a lot about developments in technology when making big purchases these days. Is my new smart phone going to be compatible with my four year old vehicle? (Spoiler alert: it isn’t, and it’s irritating). It’s something we think about here when we’re developing new products – are we looking far enough forward?

Here’s what we thought a 21^st century kitchen would look like in 1957.

Besides the old time sexism displayed in every single vintage ad I looked at, the expectation was that our kitchens would change dramatically in form and function, but our lifestyles would remain relatively the same. Prepared meals would go from the freezer onto the electronic cooking conveyor and appear fully cooked on the other side. Kinda sounds like a microwave, right? See above for ideal. See below for reality.

What do we think the kitchen of the future will look like today?

Connected appliances seem to be the focus of this concept. A refrigerator that will order groceries for you, a cooktop that will maintain the perfect temperature for the perfect amount of time, a meat thermometer that signals your smart phone when your dish has reached the perfect temperature. But more impactful will be the lifestyle changes homeowners have come to expect with a kitchen renovation.

According to Aaron Zon of the Smart Home Guru in North York, it’s all about lifestyle improvements. He adds music through ceiling speakers, creates lighting scenes and can put a screen into your backsplash that connects to your wifi or television. “It’s about using the available technology to improve a homeowner’s lifestyle, not about cooking or grocery shopping” says Aaron. “Kitchens are more communal – we’ve taken down a lot of walls this year to create open concepts – and we’re using technology to improve users’ experiences inside their homes”.

So, what impact will tech have on kitchen design?

I suspect the cabinetry will look much like it does now, but technology will impact our experience, making our living spaces more usable, more automated and more beautiful.