Smart Kitchen Technology for the Non-Cook, Artsy Foodies. This One’s For You!

By Pamela Durkin, ASID, LEED AP

The kitchen has always been a center of the home but now it seems to have gone a few steps further than ever before. The Kitchen and Bath’s premier event, KBIS, shows off the latest industry trends, new product introductions and technologies. This year, the overwhelming trends I saw were in support of culinary delights and technology but also health, wellness and ability to express your individuality. 

Everyone now considers themselves a foodie, whether you cook or not. With the addition of services like Plated and Blue Apron (and I’m sure a host of others), cooking has become an event in and of itself. These services have enabled us to learn how to cook food, experience new flavors and then to share it with others as a social event. 

We are also getting back to cooking real food because of the uncertainty of what is in prepared and processed products. People are becoming increasingly interested in what they are putting in their bodies and how that makes them feel. 

With the continual use of open plans, we are doing more than ever in our kitchens. It’s where we cook, entertain, work and even eat – ha, who knew!?! 

It has become a space where a lot of our interactions take place and naturally is where everyone gathers. I also think there is a (somewhat) backlash to our cell phone attachment. I know in my household, we have begun making a point of putting down the devices, sitting at the dinner table and having conversations. Go figure. It’s really about quality over quantity. Whether kids or grandkids, if you can get three words out of them it’s a lot so when we there is a whole dinner conversation, it’s like you’ve hit the jackpot! Can anyone else relate? 

Technology is making the kitchen an incredible tool for better living. It’s like we are Bionic, becoming smarter, faster and stronger when it comes to shopping, cooking and entertaining. I think most of us would like to be better cooks and the technology available to us in today’s appliances can really help us up our game in that area. 

Refrigerators can tell us when we are out of something, recipes can be downloaded to our ranges and even provide explicit instruction on how to prepare the perfect medium rare steak. 

There are now some surprising ways to break free from the typical kitchen designs and express yourself. Check out the new porcelain interior from Dacor (www.Dacor.com) that can have hand painted drawers. 

 

Also, the 48” pro range from Signature Suite from LG (www.SignatureKitchenSuite.com) allows you to download grandma’s recipes so that you will never lose them.

 

Then there’s the hood that doesn’t look like a hood from Elica (www.Elica.com) –  stunning!

So, it’s never been a better time to be a non-cook, foodie as right now. The new kitchen can impress and make a culinary master out of anyone, maybe even me.  Nah, I think I will sit back and continue to enjoy a glass of wine while my husband cooks……Cheers! Pamela

 

About the Author:

Pamela Durkin, ASID, LEED AP. A home in Naples represents so much to those who live in it. It’s a place to put your feet up and unwind from the hustle and bustle of life up “North”. Here you get to be your true self, reconnect with friends and family, where the pace is just a little bit slower and sweeter. Pamela loves working with busy entrepreneurs who call Naples their “home away from home.” Modern, tailored but comfortable are the hallmarks of all her designs. http://www.Pamela-Durkin.com