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The Smart Kitchen
December 25, 2021
Remona Divekar
Kitchen technology takes some big leaps forward with things like smart refrigerators, ovens, barcode scanning garbage cans, and residential hands-free faucets. Behind these trends, there appears to be a singular need for greater convenience. This is why some experts believe that of all the areas in a future smart home, the kitchen is where the newest developments will really take off, writes Remona Divekar
The smart kitchen follows the evolution of modern lifestyles where smart solutions are integrated into the elements of the kitchen to make life easier. A smart kitchen is a combination of mechanics, electronics, and hi-tech solutions characterised by innovative technologies for living home that allow families to rationalise the consumptions and manage different functions of the house with gadgets.
The era is all about efficiently utilising time and bringing innovation to the kitchen. Technology is already changing the kitchen in many ways. There is a growing interest in cooking, kitchens are leading the way into the future of sustainable, and technology-connected homes where the Internet of Things (IoT) plays a significant role. Interconnected smart appliances, 3-D printers, and touch screen controls are just a few of the technological tools that the next generation cooks use to simplify food preparations, create customised meal solutions, and produce far less waste.
All brands that are coming up in the market with a technology that is innovative, form an apparatus of forward-thinking culture they are catering to. However, if the technology is not in sync with end-user needs or the end-user is not in-sync with the technology being provided, however smart you make the kitchens it is going to be a failure.
Shobhan Kothari
Partner, Co-Founder
ADND
Growing acceptance of smart appliances
Even if the smartness and safety form the key components of the modern-day appliances and gadgets as observed by a few, some are also of the opinion that orderly spacey kitchens with high-end integrated gadgets and appliances that seamlessly blend into the layout, preserving the sleek minimalistic design are also achieving the much-needed practicality. “Technology is making significant inroads into the kitchen. The concept of a state-of-the-art smart kitchen has transformed the way that people cook and do up their kitchens. In fact, the kitchen appliance market in India is growing by over 20% percent that is much over the GDP rate. I predict that more and more consumers are going to be joining the bandwagon to embrace this trend,” observes Ankur Agarwal, Marketing Manager, TTK Prestige.
As technology advances, the kitchen is developing and adapting to become more and more efficient and intelligent. From fridges that connect to the internet radio to wifi-enabled fridges, IoT ovens, saucepans that connect to the phone – kitchens are indeed growing smarter by the day. They come equipped with features such as self-cleaning or waste sorting. Using smart ovens, scales and thermometers allow users to measure and monitor cooking. Devices can monitor food ingredients for allergens. Connected fitness technology enables users to monitor and synchronise food consumption with fitness routines.
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Shobhan Kothari, Partner and Co-Founder of ADND says, “Smart Kitchens work wonders if it involves integrating technology in the form of equipment that can help to reduce waste. Any technology introduced in a program facilitates the process of it being creative, more detrimental in the design aspect critical to the end-user. The first thing is the involvement of technology integrating into the form of equipment so on and so forth. I would like to believe that how we can look at being environmentally friendly, reduce the carbon footprint, reduce dry and wet waste, and be more sustainable.”
He further adds, “As a designer, it is important to understand the context where and what we are designing in the kitchens. When consumers head into the kitchen, they are very likely to be getting help from the new generation of smart appliances on things like reducing food waste, cooking to address their personal health profiles, and staying better connected to the origins of their food—issues that are important to consumers and the food industry. Wi-Fi, cameras, software, Bluetooth devices are added to the appliances for multiple reasons, they are those kitchen's gadgets and software designed to save energy and time where the main purpose is to be sustainable and efficient combining electronics, careful design, and environmentally friendly elements.”
The consumer durables industry was never perceived to be a tech-savvy industry with cool technology being used. However, with innovation now entering the kitchen, companies have been able to bring the notion that kitchen appliance companies can also be cool and technology-friendly.
Ankur Agarwal
Marketing Manager
TTK Prestige
Technology and beyond
Beyond the technology of connectivity, kitchen components are getting smarter in other significant areas such as tiles with built-in self-cleaning features that make floors and backsplashes easier to maintain. Hands-free faucets minimise germ spread and help in reducing water usage. High-end refrigerators extend the shelf life of produce, reducing waste. Thanks to temperature probes and software programs, ovens can manage the entire cooking process without sacrificing quality, safety, or accuracy.
Even though the smart home is being marketed at homeowners as the homes of the future, packed with cool gadgets and neighbour-wowing conveniences, it is clearly not convincing anyone other than early adopters to invest the hard-earned cash. Amol Prabhu, Partner, Shashi Prabhu & Associates (SPA) opines, “People see connected gadgets as a luxury because that’s how they’re being sold. The key drivers in smart home adoption are home security, energy efficiency, entertainment, convenience/productivity, connectivity, and health monitoring. Smartness starts with safety that is the most important thing in a kitchen then the next aspect is functionality and the third smartness is aesthetics, this is how it should be. Singular emphasis on aesthetics is not acceptable. In the kitchens of tomorrow, connectedness is the key.”
Smart Materials
Developments in technology have not only led to the enhancement of common home features, such as smart fridges and thermostats, but also in the materials that are used to create staples of the home such as kitchen worktops.
Stefano Core, CEO of Valcucine says, “Glass has grown up and has entered the list of most prestigious kitchen materials. Many have understood its strength and essence; not only has it become the most appreciated material but has also become the most deeply rooted. Once you have tried glass, it will never change. Innovation has anticipated aesthetics and it is becoming a myth and a ritual; the same thing happened to wood, marble, and other precious materials in the past. Today, nobody can imagine a kitchen industry that does not use glass. People and their well-being are always the focus of our design and that is why we want to create products that contribute to making life more enjoyable every day. Nature is one of the greatest designers of all time.”
Lighting choices
The kitchen space with windows is a source of natural light and ventilation. Besides this, energy-efficient LED lighting increases the elegance of the kitchens. A combination of lamps recessed fixtures and LED uplifts the ambience of the kitchens and its cool operation also limits the role of light sources in raising kitchen temperatures. “Lighting has taken on a new sense of form in modern kitchens. Whether your style is traditional with an ornate chandelier gracing your kitchen island or if you prefer a minimal set of pendants lamps – embrace lighting in your kitchen. Look to the new generation of ovens and sub-zero refrigerators to offer better lighting inside them for better visibility for you to see your food and to create a gorgeous experience preparing your meals,” observes Ateet Vengurlekar, Principal Architect and Interior Designer, Blue Arch Architects & Interiors.
The way forward
“Kitchens are an architectural expression of domestic living habits. While there are many opportunities and scope for gadget-oriented appliances in the next-gen-kitchens, there are challenges to overcome. Smart appliances and interconnectivity provide new opportunities for the users to engage. While these new possibilities offer many benefits, there can be some hesitancy towards technology in the kitchen as the commitment to cooking and preparing food at home. For many professionals, it is associated with warm memories and tradition of what was historically a manual process,” avers Prabhu.
Kothari says, “I think the sustainable environment is the way of the future and it is something that you cannot put blinkers and walk into the future with. You have to keep in mind whether it is waste and water management or electricity; all of these things are a big part of how smart kitchens must operate and I think that is the future of the kitchens if you can reduce carbon footprints.”
However, if the technology is not compatible with the end-user, or the user is not in-sync with the available technology, it is going to be a failure. The future is now. The technology is here. Versatility is the key in the kitchen of the future.
Technology is very important and it is driving our day-to-day lives and if going towards miniaturisation, possibly the recovery of all those things that are important in kitchens are possible. Automation of light and temperature, auto-detection of gas leakages, or carbon monoxide, are some smartness that can be incorporated in the kitchens.
Amol Prabhu
Partner
SPA
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