Cool kitchens: the next generation of must-haves

The next generation of home cooks will cook in kitchens of interconnected smart appliances, 3D printers and touchscreen controls that will simplify food preparation, create customised meal solutions and produce far less waste. That’s the prediction from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in an article that appeared in the December issue of its Food Technology magazine.

Some of the high-tech features we can expect to see in home kitchens include:

1. Appliances that are wired to actively monitor their contents and reorder when it senses supplies are running low. Products that are near their expiration dates would be moved closer to the front.

2. Individual family members could print their choice of dinner when they want it, using a benchtop 3D printer that takes into account likes and dislikes, food allergies and nutritional needs.

3. Induction cooktops using magnetic energy and compatible pans will heat up only when a pan is placed on it; the rest of the surface can be safely used for other tasks.

4. Benches, sinks and cooking surfaces can move up or down at the touch of a button, appealing to the height of people sharing a kitchen as well those with disabilities. Stoves can be moved up so children don’t hurt themselves, while the sink can be lowered so they can easily wash their hands.

5. Integration facial recognition technology will enable the kitchen to automatically set itself to a combination of desired settings — from bench height to ambient lighting to background music — as soon as the user is home.

6. Virtual chefs will be projected directly into consumers’ kitchens to guide their cooking.

7. Integrated systems will read data from fitness-monitoring devices and suggest meals appropriate to certain situations, such as muscle recovery after a strenuous workout.

8. Sinks would come equipped with a finger sensor that could read users’ hydration levels, dispensing water when it’s needed.

9. Video monitoring will help consumers see exactly what they have and systems that are linked to ovens and stoves will create recipes that use the meal preparation ingredients that are expiring.

10. Fridges will use ultraviolet light to sterilise food within them, keeping it safe from spoilage. A blast chiller will instantly take leftovers out of the danger zone where bacteria thrive.