The Rise Of Smart Appliances In The Kitchen | More Kitchens
Published: 28 November 2022
Built-in hot water taps, automatic lighting, and seamless looking countertops are becoming the new norm in kitchens around the country. There’s no denying that the demand for smart kitchens has massively increased over the last few years, and the trend isn’t slowing down.
Searches for ‘smart fridges’ have increased by over 315% since 2012, and ‘hot tap’ searches have shot up by 233%. With tech in kitchens constantly evolving, smart kitchen appliances are here to stay.
What are smart kitchen appliances?
A smart appliance is a device that’s often digitised and allows you to have better control, convenience, and information. They often connect to smartphones or tablets and allow users to have seamless experiences.
But it’s not just appliances with screens that can be classed as ‘smart’. Items like hot taps that provide boiling water on demand, as well as self-cleaning ovens, all qualify as smart appliances. That’s because they work to make a user's daily life easier and more convenient.
There are a huge array of smart appliances out there, many of which can be incorporated into kitchens to help make the cooking process more enjoyable and seamless. As Julie (a Senior Designer at More Kitchens) puts it “the possibilities are endless” with smart appliances.
What is the future of smart kitchen appliances?
Often just dreamt up in TV shows and films of the past, technological advancements have now created real life appliances that can be used to help our daily routines.
We’ve already seen the development of tech like downdraft extractors that can be hidden away in countertops to emphasise space and provide a ‘cleaner’ looking aesthetic. Likewise, voice activated appliances and kinetic systems of lighting are all signals to where the smart appliances industry may be heading.
Julie, Senior Designer at More Kitchens, shared her thoughts on the future of kitchens:
“Smart technology is moving into all of the electric appliances that we use. It’s going beyond just systems that can control your lighting and things like that. There are a lot of different options out there with the likes of Alexa and Hive. A few years ago nobody would think they would turn on their lights with their voice rather than a light switch. Everything in the industry now seems to be going that way.
Smart appliances are going to become standard over the next five years. Kinetic wiring (wire-free appliances) is going to be the norm. It's mind-blowing, but it's actually very exciting to think about.”
The cost of living
Smart appliances can also be very cost-efficient. As long as you’re buying appropriately sized appliances for your needs (e.g. not a large American-style fridge freezer for a family of two), then you may find the latest technology helps to bring your bills down.
Some appliances can automatically turn themselves off after use, whilst others are simply more energy efficient than older, worn-down appliances.
Different types of smart appliances
There are a huge range of smart appliances out there that you can incorporate into your kitchen. Here are some of our favourites:
Hot taps
Boiling hot water taps are a tea lover's dream. With constant access to a flow of boiling water, and the ability to switch the stream to cold water with a simple twist, hot water taps give users the opportunity to speed up their cooking processes.
Beyond saving time waiting for the kettle to boil, hot water taps also bring environmental benefits to your home. The main benefit being that you’re able to save water and use the exact amount that you need.
Never again will you put too little water in the kettle and have to boil a second load, or vastly overestimate the millilitres needed and spend five minutes waiting for it all to get hot again!
Self-cleaning ovens
Although it might seem futuristic, self-cleaning ovens have actually been around since the 1960s. Granted, the tech has advanced considerably since then!
Most self-cleaning ovens work through either high-heat or steam cleaning. High heat versions work by turning up to extremely high temperatures which burn off any leftover residue and turns it into ash. Some eco-versions do allow you to burn off less stubborn residue at lower temperatures.
Conversely, the steam cleaning versions work with both heat and water to loosen soils. Steam self-cleaning ovens offer the benefit of no burn off, no smells, and lower temperatures in general. All you’ll need to do is give it a quick wipe down after you’ve let the system run.
Smart fridges
Long gone are the days of ‘simple’ in-built ice dispensers. Now you can buy fridges that have in-built TVs!
There is a huge range of smart refrigerators out there that have a myriad of features. From identifying the items in your fridge and suggesting recipes, to circulating air so that your meats and cheese are at an optimum temperature no matter where they are situated, technology has advanced refrigerators in ways we could never have imagined.
You can even find some appliances that use LCD screens and interior cameras to show you exactly what’s in your fridge without you even having to open the door. This can be really helpful if you’re out food shopping and have forgotten what’s already in stock at home.
Downdraft extractors
Downdraft extractors sit separately from hobs but still work by drawing in any smells, grease and steam. They work at cooking level (rather than from the ceiling) to take away unwanted substances at the source.
They’re great for kitchens with low ceilings, and they can also pop down into the countertop when they’re not in use with the touch of a button. This makes them a perfect choice for anyone wanting to have a seamless looking countertop with minimal cluttered space.
Kinetic lighting
Kinetic lighting is already becoming more popular in all different rooms within homes, not just kitchens. Kinetic lighting means lights that are ‘wire-free’. They’re not hardwired and instead are controlled ‘kinetically’ and can often be toggled by remote controls or apps.
The rise of kinetic lighting and LEDs has been great news for bathrooms. They’ve been a perfect solution when regulations have meant you can't have a mains electrical switch within a bathroom. It’s likely the future will see even more uses of kinetic lighting in kitchens too.
Mobile and app connections
Most smart appliances now also come with adjoining apps that are often compatible with voice assistants such as Alexa, Siri or Google Nests. There are now lots of elements of your kitchen that can be controlled by your voice or smartphone.
Popular uses include:
> Preheating your oven when you’re on your way home from work
> Accessing child safety controls from your phone
> Adjusting fridge temperatures remotely
> Getting notifications if appliance doors have been left open
> And even scheduling your morning coffee to be made in your machine when you’re still in bed!
Are you interested in making your kitchen ‘smart’?
With so many potential smart appliances out there, the number of ways to revamp your kitchen and make it work for you is limitless.
If you’re interested in designing a new kitchen to make your cooking experience seamless, then get in touch with us. We take care of everything from kitchen design right through to getting it fully fitted.
So if a hot tap or an oven that cleans itself appeals, book a free design appointment with us today.
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