Despite the leaps and bounds we’ve made in tech, our kitchens haven’t been the site of much innovation. The average Canadian’s kitchen hasn’t changed all that much in the last 50 years. With only minor variances in size, colour, and efficiency, our major appliances haven’t evolved drastically over the decades. Seafoam green and yellow fridges may have been replaced by black and stainless steel models, but the fridges of today don’t do anything they couldn’t do in the 80s. That may not be true for much longer, as the technological stagnation we’ve experienced in our kitchens is about to change. The future is a bright one, promising major innovations to our favourite appliances that wouldn’t be out of place in an episode of the Jetsons or Star Trek.
Business experts expect our kitchens to become a smart room in the future. Appliances will be able to connect with other devices, like your smartphone, fitbit, and other gadgets to share information in order to improve efficiency and prevent wastefulness. Samsung has already begun manufacturing a smart fridge with the Family Hub Refrigerator. Its doors are outfitted with a touchscreen loaded with apps and access to the Internet, while the inside cabinet is equipped with a camera to keep track of its inventory.
As impressive as Samsung’s invention may be, eventually the Family Hub will be replaced by more advanced equipment. Specialists expect the future will improve its ability to communicate with other devices. For example, you’ll be able to get a notification when certain items are reaching their expiry date. For another, your FitBit will be able to alert your fridge of the exercises you’ve done so it can suggest a meal based on its contents to replenish energy.
Sound too space-age? This is nothing compared to IKEA’s design for kitchens in 2025. The typical fridge is totally absent from their blueprints, replaced by what they call The Modern Pantry. Think of it as a shelving unit that has induction-cooling technology built-in. You’ll be able to set each shelf and the special clear containers to an individual temperature. Not only will this give you the ability to customize according to your tastes, but its no-door, clear-container policy lets you know what you have on hand at all times.
IKEA also intends to invent new appliances, like their Table for Living. What looks like a normal counter will combine your iPad, cutting board, and stove. Sensors embedded in the surface will read the individual ingredients you’ve set out. It will have the ability to suggest recipes utilizing these ingredients and even project how-to videos on the wall. It will also have hidden induction coils eliminating the need for our old-fashioned stovetops.
Our regular readers will remember our post back in March explaining the technology behind induction stoves. For those of you who missed it, these stoves rely on magnetisms to cook food without heating any other surface. As a result, the accidental fires when food and other materials touch the traditional coils will be a thing of a past — in the year 2025.
Until then, the average kitchen isn’t going to change all that much. Even then, only the world’s most financially secure will be able to change over to the new way of doing things at the very start. In the meantime, our crew will be ready to service any traditional appliance with the stove and fridge repair Toronto can trust. We’re prepared to evolve our skills and services right along with the future, so keep our number on hand — whatever year it is!
