10 Techy Ideas for 21st-Century Kitchens
Modern technology finds its new home in the heart of yours, with high-tech gizmos and gadgets in the kitchen making life easier. Here's how
There’s no doubt that recent advances in technology have infiltrated the way we operate in the home, and the kitchen in particular has benefited from some clever ideas. Whether you love your gadgets on glorious display or hidden demurely out of sight, take a look through these ingenious solutions that take kitchen design innovation to another level.
2. Allocate a charging drawer
The kitchen is often the social hub of the home, and the place where we tend to congregate. Into this informal atmosphere come our gadgets too. However, it’s not always the safest environment for them, with sinks and hot plates, steam and heavy pots. So why not incorporate a charging drawer or cupboard into your kitchen design?
Here, the drawer consists of a tray with recesses for each gadget. Hidden away beneath is a charging hub, with a port for every item.
The kitchen is often the social hub of the home, and the place where we tend to congregate. Into this informal atmosphere come our gadgets too. However, it’s not always the safest environment for them, with sinks and hot plates, steam and heavy pots. So why not incorporate a charging drawer or cupboard into your kitchen design?
Here, the drawer consists of a tray with recesses for each gadget. Hidden away beneath is a charging hub, with a port for every item.
3. Let your oven clean itself
Scrubbing away at baked-on grease deep in the belly of an oven has to be one of the toughest cleaning jobs there is. So next time you upgrade your cooker, opt for a self-cleaning model.
One of the most effective technologies to accomplish this is the pyrolytic cleaning function. The oven heats to an extremely high temperature, which enables it to burn away grease and spills. You can then wipe the ash away with a damp cloth.
Alternatively, ovens fitted with catalytic liners are a less pricey option. The liners are fitted to the sides of the oven, and are created to absorb and then burn off grease at 200ºC. They only clean the sides, however, so you’ll need to deal with the trays and door.
How to clean your oven properly
Scrubbing away at baked-on grease deep in the belly of an oven has to be one of the toughest cleaning jobs there is. So next time you upgrade your cooker, opt for a self-cleaning model.
One of the most effective technologies to accomplish this is the pyrolytic cleaning function. The oven heats to an extremely high temperature, which enables it to burn away grease and spills. You can then wipe the ash away with a damp cloth.
Alternatively, ovens fitted with catalytic liners are a less pricey option. The liners are fitted to the sides of the oven, and are created to absorb and then burn off grease at 200ºC. They only clean the sides, however, so you’ll need to deal with the trays and door.
How to clean your oven properly
4. Embrace drawers not doors
In the quest for simple, easy-to-access storage, the drawer is an ideal vehicle. Some kitchens are designed entirely with deep drawers, because it’s so much easier to get to your heavy pans from above than scrabbling at the back of a cupboard.
Now appliance makers have caught on: you can get a pull-out dishwasher, fridge or freezer contained in a sleek drawer. With a bird’s-eye view, it’s much harder to lose a sorry pot of hoummus at the back of the fridge. And who knows – when the dishwasher is this easy to unstack, members of the household might even fight for the privilege!
In the quest for simple, easy-to-access storage, the drawer is an ideal vehicle. Some kitchens are designed entirely with deep drawers, because it’s so much easier to get to your heavy pans from above than scrabbling at the back of a cupboard.
Now appliance makers have caught on: you can get a pull-out dishwasher, fridge or freezer contained in a sleek drawer. With a bird’s-eye view, it’s much harder to lose a sorry pot of hoummus at the back of the fridge. And who knows – when the dishwasher is this easy to unstack, members of the household might even fight for the privilege!
5. Clear the air
Extractor fans ducting away cooking odours and grease are now a normal feature in the kitchen. However, there’s a huge variety of these appliances. Some kitchens suit an industrial vibe, complete with a large metallic chimney hood standing proud over the hob. Other rooms work best with discreetly minimalist vents hidden in the ceiling or behind cabinet doors. Here, the downdraft extractor is hidden in the benchtop and pops up when it’s needed.
Manufacturers have also developed systems to allow your hob to communicate with your extractor fan through wireless technology. The hob uses infrared sensors to determine the temperature of the cooking, and then communicates with the fan to tell it how vigorously to run.
Browse a range of hoods and exhaust fans
Extractor fans ducting away cooking odours and grease are now a normal feature in the kitchen. However, there’s a huge variety of these appliances. Some kitchens suit an industrial vibe, complete with a large metallic chimney hood standing proud over the hob. Other rooms work best with discreetly minimalist vents hidden in the ceiling or behind cabinet doors. Here, the downdraft extractor is hidden in the benchtop and pops up when it’s needed.
Manufacturers have also developed systems to allow your hob to communicate with your extractor fan through wireless technology. The hob uses infrared sensors to determine the temperature of the cooking, and then communicates with the fan to tell it how vigorously to run.
Browse a range of hoods and exhaust fans
6. Secrete those sockets
As we add more and more appliances to our kitchen arsenal, we have a greater need for plug points in handy places. It used to be that the only solution was to line up four or five double sockets on the wall. These can be tricky to tile around, and it’s expensive to cut a bespoke splashback to fit. With a few of these pop-up power points in your benchtop and island, you can reclaim your walls and simply tuck the sockets away when not in use.
As we add more and more appliances to our kitchen arsenal, we have a greater need for plug points in handy places. It used to be that the only solution was to line up four or five double sockets on the wall. These can be tricky to tile around, and it’s expensive to cut a bespoke splashback to fit. With a few of these pop-up power points in your benchtop and island, you can reclaim your walls and simply tuck the sockets away when not in use.
7. Consider a warming drawer
One of the little luxuries of having a range cooker is that there’s often a small allocated oven for ‘warming’. Plates can be stored in there just a few minutes before serving up, and maybe even a meal for anyone late to the table.
Warming drawers are similarly useful for a kitchen without a range cooker. If you have a built-in oven, the drawer can be fitted just underneath for easy access. Not only are they good for heating up your crockery, they can also be used for proving bread and defrosting food.
One of the little luxuries of having a range cooker is that there’s often a small allocated oven for ‘warming’. Plates can be stored in there just a few minutes before serving up, and maybe even a meal for anyone late to the table.
Warming drawers are similarly useful for a kitchen without a range cooker. If you have a built-in oven, the drawer can be fitted just underneath for easy access. Not only are they good for heating up your crockery, they can also be used for proving bread and defrosting food.
8. Put together a work station behind closed doors
Microwaves can be bulky and take up a lot of bench space, but you can give yours a home in its own little cabinet. Make sure you keep the doors open while it’s operating for maximum ventilation, but feel free to hide it away again when you’re done.
Another popular storage nook idea is a breakfast station, with a coffee pot, kettle, toaster and other morning necessities all to hand in one place. Or you could create a baking zone, where a large food mixer can sit, plugged in and ready to go.
This sort of function-specific storage is great for making the most of your mid-sized appliances while keeping your work surfaces clear.
Where’s the best place for your microwave?
Microwaves can be bulky and take up a lot of bench space, but you can give yours a home in its own little cabinet. Make sure you keep the doors open while it’s operating for maximum ventilation, but feel free to hide it away again when you’re done.
Another popular storage nook idea is a breakfast station, with a coffee pot, kettle, toaster and other morning necessities all to hand in one place. Or you could create a baking zone, where a large food mixer can sit, plugged in and ready to go.
This sort of function-specific storage is great for making the most of your mid-sized appliances while keeping your work surfaces clear.
Where’s the best place for your microwave?
9. Fit a waste disposal unit to your sink
They’ve been around for years, but modern-day units are incredibly efficient, quiet and also environmentally friendly. Tip your food waste (including bones) into the drain, press the switch, and in a matter of seconds it will have been pulverised into tiny pieces and sent off to the water processing plant.
There’s now capacity in some areas for this food waste to be made into fertiliser, so it’s ultimately a good, green solution. You can even get rid of that little food waste caddy that takes up space on the benchtop.
They’ve been around for years, but modern-day units are incredibly efficient, quiet and also environmentally friendly. Tip your food waste (including bones) into the drain, press the switch, and in a matter of seconds it will have been pulverised into tiny pieces and sent off to the water processing plant.
There’s now capacity in some areas for this food waste to be made into fertiliser, so it’s ultimately a good, green solution. You can even get rid of that little food waste caddy that takes up space on the benchtop.
10. Retire your kettle
Perhaps the most desirable kitchen innovation of all is the boiling-water tap (some dispense boiling water and some nearly-boiling, so do your research). It means no more waiting around for the kettle. A boiling-water tap is not the cheapest investment, but once you’ve got one, you really wouldn’t want to go back. In fact, make sure you shop around because prices are definitely coming down.
You can buy these with the kettle function integral to the main tap – they normally have a safety feature on the boiling water valve that makes it harder for children to twist on. Others are separate, standalone taps that you can put near the main water tap or even elsewhere in the kitchen out of reach of little hands. There’s a storage canister, which is housed below the sink, so before you take the plunge, you’ll need to check on available space.
TELL US
What do you think of these technology ideas? Do you have some great gadgets in your kitchen? Share your thoughts and ideas in the Comments below.
MORE
See more contemporary kitchen designs
Perhaps the most desirable kitchen innovation of all is the boiling-water tap (some dispense boiling water and some nearly-boiling, so do your research). It means no more waiting around for the kettle. A boiling-water tap is not the cheapest investment, but once you’ve got one, you really wouldn’t want to go back. In fact, make sure you shop around because prices are definitely coming down.
You can buy these with the kettle function integral to the main tap – they normally have a safety feature on the boiling water valve that makes it harder for children to twist on. Others are separate, standalone taps that you can put near the main water tap or even elsewhere in the kitchen out of reach of little hands. There’s a storage canister, which is housed below the sink, so before you take the plunge, you’ll need to check on available space.
TELL US
What do you think of these technology ideas? Do you have some great gadgets in your kitchen? Share your thoughts and ideas in the Comments below.
MORE
See more contemporary kitchen designs
If you’re building from scratch, or renovating a whole property, look into the feasibility of installing an automation system to control heating, lighting, sound (music streaming) and even window coverings. The ultimate in tech innovation, you can control all your utilities from one place.
There are quite a few smart home systems on the market with functions to control different needs, so you could feel overwhelmed by the choice. The key is to write a list of what you specifically need in your own home. Then discuss the list and the layout of your property with a professional installer, who will be able to give you advice on the right system for you.