Futuristic Kitchens are Coming to a Home Near You

When was the last time you flipped through a cookbook or recipe card?

I couldn’t even give you a straight answer. I find ALL of my recipes online. In fact, I do almost everything on the World Wide Web.

And kitchen designers are taking beginning to take note, according to this article from the USA Today, with counter tops that double as charging stations and provide places to store mobile devices.

Soon, those counter tops may even contain wireless power sources for small appliances, letting home chefs blend and toast without plugging into a wall outlet. It’s a vision of the future that’s very much in sync with the needs of 21st century cooks.

This image was taken from www.digsdigs.com

Forget your Ancient Cookbook and Go with a Tablet

For people like me who have multiple food allergies, it’s easier to search for a recipe on Google than it is to buy a physical cookbook. Websites like One tsp. and ZipList work like the recipe card file your grandma used, storing your favorite recipes and letting you type in your own, according to the USA Today article. And when they run into trouble, there are always YouTube tutorials to help you out.

According to an Allrecipes.com survey of U.S. cooks who own mobile devices, 38% use a tablet in the kitchen, and 19% use a smartphone.

I don’t think I’ve cooked recently WITHOUT my smart phone.

And those numbers are rising every year, which means new opportunities for integrating technology into traditional kitchen decor.

Home Office, Meet the Kitchen

A growing focus on tablets and smartphones means new kitchen designs not only have to take into account ovens and dishwashers, but touch-screens and keyboards.

“We’re seeing from a design-trends standpoint that connectivity is important,” said John Petrie, president of the National Kitchen and Bath Association and owner of Mother Hubbard’s Custom Cabinetry in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

According to Petrie, today’s kitchen counter also doubles as a desk, where people can dash off an e-mail or take a conference call. New designs have to take that into account.

Kitchens of the Future

According to Ran Poliakine, CEO and founder of Powermat, kitchens of the near future will feature cloud-connected wireless power stations that can tell the difference between a phone in need of charging and a coffee maker that needs 1,200 watts of power.

“Just place it on the kitchen counter, and the kitchen counter can identify that this is the coffee maker,” said Poliakine. “Then, when you’re done with it, you simply put the coffee maker in the dishwasher.” Since its wireless, you wouldn’t have to worry about exposing it to water.”