Let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter how big your house is, the kitchen is the place where people congregate. It’s where endless meals are prepared and shared, and the world’s problems are solved with family and friends.

So, if you want to spend less time cooking in the kitchen and more time making memories, you need to make your kitchen a smart one. In other words, let it do the work for you.

 

 

THE HEART (AND THE BRAINS)

While it was a bit slower on the smart home uptake than other rooms in the house, the smart kitchen has gained huge traction in recent times, particularly when it comes to clever gadgets and gizmos. And by smart, we are not just talking about being connected to the Internet; we’re also talking about innovation and benefits that have revolutionised the way we cook and entertain.

CONNECT YOUR COOKING

Smart kitchens are all about minimising stress and making cooking more convenient, which frees you up to do other things.

By having an oven that is connected to the Internet, you can be at your daughter’s swimming lessons or on your way home from work but still manage to get a start on dinner.

You know the age-old adage that German design is the best? Well, it’s proven right with Siemens’ newest range of smart ovens.  These uber-intelligent ovens don’t need pre-heating, have energy-efficient LED lighting, and have easy to navigate touchscreens.

This and other smart ovens like it don’t just automate life for you, they do a pretty fantastic job of cooking your food too, thanks to impressive built-in features. Think cameras that light up the entire oven so you don’t have to open the door, sensors that weigh the food and adjust the cooking time accordingly, and rotating fans that mean you can cook food evenly over every shelf.

SMART FRIDGES

While it is a little on the expensive side, Samsung’s Family Hub Refrigerator is every entertainer’s dreams.  Form aside, its clever functionality allows you to order groceries directly from Woolworths thanks to built-in wi-fi and a handy touchscreen. There are too many clever features to list, but a recipe app, built-in speakers and the ability to sync with your smartphone so that you can view calendars and photos on your fridge, certainly elevates this fridge from smart to brainiac. 

There’s others on the market too, like LGs InstaView range where you tap on the touchscreen twice to illuminate the contents of your fridge. Geared towards keeping your produce fresher for longer, this smart fridge also allows you to remotely change the temperature of your fridge to accommodate an incoming grocery haul.

CLEVER APPLIANCES

Less expensive smart kitchen items are also becoming more astute and professional. We all love (read: rely on) a good morning coffee and lucky for us there are some pretty smart coffee machines available. While they won’t fill the water and pour the milk for you, they do pretty much everything else.  A press of your smartphone will activate your machine so you can be showering upstairs while your coffee is brewing downstairs.

WEIGHING UP THE BENEFITS

It goes without saying that the upfront costs of having a smart kitchen are a little expensive, but if you consider the amount of time you save slaving away and the sheer convenience that automation provides, the expense feels less overwhelming. 

Also, consider some of the longer-term savings: fridges that keep produce fresher for longer means less waste, barista quality coffee at home means less takeaway, and ovens that cook a roast chicken like a restaurant mean less eating out. 

Smart kitchens also give home cooks exposure to technology and techniques that, in the past, could only be found in professional kitchens.  For avid entertainers in particular, a smart kitchen is a no brainer.

CREATING YOUR OWN SMART KITCHEN

At Crystele Homes, all of our designs can be customised, so it’s just a matter of talking to one of our consultants and then deciding what products and appliances you want. There are so many useful consumer websites out there, so the brand and style really comes down to personal choice.

After that, all you need is reliable wi-fi where you place your gadgets and a smartphone.  See, achieving a smart kitchen isn’t rocket science.

Contact us today for free advice about how we can help to make your culinary space the brainiest on the block.