As a side effect of the economy, consumers are enhancing and upgrading their stay-at-home experiences, especially as CE intersects with the kitchen.
The next big thing to hit the kitchen: networked appliances.
Attractively styled high-def flat screens together with Internet connectivity, Blu-ray players and other components have taken the drag out of staying-at-home. People are experiencing the thrill of the movie theater in the comfort of a home theater or den. At some point, attention turns to munchies—and the kitchen. “What do we have to eat?”
The kitchen has always held a symbolic place at the center of the home. Most people fondly remember the smells of a Sun- day dinner and the comfortable chitchat in the kitchen. For a while it seemed as if the kitchen got lost amidst the beauty of flat- screen TVs and videogame consoles—but now the kitchen is making a come-back.
Data from the past 18 months indicates that the small kitchen electronics category rose to $3.8 billion, an increase of nine per- cent, as compared with 2008. Further, in June sales of major appliances generated double-digit dollar growth and 16 per- cent growth from January to May 2010, as compared to the same period in 2009, according to The NPD Group. It attributed this growth trajectory to pent-up demand, increased consumer confidence, rebate programs and strong retailer promotions. Major appliances include refrigerators (excluding compacts), washing machines, clothes dryers, ranges, dishwashers, micro- wave ovens, ovens, cook-tops, freezers, room air conditioners and range hoods.
Kitchens are being redesigned to offer a more participatory entertainment experience, including easy-to-use smart electronics. Not only is the kitchen the connecting point for friends and family but it is also a place where people with busy lifestyles stay connected in an intuitive, technological way. Comfort, simplicity and convenience are a central theme. There is now a dazzling array of small appliances that are aesthetically stylish, and come in beautiful colors, shapes and designs to appeal to today’s digital lifestyles.
Always Connected
The next big thing soon to hit the kitchen: networked smart appliances. Just as we see the evolution of the smart home to control temperature, lighting or security monitoring, remotely at home, on-the-road or from the office—we are also at the beginning of a new era in the kitchen.
Smart home appliances are specialized equipment programmed to run from a central system. Any device can be a smart appliance—that thinks for itself. As a result of Wi-Fi, home networking and security interfaces the kitchen environment is get- ting more intelligent.
Appliances are becoming connected, and their ability to communicate with each other is on its way to becoming a new reality. Some say that the kitchen will read your personal electromagnetic field when you enter—and automatically begin to brew your favorite beverage and update your profile—while you wait for your bagel to be toasted. In fact, the next wave of microwaves will have a scanner to read the package of popcorn and then preset itself for operation.
Appliances that plan out menus, re-order and re-stock are already on assembly lines. Wi-Fi-enabled refrigerators will update a family’s personal calendars from its central calendar on the refrigerator or replenish pre-programmed grocery items through an online grocery service.
In addition, a prototype for an iBoard—or Smart Board—already has been developed in the U.S. that automatically identifies the signature of food products, features an integrated digital scale and an embedded Wi-Fi that connects the board to an online food database, offering the opportunity to obtain nutritional information and an online recipe database, for instance. Imagine the potential for social networking with other culinary hobbyists.
Now, sit back and dream about a future where your kitchen will become one computerized appliance that reads lifestyle patterns, anticipates needs for food, lighting, entertainment and clean-up, and automatically performs—without explicit human commands. Just think about a grilled hot dog, freshly made popcorn, or a roast chicken, and voila, it’s done and ready for you to serve and eat!
Check out the new Connected Appliance TechZone at the 2011 International CES to find out what kitchen technology will be unveiled next year.
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