Before the pandemic took place, cooking was a chore I completely avoided! But now, I honestly find it quite therapeutic! The pandemic, and all the free time that came along with it, somehow awakened my inner chef! I’m sure a lot of other inner chefs were brought to life as well. And with the third wave slowly encroaching upon the world, it may be time to deep dive into cooking once again! Especially with the right kitchen tools and appliances, cooking can be a fun and effortless process. The right products can reduce your prep time in half, make the little cooking tasks much easier, and help you with tedious and complicated techniques. From a built-in water purifier that’ll fit perfectly into the corner of your kitchen to a cooking device that combines two common cooking methods – this collection of kitchen appliances promises to transform cooking from a Herculean feat to an approachable and enjoyable process! Let your inner chef take over with the help of these innovative and nifty designs!
1. The Barbecue Nx
The smart grill concept has been designed by Swapnil Yeutkar who is a Product Designer for Whirlpool India. It’s only an idea but the Barbecue Nx has the potential to be big when it becomes a reality. It goes beyond its stylish form but it doesn’t look anything like the common grills we see in the market. At first glance, it looks like a huge air fryer or a small electric oven. In another angle, it appears like an oven toaster.
Why is it noteworthy?
What makes this concept special, is that it’s a grilling machine that allows a more efficient grilling with unique low smoke technology. A centrifugal fan helps in grilling so everything is efficient. It’s what powers the grill and sends out air to the chimney via two input manifolds. There is a fire plate that ignites the fire gel as described by the design. This makes the machine ready to grill in just five minutes.
What we like
- Ready to grill within five minutes
- Separable grill that can be easily cleaned, and is user friendly for cooking veggies + meat at once
- Unique low smoke technology
What we dislike
- Not very portable
- Looks more like an air fryer, than a barbecue grill
2. The NOOK Built-in Water Purifier
Built-in water purifiers are preferred, but you can also have something that looks as inviting as the NOOK Built-in Water Purifier. Designed by South Korean Hyunbin Yan, this water purifier can be installed in the corner. It will not interfere with the rest of your sink or kitchen counter because of its slim and sleek build. It does not take much space in a small sink, so it can be the perfect choice for tiny homes or apartments.
Why is it noteworthy?
The NOOK Built-in Water Purifier’s interesting features are what make it unique. It features an attachable drip tray. In addition, there is a magnet at the bottom of the body that can be customized to the user’s preference. At first glance, it looks like a sleek coffee machine, but it is just a purifier. Water comes out when you touch the black button you see on top. The amount of water and temperature can also be set with a touch of the controller.
What we like
- Visually pleasing aesthetics, unlike regular purifiers
- Space-friendly
- Movable head, allowing you to adjust the cup size
What we dislike
- Not very easy to clean
3. The NUO portable pizza oven
NUO is designed for the world beyond large, electric ovens. This one is actually a hybrid oven that lets the baker choose between gas or wood flame. The oven works conveniently without electricity and sits comfortably on a flat surface courtesy of its metal legs. On a simple push of the knob – placed on the side of the oven – the NUO can ignite automatically and then allows one to toggle between the choice of flame and its intensity. With a chimney on top that permits exhaust control, the oven can reach temperatures of up to 500-degree Celsius within and the thermal insulation ensures the pizza cooks evenly, without heating the body of the oven from the outside.
Why is it noteworthy?
A nice combo of impeccable design and function, NUO is made from quality materials in an extremely compact size. It weighs slightly heavy owing to its thick walls and stone floor but is still convenient to carry to the garden or the outdoor location you’re traveling to. With that sort of convenience, it’s difficult to imagine a multipurpose – indoor/outdoor – pizza oven like the NUO. It multiplies the entire fun of preparing a pizza! Taking of multipurpose opportunity further, NUO portable oven can be used for tasks beyond baking pizzas. It can let aficionados prepare pasta, meat, fish, veggies, and more with the flavor of firewood if that’s your taste!
What we like
- Multipurpose oven – works both indoors and outdoors
- Portable
- You can choose between gas or wood flame
What we dislike
- Weighs slightly heavy
- Not easy to carry around
4. On2Cook
The idea behind On2Cook sounds so simple that you’d probably be left wondering why no one has thought of it before. It basically combines two of the most common methods of cooking, namely stove or induction stove, and microwave, to cut down on the time that food needs to cook. It offers the best of both worlds with almost no drawbacks, or at least that’s the premise.
Why is it noteworthy?
Conventional flame or induction cooking cooks the food from the bottom and outside, which leads to the familiar brown color that stove-cooked foods have. The microwave part, on the other hand, cooks from the top and starts from the inside, yielding in a more evenly cooked and often moist dish. This “Combination Cooking” technology also manages to retain the juices and nutrients better than either cooking method in isolation.
What we like
- Reduces power consumption
- Combines two common methods of cooking
- Promotes healthy eating
What we dislike
- Large bulky appliance
- Unsuitable for homes with space constraints
- Unsuitable for cooking certain dishes
5. Black + Decker Bev
Unveiled at CES 2022, the $300 Black + Decker Bev is an automatic bartender that whips up the tastiest cocktails and mocktails for you on the spot. It occupies about the same space as a Keurig, and strangely enough, comes immediately after Keurig announced it was terminating its own $300 cocktail maker project. What the Black + Decker Bev offers is pretty much in the same ball-park when it comes to functionality. The kitchen countertop appliance sports a 6-bottle layout that lets you easily load 5 750ml alcohol bottles of your choice along with a sixth spot for Bev’s water chamber.
Why is it noteworthy?
To create different cocktails, Bev works on a disposable pod system quite similar to Keurig and Nespresso. Created in partnership with Bartesian, Black + Decker plans on releasing as many as 40 different beverage pods with pre-mixed juices, bitters, and syrups that just need to be popped into the appliance. Once a pod is loaded, you can select how intense you want your cocktail, and Bev does the rest, mixing the ingredients together and dispensing your final cocktail directly into a glass. The entire process takes all of 30 seconds
What we like
- Mocktail setting for people who don’t drink
- You don’t need to mount bottles upside down like other cocktail makers/dispensers
What we dislike
- Doesn’t come with Bluetooth or a smartphone app
6. DADO
This minimalist-looking capsule tea machine is a concept design that can maybe someday fulfill my wish. It’s named DADO which is a term in East Asia that refers to making and drinking tea formally. The device doesn’t look like what you would use in a typical tea ceremony but the designer created something inspired by it but with a modern twist. The kettle part is inspired by what is used in traditional tea making and the minimalist design aims to bring a sense of calm and peace, things usually associated with drinking this caffeinated beverage.
Why is it noteworthy?
If you’ve used a coffee capsule machine then this follows pretty much the same procedure. There is a kettle and two cups placed on top of a “heating pad” that looks like an induction stovetop or a wireless charger. You need to fill the kettle with water in the bucket part located at the back. Then you have to preheat the cup or cups that are beside the kettle and all you have to do is press a button. In the traditional DADO, cups are pre-heated as well as part of the ceremony so that’s a pretty nice touch to add to this modern concept.
What we like
- A mix of traditional + minimal aesthetics
- Different flavors for the tea capsules
What we dislike
- Disposable capsules with a substantial carbon footprint
7. The Hyobodo Fiume
The Hyobodo Fiume is a modern take on the traditional Japanese food container called the ojubako. The latter is an important symbol of Japanese culture. It is a set of tiered boxes that hold food to share with people during special occasions.
Why is it noteworthy?
The new design by Andrea Ponti takes after the urban landscape of Kyoto. Notice the shape of the Fiume is based on the map of the city. The square grid shows the Kamogawa river, which is also an important landmark in Kyoto. It is a unique mark for the climate and seasons in Japan. Each Fiume set features four stacked tiers, and each tier shows one of the four seasons in the country: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Each season is demonstrated by how the lines are placed. The “lines” are for the divisions of the square-shaped food container that comes with rounded corners.
What we like
- Specially handcrafted from cypress wood
- Convenient to handle
What we dislike
- A design that holds food to share with people is not the best idea during a pandemic
8. The Slide Toaster
The toasting process begins in the Slide toaster with an LED ring indicating the toasting level and completion. The slide-up tray has a translucent design element to it so that you can keep an eye on the toast turning perfectly brown to your delight Level of the toast crispness can be set with an adjustment dial like all other toasters we’ve seen countless times. This is ably aided by audio indications to keep the user well informed.
Why is it noteworthy?
Harry Rigler wants to reinvent the trusted image of the toaster with a detour to the soft form design of this household kitchen appliance. That too keeping in mind the requirements of modern users, and the present as well as future design progression of kitchen interiors. Rather than being a pop-up toaster like most out there, this is the Slide toaster which rolls the toasting grill to the side like a rollable smartphone. The tray slides out – you put in the bread and slide it back in.
What we like
- Audio indications to update the user on their toast
- Unique slide-up tray
What we dislike
- The radically changed design may not be easily accepted in households
9. The Reencle
Designed to effectively compost and break down food waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer, the Reencle is a compact, quiet, odor-free kitchen appliance that puts your food waste to good use; although that shouldn’t give you an excuse to waste more food!
Why is it noteworthy?
Hoping to put that waste into good use so it doesn’t end up in a landfill creating tonnes of CO2 and Methane as it decomposes, the Reencle is an at-home solution that helps efficiently break down food in a way that turns it into a rich compost that benefits the planet instead of harming it. Microorganisms inside the Reencle’s inner chamber break the food down in roughly 24 hours, creating a compost that can be used in gardens, backyards, indoor planters, or even be disposed of, so it doesn’t harm the environment.
What we like
- Requires barely any space
- Needs no setting up or plumbing
- Can be kept in the kitchen, where its odor-proof design ensures undesired aromas never enter your home
What we dislike
No complaints!
10. The JIA Inc. Rolling Mortar
Inspired by the Chinese ceramic tea mortars from the Tang Dynasty, this pestle + mortar combo brings modernity and sensibility to a century-old practice. The mortar comes in the form of an elegant, U-shaped porcelain bowl, whereas the pestle is a solid wooden oak wheel. Instead of punching and grinding the spices or tea herbs, you simply place them in the oblong bowl and roll over them with the wheel. The wheel possesses an extremely ergonomic form, making it easy to grip, and allowing you to grind your herbs via an effortless rolling motion.
Why is it noteworthy?
Giving the traditional mortar and pestle a visual and functional overhaul, the JIA Inc. Rolling Mortar lets you grind your herbs and spices by simply rolling them! Sort of a hybrid between a mortar and a rolling pin, the Rolling Mortar comes with a bathtub-shaped base and ring-shaped roller. This unique design direction you easily and effectively grind items without spices flying around or spilling on the countertop… or worse, a sore wrist from repeatedly pounding away with that heavy pestle.
What we like
- None of the spices fly out of the mortar while you grind them
- Extremely quiet
- Features an inert ceramic base, so it doesn’t react to acids and other spice oils
What we dislike
- The design is not in sync with our modern kitchen ecosystems
