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 the Electrolux GRO kitchen that offers a fresh take on sustainable eating to a sleek self-heating bento box – 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!
Electrolux GRO
Eating healthier has almost become an obsession of many people these days, evidenced by the number of new diet styles and trends that pop up every year. But while people have become generally conscious of the food they eat, they often turn a blind eye to the long-term effects of our food supply systems on the Earth’s ecosystem. Feeding the planet doesn’t have to come at the expense of the planet itself, nor do plant-forward diets have to be the same old stuff you see on the Internet and YouTube.
Why is it noteworthy?
GRO includes a modular compartment system that you can combine like LEGO bricks, depending on your dietary needs and kitchen space. Each compartment is designed not only to preserve ingredients but also to showcase its diversity and beauty. A Plant Gallery, for example, provides optimal conditions for storing fruits and vegetables while also letting you enjoy their fresh appearance behind textured glass.
What we like
- The GRO Coach digital food companion will help you make the right sustainable choices based on your habits and needs
- The system also defies stereotypes of plant-forward diets as bland or unexciting, especially to taste buds. In fact, GRO encourages exploration and experimentation, like the Grain and Pulse Library, which lets you try out alternative sources of protein from grains and pulses
What we dislike
- No complaints!
2. The Panasonic HomeCHEF 7-in-1 Compact Oven
The Panasonic HomeCHEF 7-in-1 Compact Oven has functions such as Steam and Steam Convection. These two promise healthier dishes since they’re able to preserve more nutrients compared to other cooking methods. That brings the number of functions to seven (hence the name), including Air Fry, Convection Bake, Slow Cook, Sanitize, and Ferment.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Panasonic HomeCHEF 7-in-1 Compact Oven is expanding its size and its features in order to also expand the number of healthy dishes one can prepare at home. Although it doesn’t completely remove the work that needs to be done to prepare these meals (not to mention the cleanup afterward), it tries to reduce the number of cooking appliances you have to juggle. It’s easy enough to downplay these conveniences, but ease of use and reducing the friction to get started go a long way in setting people on the right track to healthier living.
What we like
- The Steam and Steam Convection functions preserve more nutrients compared to other cooking methods
What we dislike
- Calling the HomeCHEF 7-in-1 “compact” might be a bit of a stretch, at least when compared to its siblings. This newest addition to the lineup is larger to accommodate the more spacious 20L capacity and bigger 800ml water tank
3. MEALZTIME
If Steve Jobs were less of a tech enthusiast and more of a culinary specialist, maybe we’d be staring at a state-of-the-art culinary heating device instead of the M2 MacBook Air. Although that reality didn’t quite pan out, we still have the MEALZTIME, an incredibly slim, self-heating bento box that’s leak-proof, easy to clean, and works on a single-button interface.
Why is it noteworthy?
MEALZTIME hopes to make the office microwave obsolete. Given the sheer number of people who use the microwave on a daily basis (and that occasional dimwit who heats up their tuna casserole in it, ruining it for everyone), MEALZTIME was designed as a personalized alternative that heats your food up to the right temperature for you, without you having to wait in line. All you do is press the power button on your bento box and MEALZTIME gets to work, automatically shutting down after your food’s been heated. It does so without needing to be plugged in too, so you could potentially grab a hot meal on the subway, in your car, in the outdoors, or even at work during a power cut.
What we like
- Great replacement for the microwave
- MEALZTIME lets you heat up to 4 meals on a single charge, so you really have to juice it up just about once or twice a week
What we dislike
- No complaints!
4. BORA x BO Smart Steam Oven
BORA’s latest innovation, the BORA X BO flex oven, comes close to being the ultimate dream smart oven, automating and taking care of many parts of the cooking process, leaving you free to focus on preparing and then enjoying your healthy dish.
Why is it noteworthy?
Cooking is a multi-step process that may feel overwhelming for some, especially when they think about the cleanup they have to do afterward. Ovens, in particular, are notorious for being hard to clean, especially to get rid of odors. Keeping tabs on the food’s temperature and making sure you don’t stink up the whole house are tiring jobs in themselves, and you’ll be forgiven if you wished that ovens were smart enough to do that themselves. The BORA X BO is, thankfully, and it makes the cooking process a lot less burdensome, especially for the parts you might have taken for granted.
What we like
- All its operations are driven by a bright and colorful 19-inch touch display on top, including setting food preferences, looking up recipes, or manually tweaking each and every possible option there is
- BORA included an animated guide right on the screen
What we dislike
- No complaints!
5. 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
6. Electric Chopsticks
Chopstick innovations and redesigns have been presented, but nothing like this project introduced together by Kirin Holdings and the Miyashita Laboratory (Meiji University Dr. Homei Miyashita Laboratory of the Department of Frontier Media Science, School of Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences). The chopstick device comes with an electrical stimulation waveform that together work to adjust the taste of low-sodium food.
Why is it noteworthy?
The chopsticks can make low-sodium food taste salty. So you can enjoy the food more but sans the high sodium content. This idea can benefit those who need to go on a low-sodium diet. Right now, chopsticks can be used, but other utensils can also take advantage of the system. Salty taste enhancement is possible with electrical stimulation on a utensil. With the goal of improving the electric taste sensation, more people can enjoy what they eat even with reduced salt.
What we like
- The device uses a weak electrical current in transmitting sodium ions from the food to the mouth
- Creates a sense of saltiness
What we dislike
- It’s still in the prototype stage!
7. The 4T7 Smart Chopping Board
The key to making a product smart is to figure out how technology can enhance its core abilities. To that very end, a smart refrigerator that connects to your social media may be a terrible idea… but something like the 4T7 Smart Chopping Board actually makes a world of sense. With functions and features that make meal prep much easier and more streamlined, the 4T7 Smart Chopping Board helps with every stage of meal prep, and then some more.
Why is it noteworthy?
4T7 breaks meal prep into its different components, adding good design and tech wherever necessary. The board comes with 4 distinct parts, a main bamboo chopping board, a secondary silver-ion anti-bacterial board for veggies to prevent cross-contamination, a third heat-conducting defrosting tray that helps rapidly thaw frozen foods, and lastly, the 4T7’s base, which has its own built-in weighing scale. The only part of the 4T7 experience to exist outside the actual board is its smartphone app, which counts calories as you weigh your ingredients. Once your prep-work is done, the digital display on the 4T7 can also function as a kitchen timer, while the board itself becomes a magnetic knife-holder.
What we like
- All of 4T7’s components are designed to be wonderfully functional as independent items
- The board works equally well for fruits/veggies as well as for meats
What we dislike
- No complaints!
8. The AirHood
Styled almost like a Dyson Bladeless Fan, the AirHood is a portable hood that sits on your countertop, sucking in the fumes from your stove, induction cooker, or even your grill. Available in both wireless and wired formats, the AirHood works partly like a chimney, and partly like an air purifier.
Why is it noteworthy?
A switch on the top lets you choose between three fan speeds, depending on what you’re cooking, and the AirHood even comes with an optional Base Boost – a platform that elevates your hood by a comfortable two inches. Once switched on, the AirHood pulls fumes into its inlet, where the air first passes through an oil filter that traps the grease, and then an activated carbon filter that purifies the air of any toxins. Clean air then makes its way out of the outlet at the back of the device, keeping your kitchen air clean and eliminating the risk of accidentally triggering your smoke alarm.
What we like
- When not in use, the AirHood serves as kitchen decor, thanks to its minimalist, sculptural appeal
- Its simple surfacing and polished plastic construction allow you to clean your AirHood with just a damp cloth
What we dislike
- No complaints!
9. The Origin coffee maker concept
Whenever I take my first sip of coffee in the morning, I am always thankful to whoever it was that first developed coffee and the farmers who harvested this particular blend I’m drinking. While some of the world’s best coffee is generally known to come from Brazil, Colombia, and Vietnam (my country, the Philippines, will hopefully someday be included in that list), one of the unsung heroes of the industry is Ethiopia where coffee beans have been thriving since the 7th century. This concept design for a coffee maker pays tribute to the East African country.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Origin coffee maker concept wants to bring “meaningful coffee” to your cup by reminding you of its origins. The shape of the coffee maker is inspired by the map of Ethiopia, although of course it’s not in the exact shape but is modeled after the basic outline. This way, the designer is able to “honor” the origin of coffee, although historians can’t really say that the locals who grew the beans cultivated or consumed these precious beans there.
What we like
- There are just a few buttons you need to press including the on/off and open/close buttons
- You have the option to make an espresso or an americano and there’s also a button or level for the water and the beans
What we dislike
- The finishing is not smooth though as it intentionally makes it look like it has corrosions and scratches – which may not be liked by everyone
10. The Cheat Sheets
The Cheat Sheets are basically, and this reference couldn’t be more relevant, social distancing containers for your ingredients. You use the same baking tray, but the Cheat Sheets silicone containers sit ON the tray, giving you miniature compartments to cook your food in. Veggies like asparagus that need shorter cook times can be added in the same tray as salmon, which needs more time in the oven. Once you feel like the asparagus is done, just reach in with your baking mitten and pull just the asparagus container out of the oven and let the salmon still cook inside. It’s easy, simple, and here’s the best part – your baking tray never gets dirty!
Why is it noteworthy?
Designed for better control, the Cheat Sheets don’t just allow you to segregate separate ingredients for the same dish, they let you simultaneously cook two separate dishes together too, separating them according to flavor. The most obvious instance is in desserts, where people tend to get picky. I, for instance, am a basic vanilla and fruit junkie, while others around me usually tend to gravitate towards decadent chocolate desserts. The Cheat Sheets allow you to simultaneously cook two separate dishes in their respective containers – as opposed to using rudimentary aluminum foil dividers or running your oven for two separate cycles.
What we like
- Made from high-quality food-grade silicone
- Allow you to simultaneously cook two separate dishes in their respective containers
What we dislike
- No complaints!
