I hate the word ‘health freak’ because it is truly a negative term coined for those who genuinely and sincerely decide to focus on and dedicate time and energy to their holistic health. Of course, there are always a few people who take dedication to a whole other unhealthy level, but I do believe most of us have good intentions and balanced mindsets when it comes to taking care of our diet and health. I prefer the term ‘health nerd’ for this crowd, and if you’re a health nerd who has decided to not only consume but cook your own healthy everyday meals, then you’ve reached the right spot. And in an attempt to support your cooking plan and help you eat better, we’ve curated a collection of kitchen appliances that makes healthy cooking easy and simple. From a steam oven that makes healthy cooking easy and accessible to a smart fridge that helps you achieve portion control – these super cool kitchen appliances will help you achieve the health regime you’ve been dreaming of!
1. The Cookmate
The Cookmate is a rather innovative and nifty kitchen appliance that is all-in-one. It can be used for prep, cooking, and serving. It features a modular design with stackable pieces that allow the cooktop to function as a pan, crock pot, or even a steamer – providing you with a variety of healthy cooking techniques.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Cookmate looks at the cooking process as something that goes from idea to ingredient to table. Rather than focusing on just the cooking, this induction cooktop (although it seems highly reductive to call it just that) considers every aspect of the cooking process. This isn’t just clever, holistic design thinking, it also helps the Cookmate be more universally applicable so you save effort, energy, and space with other utensils.
What we like
- Features an integrated weighing scale
- Can be split into 6 parts
What we dislike
- It’s still a concept!
2. BORA x BO Flex Oven
BORA’s BORA x BO flex oven is an excellent companion to help you prepare your everyday healthy meals. It is the dream smart oven you’ve been looking for, that automates and takes care of many parts of your daily cooking process, allowing you to fully focus on preparing and enjoying your healthy meal.
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
- Simplifies and streamlines the cooking process
- You can set it to automatic and let the oven do the heavy lifting for you
What we dislike
- Not a great option for tiny compact kitchens
3. The Panasonic HomeCHEF 7-in-1 Compact Oven
The Panasonic HomeCHEF 7-in-1 Compact Oven has functions such as Steam and Steam Convection – great for those who want to dip their toes into healthy cooking. 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 the 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
- Not exactly a compact design, since its larger compared to its siblings, in order to accommodate the more spacious 20L capacity, and bigger 800ml water tank
4. SOT
SOT is a unique humidifier that sprays humidity in an upward manner and lets you rotate and turn the nozzle in different directions so that steam can be let out at particular angles. It spurts the spray in a rather amusing and fun fashion!
Why is it noteworthy?
What makes SOT really special, however, is its design and the source of that design’s inspiration: a pressure cooker. Both appliances do make use of water and let out steam, though for different purposes. More than just the similarity in process, though, SOT brings a sense of familiarity and comfort in seeing a product that they already know how to operate. It isn’t by coincidence that you use this humidifier exactly like you would a rice or pressure cooker.
What we like
- Inspired by a pressure cooker
- Makes a simple process like humidifying fun!
What we dislike
- It’s still a concept!
5. The LetPot LPH-Max
The LetPot LPH-Max is a tabletop planter that makes gardening at home super easy, even for those who don’t have a green thumb and end up killing most of their plants. The LetPot LPH-Max takes control of the entire plant’s cultivation cycle, from seed to sprout to harvest… and it does so without any soil!
Why is it noteworthy?
The LetPot LPH-Max is a smart hydroponic plant cultivator that works entirely autonomously. It provides the plant with the water and nutrition it needs and even comes with an automatic sun-mimicking LED panel that gives the plants the light they need to photosynthesize. This effectively streamlines the entire growth process so there’s no soil or dirt involved, and you don’t even need to keep the plants in a well-lit area.
What we like
- You don’t need to worry about tending to your kitchen garden because the LPH-Max does it all for you
- The LetPot LPH-Max can handle growing up to 21 plant pods simultaneously across a variety of flower, herb, and leafy green species
What we dislike
- The design is restricted to 21 pots, not allowing for growth for interested users
6. The 4T7 Smart Chopping Board
The 4T7 Smart Chopping Board is meant to help simplify every stage of meal prep and go beyond it as well. Made up of different parts, all the components of the chopping board come together to create a rather innovative, united, and creative product.
Why is it noteworthy?
The 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
- It precisely counts calories for you, which isn’t always the best route to healthy eating, since many users can get unhealthily hooked on counting calories
7. 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 works 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
8. The Maruzara
Shaped like a small round plate instead of the typical rectangular sheet of metal, this grater is meant to sit on the table rather than be held up in the air like almost all other graters. Its small design makes it perfect to be placed right on the table, and the unique pattern of the blades gives it a distinctive look even when it’s just sitting unused.
Why is it noteworthy?
That blade arrangement isn’t just for show, though. Unlike a regular grater with rows of blades, you make circular movements to grate ingredients. Rather than falling through holes, the grated pieces accumulate at the sides in full, fluffy lumps. The repetitive action, rather than being tiring and burdensome, becomes almost a mindful practice that puts you in the moment.
What we like
- Comes with a silicon rubber base that stops it from slipping on the table while you make your circling motions
What we dislike
- It’s designed primarily for wasabi and daikon radish, making it a bit limited
- Some people may prefer the form and structure of a traditional grater
9. Xia’s Food Cleaner
This product concept for a fruit and vegetable cleaner helps out water in removing these harmful pesticides. While rinsing them under the faucet is the default action, sometimes you need a little extra help.
Why is it noteworthy?
This cleaner has an ultrasonic transmitter that produces hydroxy ions to help sterilize our food without needing to add any more materials in the purification process. This will supposedly remove not just the pesticides but any dirt residue that may still be there, especially if the food is pretty fresh.
What we like
- There are no chemicals or raw materials added to it
- Destroys the molecular structures of the pesticides and the oxidation also kills the bacteria without affecting the shape and structure of the food
What we dislike
- It’s still a concept!
10. The Fresh Fridge
Ditching trendy diets for mindful eating, the Fresh Fridge designed by Tati Feruccio is paired with an array of technical features that encourage a health-conscious lifestyle. The Fresh Fridge is a sort of smart refrigerator that analyzes each user’s distinct eating and health habits to portion out nutritious meals throughout the day. The main technical detail that stands out is the Fresh Fridge’s digital interface that’s located just above the small refrigerator.
Why is it noteworthy?
Broadcasting mindful facts and cooking recipes from its screen, the digital interface is like your own personal cooking show for various meals throughout the day. Just below the interface, allocated space for meal preparation feels intuitive and makes following along with recipes while chopping up produce items easier than ever before.
What we like
- Encourages mindful eating over trendy short-term diets
- An integrated digital interface
What we dislike
- We don’t know how well would the fridge’s analyzed portions work for everyone
