There's currently been a lot of innovations in kitchen technology to ease the task of cooking. There are new intelligent ovens that you can e-mail or call and tell it to start cooking food you've left in it. There are induction cooktops that will heat pans, but won't burn your hands. And there's plenty more. I'm curious of how plausible it is to incorporate new technology like this into traditional or "typical" homes that everyday people have. Then, I'm also curious if anyone is actually doing it.
I'm a college student writing a paper about this topic and any info anyone may have would be very helpful.
if you are
investigating the 'new technologies' into kitchens; consider this: how come that a manufacturer like AGA has so much succes? (because of the non existing high tec!). It sounds a bit hard but is there not a large group of people that cannot program their vcr...and now vcr is already extinct. People want to spend time in their kitchen for cooking, not for reading manuals, having computervirusses, etc. my guess is that these new technologies will stay gimmicks. I have put another gimmick in the weblink; a boiling water tap...(i am not quite sure what to think about but i am not very positive about it; what about the energyconsumption, danger, ...) And since al gore is conquering the world with is inconvenient truth and even the us does not want to hear something about the kyotoprotocol, and since oil is becoming something like in mad maxmovies; why putting energy in kitchen applies that requires more and more energy? let's try to make cooking devices that work with a minimum use of energy.
http://www.quooker.com/
Intelligent Appliances Save Energy and Money
is the title of the film you linked; but a trashcan with sensor; needs energy (a regular not); an oven that first is a fridge; from cooling to heating: costs more energy than a regular fridge (where the cold is kept in by isolation). a fridge with built in tv; this tv consumes energy and if you have an lcd tv; feelit with your hand this heats up; this tv is set into the fridge where isolation ought to be put, so this fridge will need more energy to cool than a regular. don't forget to mention that these gimmicks costs more to buy and produces; so there goes the title 'save energy and money' yeah right! In brussels some architects has build for the 3th time a 'living tomorrow' building; also filled with these kinds of gimmicks and even they say; this is what could be but probably won't happen...
http://www.livingtomorrow.nl/
Gerrit's points are valid,...
Gerrit's points are valid, but aside from the way-out there stuff (I don't understand the need to email my fridge anyways) there are some advances with inductions cooktops that were mentioned, these do save energy through more efficient heat transfer, etc. that gaz and electric can't beat. And the new Steamers are a great alternative/complement to conventional ovens and microwaves. I'm not sure about the energy consumption, but the health aspects are often touted.
A brave new world
I am on week two of my new job at a renewable energy company selling solar, wind, and dhydro power systems. We all so have some energy efficient appliances and are looking for more. It seems that a fair number of people are more interested in an efficient appliance over a 'smart' one. Reducing power usage would be a far more sensible use of technology than email-able stoves!
Here's a truly amazing fact I recently learned: If the US put a giant solar collection grid 100 miles square in a sunny area such as Nevada or New Mexico we could power the entire country with it in the day time.
WRT to the original question...
WRT to the original question "is anyone doing it", in my current discussions with the apt renovation, I am planning to have a built-in steamer (in addition to conventional the oven) installed, but I am split on the induction cooktop. The traditional "feel" of cooking with gaz will be gone, that's the only concern.
Dear cwoo
Do not worry about the "gaz" feel. Induction is the way to go!...in addition to good cookware! It's too bad that induction has not been embraced in north america with the same enthusiasm as in Europe or Japan. It certainly saves energy!
I do care less about smart kitchens than about smart people, so I am not impressed with or by the cumulation of marginal functions..although the flat screen in my TV set has given me room for a small refrigirated bar where the tube used to be...just joking. Almost two years ago I took out the dishwasher, after discovering how pleasant it was to share that small household job with my wife. I have no idea if we are saving all that much energy but it is just a pleasant thing to do.
better off without
I think that simplicity/minimalism is the way to go, and I don't mean from an aesthetic standpoint. There is a very interesting book by Eric Brende, himself an MIT graduate, which challenges the idea that automation has created better/easier lives for people. It's title is Better Off.
The more bells and whistles, the more things there are to break. E-mailing your stove??? Where is the pleasure in that?
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