As a tech-savvy nation we are great embracers of new technology in almost every area of life, and some of the fastest emerging innovations can be found in our kitchens where we generally demand nothing but the very best when it comes to appliances and equipment.
Even standard items such as dishwashers are improving all the time in terms of performance and appearance - some have no exterior knobs and handles, you simply knock to open.
Useful features such as boiling or chilled water taps, and even combinations of the two functions, once see only in commercial set-ups, are now a regular component of the home kitchen.
Vinny Raju is store manager at Kitchen Things in Auckland’s Mount Eden and he says that the sky is the limit, when it comes to creating a customer’s dream kitchen space.
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“Of course budget does come into it and a kitchen set-up can range from just a few thousand dollars to $80,000, $100,000 or even more, especially as it’s becoming more common to have two kitchens, one where most of the food is prepared and a main one that’s more for show and entertaining.”
He says that the smart home concept is definitely being picked up by tech-confident property owners and the Samsung Family Hub fridges are especially popular.
“People really do use all of its functions: the camera that lets you see what you’re running out of while shopping for food, and the meal planner app which provides recipes at the touch of a button.”
Induction cooktops are another area where technology is reducing cooks’ workloads while enhancing their culinary results.
Modern versions offer multi-zone options for flexibility and Neff is a brand that constantly innovates in this area of the market. One of their top-of-the-range products is a 4-zone induction cooktop which allows you to place pots anywhere and heat them where they stand. As a cook, you have precise control over all the zones and a frying sensor monitors the set temperature and keeps it steady, so goodbye singed steaks. Depending on the model you choose, Neff induction cooktops range from around $4000 to $6000.
Steam ovens are gaining in popularity as health-conscious consumers seek to cut back on unnecessary fat and avoid any reduction in goodness and nutrients caused by cooking in a conventional oven.
One of their biggest advantages is the fact that you can cook several different things at a time with no worries about cross contamination of flavour or smells, because each is in its own sealed bag.
Vinny Raju says that his customers tend to be serious cooks who are happy to pay for quality and he is excited about his store’s new demonstration kitchen which is opening next year.
“I think it’s fine to take appliances home and simply read the instructions, but when you watch a professional chef cooking with them it gives you a much better idea of what’s possible.”
While sleek and streamlined appliances are the order of the day in contemporary style kitchens, there’s still a big market for products such as the iconic Smeg fridge, which comes in a big range of colours and includes special designer editions, such as the Union Jack model. It’s complemented by a small appliances collection, so your kettle, toaster and cake mixer all match for a unified effect in the kitchen.
In villas and bungalows home cooks often lean towards more traditional style in terms of cookers, with the British Falcon range a regular best seller. They too come in a wide colour palette, with a choice of induction and gas hobs. Raju says that his customers often choose an especially bright one in order to make a striking, personal, kitchen style statement.
While a multifunctional Falcon oven can be as much as $12,995, with entry level models around $7000, these appliances are designed and built to last a lifetime and as well as looking great they perform very well.
Raju says that Smeg’s combo oven and blast chillers are an increasingly popular kitchen feature.
“The chiller freezes food so fast, immediately after cooking, that there’s no time for freezer burn to occur and you can store the food for far longer than in a conventional freezer.
“Best of all, you can make your own ice-cream in just minutes!”
Clockwise from top: Neff is a popular and innovative brand; Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerator has a wi-fi enabled touchscreen; Smeg’s Oven and Blast Chiller enables you to freeze immediately after cooking; prices for multifunctional Falcon ovens start at $7000.
