6 High-Tech Kitchen Ideas for a 21st-Century Update

Your kitchen is one of the most used rooms in your home. But does your current kitchen meet the ever-changing needs of modern technology? Upgrading to high-tech kitchen appliances can help transform your ordinary kitchen into a smart kitchen — providing both convenience and efficiency as you navigate your everyday life.

Depending on your specific needs, there are a variety of modern appliances that can transform your space into a smart kitchen. Whether you want to start small or dive right in with a full kitchen tech redesign, Kitchen Cabinet Kings is here to share our favorite six high-tech kitchen ideas for a 21st-century update.

Install a Smart Home Center

It’s no surprise that your kitchen acts as the heart of your home, often seeing tons of traffic throughout the day. With everyone in your family running in and out of the kitchen, it is the ideal place to install a smart screen that you can use to keep your family’s social life organized, weeknight meals planned, and more. Depending on your needs, you can install a freestanding smart screen or opt for one that is built into your cooking range or refrigerator. The smart screen can be used to keep track of important events on a digital calendar, as a cookbook of your favorite recipes, video call your family and friends, or watch your favorite Netflix show while you cook dinner.

Use a Smart Home Speaker

If you’re trying to limit the number of screens in your home, an alternative option is a smart home speaker device such as an Amazon Echo or a Google Nest. Not only can you ask your smart speaker questions about ingredients or the weather while you work in the kitchen, but the smart device can recite a recipe to you as you cook, so you don’t need to keep cleaning your hands to read through the recipe from your favorite cookbook. Plus, you can use it to set timers while you cook or add items you may need to your shopping list. They’re small enough to showcase it on your counters or keep it hidden and out of sight to avoid a cluttered countertop.

Invest in a Refrigerator with Wi-Fi

Your refrigerator is arguably one of the most important appliances in your kitchen. Your fridge keeps your grocery hauls chilled and fresh, but if you’re managing a household with quite a few family members, it can be difficult to keep track of what you have on hand, know what is nearing expiration, and decide on meals for the week. A smart refrigerator offers convenience and efficiency by allowing you to virtually look in your fridge while at the grocery store so you know if you are out of a particular item. The fridge can also make recommendations for your weeknight dinners, display recipes, track items you need from the store, and more.

Opt for a Smart Oven

Are you responsible for cooking dinner for your family most nights? If so, you understand how time-consuming it can be. From keeping track of your shopping list so you have the right items on hand to rushing home from work to have dinner on the table by six o’clock, there’s always so much to do and so little time. A smart oven can take some of the heavy lifting on your plate by offering time-saving hacks. With a smart oven, you can access your oven’s controls directly from your smartphone. This means you can leave food in the oven around noon and have the oven kick-off to begin cooking it around 4 pm so it’s ready upon your arrival home. Even simpler, you can preheat your oven as you leave the office so it’s ready to go as soon as you walk in the door.

Stay Juiced Up with Wireless Charging

We rely on our phones a lot nowadays — especially when it comes to cooking in the kitchen. Whether you use your phone to follow along with a favorite recipe, set a timer for your meal in the oven, or use your calculator to measure ingredients, your constant reliance on your phone may cause the battery to drain. Make sure your phone can easily stay charged in your kitchen by designing an area that keeps your counters clear of charging cords but provides the charge you need. Most phones have wireless charging capabilities, so you can install a wireless charging pad to lay your phone down between uses, and it will get some extra juice each time. If your phone can’t charge wirelessly, you can install your charging ports in a kitchen drawer to keep the cords off the countertops and minimize clutter.

Install Touch-Activated Sink Faucets

There’s nothing worse than having your hands dirty from cooking dinner and not having a way to turn on your kitchen sink without getting the faucet dirty — especially if you’re prepping raw meat and are worried about the spread of germs. One of our favorite kitchen smart technologies is a touch-activated faucet. To turn on your tap, all you need to do is lightly tap the faucet with a clean part of your arm or hand, and the sink will turn off. This will make cleanup post-prep extremely easy!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is smart kitchen technology?

As you’ve likely gathered from his guide, smart kitchen technology is Wi-Fi-enabled kitchen appliances connected to your smartphones via Bluetooth. These various high-tech kitchen gadgets aim to simplify your life and control your appliances from the touch of a button (anywhere you are!).

What are the benefits of transitioning to smart kitchen technology?

As the saying goes, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. But what if installing smart kitchen devices can help improve your livelihood by keeping you more organized and working to make your to-do list a bit more manageable? Installing a few smart kitchen tech throughout your space will improve efficiency in your household by helping with daily to-dos, meal planning, grocery shopping, and managing your kitchen.

Is it expensive to install smart kitchen technology?

This is a difficult question to answer because everyone’s definition of expensive will vary slightly. Although high-tech kitchen appliances tend to run more expensive than their traditional counterpart, the prices aren’t often too different. If you’re looking to transition to a smart kitchen, take a slow approach and swap out item by item over time so you don’t blow your kitchen remodel budget in one shopping trip.

Is smart kitchen technology secure?

You may wonder if connecting to your kitchen’s appliances over Wi-Fi is safe and secure. Is it possible for your kitchen appliances to get hacked if you invest in smart kitchen devices? In most cases, you can have peace of mind knowing your kitchen technology is secure if you continue using strong passwords and only connect to a secure Wi-Fi network you trust. There is always a risk of a hack or data breach, but your smart appliances aren’t any more at risk than any other piece of tech in your home.