Kitchen design and technology is constantly changing to provide consumers with foods that are convenient, and accommodate social changes and food trends. In the past, the answer to convenience was prepackaged foods. They were “modern wonders” that made life easier and could be stored for months or even years at a time.

Today, consumers still demand convenience, but they are also health-conscious, choosing fresh over prepackaged and processed. So, how will technology and kitchen design adapt to provide convenient, fresh ingredients?

Evolution of Convenience in the Kitchen

In the early 1920s, the idea of ‘convenience’ was introduced to decrease the amount of time spent in the kitchen. In early years, convenience came from packaged products and a collection of recipes sold in cookbooks like Betty Crocker to streamline the cooking process. In the 1950s, cake mixes were introduced by various brands and seen as a wonder that created a spirit of “modern world” in your own kitchen.

Later, food trends began to change rapidly with the development of various kitchen appliances like the microwave that made life easier and food preparation less time-consuming for the average homemaker. Canned foods allowed women to make delicious meals with greater convenience. The technology that made this even easier was the mass-dissemination of the electronic can-opener.

Similarly, in the early 1950s, the concept of frozen food came into effect. Following this, refrigerators were redesigned to be frost-free and forced refrigeration units to make life better and more convenient. According to Euromonitor International’s 2011 Annual Study of Global Consumers, convenience takes precedence over food choices and eating habits in the current social climate as smaller family structures and more working mothers turn to meal options that are quicker and easier to prepare such as ready meals, cooking aids, and takeout. However, 55% of people worldwide still cook meals entirely from natural ingredients at least once a week, while 38% from some pre-prepared ingredients.

Going Back to Basics and Cooking From Scratch

One of the insights PreScouter brings to innovators is to look at marketplace trends and new technologies to help R&D directors make an informed decision on what to bring to their consumers. In the case of kitchen technology, current food trends incorporate preparing healthy, wholesome meals. This shift can be attributed to awareness of healthy eating habits and lifestyle has increased dramatically. Consumers want to know what is going into their meals and where their food is coming from. Another major shift is the cost of food, particularly the cost of pre-prepared meals and takeout. The prices of grocery items, in general, have risen, so many consumers have chosen the alternative of growing their own vegetables at home or seeking out local farmer’s markets. Another factor that is encouraging people to cook is the revival of interest in hobby cooking with the advent of hit cooking series like Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef.

Another major shift is the cost of food, particularly the cost of pre-prepared meals and takeout. The prices of grocery items, in general, have risen, so many consumers have chosen the alternative of growing their own vegetables at home or seeking out local farmer’s markets. Another factor that is encouraging people to cook is the revival of interest in hobby cooking with the advent of hit cooking series like Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef.

How Convenience and Healthy Eating Habits Affects the Kitchen of the Future

Currently, trends of hydroponic gardening and grow walls are emerging in the market to balance between convenience and healthy eating. Though “urban cultivators” are expensive and more common in commercial sectors, it is starting to make its way into private homes. The Kitchen Nano Garden from Hyundai serves as a local farmer’s market or rooftop garden and is the perfect example for growing your own vegetable garden right in the convenience of your own home. Later, Philips developed the Microbial Home system incorporating an integrated domestic ecosystem, taking the idea of growing your own vegetables to the next step. This system from Philips is an integrated system that combines design and biological processes that consume less energy and produce less pollution. This merges technological advancements, convenience, and energy conservation into one unique and flexible system. One component of the Microbial Home is the Bio Digester Island and Larder. It is a repositionable kitchen island consisting of a chopping surface with a waste grinder and gas cooking range. The larder is a dining room table that works as a ‘natural’ refrigerator that functions as a vegetable storage system and evaporative cooler.

One component of the Microbial Home is the Bio Digester Island and Larder. It is a repositionable kitchen island consisting of a chopping surface with a waste grinder and gas cooking range. The larder is a dining room table that works as a ‘natural’ refrigerator that functions as a vegetable storage system and evaporative cooler.

So, by expanding the developing technology of the Kitchen Nano Garden and merging concepts like integrated domestic ecosystems and evaporative cooler storage, kitchens of the future will be able to provide fresh vegetables in the convenience of your own kitchen.

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