3 Appliance Trends Defining the Post-Pandemic Kitchen, According to Experts

Many of us have got to know our kitchens better in the past year or two than we ever expected. But as in any relationship, the more time you spend together, the more you become aware of what you love – and what you don’t.

“During the COVID-19 quarantine, people started cooking again and really lived in their kitchens,” says Frank Christiansen Egelund, owner of Vipp Kitchens. “This sparked renewed interest in the room, and there were many house extensions that were directly related to the kitchen extension and increased functionality.”

Open floor plans and secondary kitchens or butler pantries are undoubtedly popular, but what device trends have our renewed relationships with our culinary spaces brought about? Read on for thoughts from Christiansen Egelund; Sarah Housley, director of consumer technology at WGSN; and interior designers Amy Kartheiser and Peti Lau.

Out of sight, but in your head

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In an effort to minimize visual clutter, many homeowners are turning to secondary prep rooms where small appliances and other necessities can be kept out of sight. But this strategy doesn’t work across the board: for some, the space is simply not there, others need the bare essentials nearby. In these cases, designers find other ways to satisfy the pursuit of aesthetic serenity.

Kartheiser is a big fan of the device garage: fixtures that hide heavily frequented devices such as toasters and coffee machines and at the same time keep them easily accessible. “People don’t want their kitchen to feel heavy-duty with big stainless steel appliances all over the place,” she says. In a recent project, she used antique mirrors for the built-in side-by-side fridge and freezer, making it look more like a piece of furniture than an appliance.

With devices that cannot be sequestered, subtlety is key. “At the luxury level, smart kitchen technology that is embedded in surfaces so that it becomes atmospheric – from invisible hobs [or burners] towards intelligent extractor hoods – is an important trend that we are observing, ”says Housley. “People want the impression of technology that ‘just works’ and is there to serve them without being overly visible. We call this mindset ‘shy tech’. “

Another among today’s device trends? Sophisticated intelligent devices, says Lau. “I see refrigerators built into touchscreen systems that can also be accessed from your phone,” she explains. With them, customers can seamlessly manage a kitchen by tracking expired groceries, creating shopping lists that they can access via smartphone, and even discovering new recipes online. “There are even refrigerators that have a function that allows you to look inside through the refrigerator door at the push of a button.”

“During the COVID-19 quarantine, people started cooking again and really lived in their kitchens,” says Frank Christiansen Egelund, owner of Vipp Kitchens. One of the sleek designs from the brand above reflects the current preference for tidy kitchens, where appliances and visual clutter are hidden.

Photo: Courtesy of Vipp

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