Our Kitchen Love Affair With Gadgets
It’s no secret that fabulous kitchens sell houses; or that our most favourite and coveted domestic upgrade is that of the kitchen. Kitchens these days are the hub of the home where we do far more than simply cook or eat.
They’re social gathering places, home office centres, a cosy meeting place for friends who drop round for a coffee, and the place where lots of school homework assignments get done.
Fashions in kitchen decor and appliances come and go, and one of the most popular styles these days is that of industrial. We like the clean, businesslike, almost clinical appearance of stainless steel worktops. And whereas a simple hand blender would have done most whisking jobs a few years ago, today we want large, industrial looking blenders on show on the work surface.
Similarly, fridges have grown in size, with small under-counter models being firmly pushed out of the way in favour of giant American style, double door models complete with ice crushers, water coolers and dispensers.
Other kitchen appliances that have seen a surge in popularity recently are bread makers and espresso coffee machines. Ordinary mortals aren’t the only ones who have crazes and favourite gadgets. In a newspaper article Stuart Gillies from the Savoy Grill in London claimed, in 2011, that his favourite gadget was the family popcorn maker.
Celebrities Love Gadgets Too
Here are some other favourite chef and celebrity kitchen gadgets:
Alton Brown from the Food Network likes to use his panini press to press game birds and other poultry where most of us are happy use them for bread.
Bruce Sherman, North Pond in Chicago prefers his Kuhn Rikon peeler to anything else.
Jeff and Matt Nichols, both chefs, like large roasting pans and stock pots.
Our own Nigella Lawson claims not to be able to live without a large plastic bucket in which she can brine the turkey for christmas.
Jaimie Oliver has perhaps the most modest favourite gadget of all, claiming to find the humble empty jam jar the most useful thing you can have in the kitchen for all kinds of jobs from making salad dressing to storing spices.
The Kitchen Will Always Be Timeless
Kitchen gadgets are evolving all the time, with some really weird and wonderful creations that you won’t know whether to take seriously or not. Maybe one of the strangest is the anti-loneliness Ramen bowl which features a special slot on one side that you can slip a mobile phone into, presumable to check your social media statuses while tucking in stir fry.
Our love affair with all things ‘kitchen’ isn’t likely to come to an end any time soon. Fashions may come and go, we may change the appliances on show and fall in and out of love with gadgets, but the central role the whole kitchen concept plays in our lives is here to stay.
Adding a vintage glamour to your kitchen
If you want to really mix it up then why not mix the latest gadgets with vintage furniture? Period homes Ireland Ltd specialise in Architectural Salvage and have an array of Antique Kitchen dressers and other beautiful items for sale available.
