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From One Cup Coffee
Makers to “Smart” Refrigerators: Kitchen Appliances Catch Up
with the Speed of Life |
by:
Ann Cafferty |
From One Cup Coffee
Makers to “Smart” Refrigerators:
Kitchen Appliances Catch up with the Speed of Life
By R.L. Fielding
The modern kitchen would not be complete without a refrigerator,
an oven, a microwave, and a coffee maker. As fixtures in one of
the most important rooms in the house, these appliances are on
the forefront of the battle for greater convenience and lower
energy costs. Here is a look at a few of the technological makeovers
which can help you save both time and money.
“Smart” Refrigerators
Has this ever happened to you? On your way home from work, you
stop at the supermarket for groceries. While picking up food for
dinner, you can’t remember whether there’s a steak in the freezer
or if you still have enough butter for the mashed potatoes. Instead
of placing a call to your significant other, let your refrigerator
check the inventory for you.
Using a cell phone, it is possible to remotely access an up-to-the-minute
list of the contents of the “smart” refrigerator via an Internet
connection. LG Electronic’s Internet Refrigerator is capable of
alerting its user when a product has expired. The potential for
this technology is enormous, but the limited availability of online
grocery services has slowed its spread. Manufacturers hope to
eventually develop a system by which refrigerators will not just
keep tabs on the food inside, but will make lists of what is needed
and automatically place an order with online grocers.
One drawback of the current technology is the effort that goes
into keeping your refrigerator’s records up-to-date. As the refrigerator
is stocked, the product names and expiration dates must be logged
manually. When an item is removed from the refrigerator, the data
must be entered as well. The convenience of knowing what’s in
your refrigerator at any time may be outweighed by the inconvenience
of keeping such meticulous records.
Another popular focus for the newly-developed technology involves
reducing energy costs. For instance, the Fisher & Paykell Active
Smart Refrigerator offers multiple energy-conserving features
which, when combined, contribute to the overall efficiency of
the product. The Active Smart electronic intelligence and multiple
sensors monitor the internal temperature while a Variable Capacity
Compressor ensures the refrigerator runs at its peak.
Energy-efficiency is particularly important when it comes to refrigerators
because they are the only kitchen appliances that run 24-hours
per day. By purchasing ecologically-friendly technology you’ll
reduce your electricity bills and keep more money in your wallet.
Convenient Coffee Makers
A recent development in coffee consumption is the vacuum brewing
system, as highlighted by the Clear Electric Santos coffee maker
by Bodum. The machine promises to brew six to twelve cups of strong
coffee within eight minutes using an easy-to-clean filtration
system. This is an ideal appliance for people who love a full-bodied
cup of joe.
The days of boiling whole pots of water just to have a single
cup of coffee are over. The one cup coffee maker can brew your
favorite gourmet tea or coffee in less than a minute, eliminating
the need to prepare a whole pot. For people on-the-go, these fast
brewing machines are a welcome addition to the home or workplace.
The single cup coffee maker is also a great energy saver. In the
time it might take to heat up one pot of regular coffee or to
drive over to Starbucks, a one cup coffee maker by Keurig can
brew several differently flavored hot drinks in 40 seconds each.
Another perk of this machine is the variety of drinks it can produce.
Keurig provides customers with over 70 different coffee or tea
“K-Cups” from which to choose. K-Cups are easy-to-insert dispensers,
which fit neatly into the coffee company’s machine with little
effort and no clean-up.
Multifunctional Ovens
Forget slaving over a hot stove for hours just to get dinner on
the table. Thanks to new ovens with automatic time and temperature
controls dinner can practically make itself. Want a meal to be
ready by the time you get home? Simply place your favorite dish
in the oven and let the appliance do the rest.
The Intelligent Oven by TMIO refrigerates food until the user
activates the cooking function. The oven’s Internet connectivity
allows you to control this feature remotely with your cell phone
or computer. Meals are not only delicious, but perfectly timed
for your convenience. Additional advances have made the product
safer and more energy-efficient, making it both user- and environmentally-friendly.
For real fast food, look for appliances such as the Sharp High
Speed Convection/Microwave Oven. A 5-pound roasted chicken would
take up to 140 minutes or more in a standard oven but, with the
new high-speed ovens, the same meal can be ready within 28 minutes.
By using a mix of super-heated circulating air and microwave energy,
meals cook up to 80 percent faster.
In a step that brings to mind scenes from a work of science-fiction,
General Electric is among the companies developing ovens which
respond to voice commands and recognize over 200 regional accents.
Rather than pushing a pre-set button, key phrases would activate
the already programmed cooking times and temperatures. Such technology
may not be a long way off, but its price tag may prove to be beyond
the reach of many consumers.
High-tech Microwaves
Trying to find quick and easy recipes? Put down the cookbook.
You can easily download hundreds of recipes directly from your
microwave with the push of a button.
Using the LG Lifestyle MG-5682NL microwave oven, you can download
recipes or other cooking information from the company’s web site.
Sharp also sells a microwave that downloads cooking instructions
for various meals, then automatically programs the time and power
settings required to zap your meal to perfection.
In a slight variation on the theme, a new microwave by Samsung
is programmed to read cooking directions by scanning product bar
codes with a special sensor. The microwave then pulls the specific
cooking instructions off the Internet and cooks the meal accordingly.
Many models now come with cooking pre-sets for popular food items,
such as popcorn or frozen meals. Simply press one of the clearly-labeled
option buttons on the microwave’s touchpad and the appliance will
automatically adjust the time and power level.
Another feature that you won’t want your microwave to be without
is a moisture sensor. Microwaves heat food by using radio waves
to excite the molecules. To prevent overcooking your food, the
moisture sensor will calculate how much time is still needed to
cook based on how long it took for the food to begin steaming.
Since the kitchen is a natural hub of activity for any household,
a few small changes can mean big savings in more ways than one.
These kitchen innovations will not only free up more of your time,
but can help you save money on the monthly energy bills. A little
efficiency can go a long way!
About Coffeecow
This article was provided by Coffeecow.com which goes to great
lengths to provide the highest quality products, the fastest service,
and the deepest discount prices you will find on one cup coffee
makers, regular, decaf, and flavored coffee and tea, and a full
line of coffee supplies. Developed by coffee professionals with
over 35 years of experience in fulfilling any coffee service need,
Coffeecow offers all the coffee conveniences for your home or
office. Visit http://www.coffeecow.com for more info.
About the author:
R.L. Fielding has been a freelance writer for 10 years, offering
her expertise and skills to a variety of major organizations in
the education, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, financial services,
and manufacturing industries. She lives in New Jersey with her
dog and two cats and enjoys rock climbing and ornamental gardening.
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