Smart Set

In the domain of wearable technology, smartwatches are all the rage. In the domestic arena, the smart kitchen is gaining currency. German appliance giant Miele is at the forefront of this revolution, as its recent showcase in Milan proved.

- Aaron De Silva

Imagine, if you will, a kitchen so intelligent that it can detect the type of cooking vessel you are holding (say, a casserole dish), ready the appropriate appliance (an oven) to receive it, prompt you when the oven door is opening, and automatically adjust the temperature and moisture settings throughout the cooking process to achieve the best results. Think lasagne or shepherd’s pies with consistently crispy crusts and perfectly moist insides.

Sounds like science fiction? Not if German appliance maker Miele can help it. In Milan in April 2016, the Gutersloh-based company unveiled its futuristic concept, The Invisible Kitchen, to an international audience of architects, interior designers, property developers, distributors, retailers and the press. The idea was to ïƒ re the imagination, and show the possibility of how we could live in the not-too-distant future.

But as Miele’s chief designer Andreas Enslin explains, most of the technology, such as the brand’s proprietary Tempcontrol and Klimagaren (Moisture Plus), already exists. “What is totally new is how we are bringing it all together for the ïƒ rst time,” he says. Tempcontrol allows precise temperature control, preventing food from burning during frying. It is fitted in Miele’s current range of induction hobs with the Tempcontrol logo. Meanwhile, the Moisture Plus steam injection system is a feature of Miele’s current Generation 6000 convection ovens.