Hi-Tech Kitchens

Business and technology consultant, Marilyn Harroun shows off the latest, hi-tech kitchen tools!

The holiday season is upon us and holidays tend to be all about traditions and lots of family and entertaining, especially when it comes to food. Each holiday brings to mind its’ own set of family favorites. For Thanksgiving–turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pies, etc. But why not change things up a bit this year–at least in the kitchen with some new hi tech cooking gear?

These futuristic gadgets could revolutionize the way you measure, cook, drink, and serve up your holiday feasts. Here are my top picks.

Admetior Digital Spoon Scale-
$19.99 at
www.amazon.com

This is a gadget that every household should have; instant and accurate measuring on an easy to read LCD display. Measurements are given in both weight and volume by the ounce or the gram. Surprisingly the same ingredient may measure as much as a 1/2 to 1 ounce different. No need to worry if the spoon looks a little too full or if the flour you scooped may have been more compacted than usual. If you really want to know how much flour/sugar/baking powder/spice is going into your recipe, you really need this one. Or if you are like me and have inherited many of great grandma’s recipes all written in ounces or pounds of ingredients, you can measure with confidence and know your results will be the same as hers.

Demy Digital Recipe Reader-
$199.99 at www.mydemy.com

Finally, a true digital solution to the age old 3X5 recipe card box. This little miracle of modern science holds up to 2,500 recipes www.mydemy.com and features a high resolution color touch screen. The Demy Reader will link to www.keyingredient.com via a USB on your home computer. Its splash resistant and wipes off easily.

So accessing your recipes has never been easier. You can jump to a letter in your recipe or even organize your recipes into cookbooks. www.mydemy.com

If you are planning to make Grandma’s famous pumpkin pie, you simply find her recipe and add it to the short list you are building for your holiday feast. They’ll be waiting for you on a list you can easily flip through as you cook. Why clutter up your counter with recipe cards?

And Demy comes with 3 built-in kitchen timers. www.mydemy.com No need to juggle cooking times. Demy will flash and give you a tone as each cooking time expires. And should you need it, Demy will quickly convert your portions from one measurement to another www.mydemy.com and will even offer you a list of ingredient substitutions so you don’t need to make that emergency trip to the grocery store.

The Demy Digital Recipe Reader is definitely on my Christmas which list this year!

EatSmart Nutrition Scale, Digital Food and Nutrient Calculator-
$74.95 at eatsmartproducts.com

This is the “scale of justice” for those who need or want to be health and nutrition conscious during the holidays. With hundreds of foods programmed into it, this scale reveals nutritional content instantly. It does this by calculating exact values for 12 nutrients including calories, protein, carbs, saturated fats, fiber content, and sodium so it can immediately help you gauge whether that extra piece of pie, second helping of turkey and stuffing, or that stale half-donut is really worth it or not.

The EatSmart Scale has hundreds of fresh, unprepared food items programmed like fruit, vegetables, and fish so you can measure the ingredients of your dinner and calculate the content. In addition, there are 1,000 or more prepared and packaged foods programmed like breakfast cereal, bakery goods, chips, etc. You can store up to 99 separate food entries for daily and weekly tracking. The scale weighs in grams to the nearest gram or ounces to the .1 ounce. It comes with a 44-page guidebook on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Kalorik Tabletop Wine Cooler-
$159.00 at www.walmart.com

Keep your wine at the perfect drinking temperature–and look like a total nerd at the same time with this hi tech tabletop wine cooler! The Kalorik Cooler claims to be unlike typical storage systems that only regulate the ideal storage temperature which is much cooler than the ideal drinking temperature. So this dual wine bottle chiller maintains the optimal drinking temperature so your dinner beverages are ready for immediate consumption. Each bottle can be set to a different temperature so you can chill a bottle of wine and a bottle of champagne at the same time.

LEDs warn when the wines are too cool or too warm and when they have reached optimum temps. Because I am a “teetotaller” and don’t partake of the “spirits” I wonder if this would work on bottle of Diet Coke?

Flavia Fusion Deluxe Brewer-
$169.99 at myflavia.com

If your family and friends are like ours–there’s a lot of variety and different tastes! But how to satisfy everyone without a plethora of appliances and pots? This little gem lets you offer more than 30 Gourmet hot or iced drinks one serving at a time. It’s a combination coffee, espresso machine and teapot all-in-one with none of the mess or the cluttered counter space.

myflavia.com The brewer fits all cup and mugs sizes. Brews direct from the pack to the cup so NO CLEANING after each use to put you in a bad mood. The water tank has a 6-10 cup capacity and can be removed and refilled easily.

Drink packs must be purchased for the machine online at myflavia.com The variety is amazing and certainly you can find something for every palette–coffees, hot chocolate (how about smooth Dove or cool peppermint,) Cappuccinos (like Milky Way swirl or Mars swirl,) lattes, mochas, chococcinos, and teas. 18 packs of yummy Dove hot chocolate for $13.99 with free shipping. I may get hooked!!

Hi Tech Total Kitchen Design
trendszine.com

For all you tech-savvy homeowners wanting more than a few new gadgets, there are professionals ready to take on the challenge of a total kitchen design. But be ready to pay the premium.

The work triangle that is created in the kitchen by the arrangement of the sink, stove, and refrigerator will have to be rethought in the new high-tech kitchen. It may be necessary to use two or three work areas in the new high-tech kitchen.

trendszine.com

Other trends changing the kitchen layout and design include: cabinetry and countertop designs that go with technologically advanced appliances, a more open view in kitchen design such as a great room that is ideal for cooking and entertaining, furniture style cabinetry with an Asian or European influence, the use of lighter colors in wood combined with dark stained wood or smooth bright colors, use of granite, marble and stainless steel counters, high tech smart appliances and gadgets that integrate with the cabinets, built-in TVs.

Smart appliances include ranges that provide refrigeration capabilities that are controlled by a timing mechanism that can enable users to prepare meals up to a day ahead of scheduled meal time. Some small appliance manufacturers are looking at incorporating internet capabilities into their appliances. There are built-in espresso machines and food mixers that pop out of shelves and not only mix, but cook your food. There is a microwave drawer that places the microwave at the most convenient height for frequent use. It opens with the touch of a button.

Whatever your style, space, or budget it’s fun to look at the future. But the key to managing technology is to optimize the present by adopting new advancements that are both cost effective AND time saving. After all, that’s what technology is for, isn’t it?

Marilyn Harroun has more than 20 years of professional experience in several hi-tech industries which include computer software and hardware technology, digital photo, entertainment, 3-D media, and major retail.
Contact her at techbytesmh@gmail.com