5 Kitchen Innovation Trends To Watch At The Inspired Home Show 2024
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A simple lineup of pots and pans and a drip coffee maker simply won't do for today's modern kitchens. As busy home cooks routinely look for ways to make meals easier and quicker, there's no shortage of inspiration and cutting-edge ideas that come to light on cooking shows and social media.
Major houseware brands and indie designers are also paying attention, and every year they debut their latest innovations at The Inspired Home Show. Regarded as North America's largest housewares trade show, the three-day expo brings together vendors and manufacturers from more than 120 countries across the globe who present their latest wares and gadgets to buyers, retailers, and bloggers — many of them later ending up on store shelves for everyday consumers to take home and utilize.
The show runs March 17-19 in Chicago, but Food Republic got an early look at some of the products that will be on display and we have found several trends that could dictate the future of home cooking. From wireless technology to convenient to-go features and energy-saving designs, these are the latest in-demand features.
Café-style coffee on the go
Whether you're traveling or just don't have time to make a fresh batch of coffee in the morning, now you can brew on-the-go with a number of genius devices that fit in your bag and don't even need to be plugged in.
The AeroPress Coffee Maker — Go (retailing for $39.95) is a convenient portable solution that has everything you need for a single serving of joe, including the mug. Simply pour grounds into the chamber; choose your setting for drip, cold brew, or espresso; and then add water and use the plunger like a French press to make your caffeinated drink. It pours directly into the attached mug, which is also microwaveable.
Fino's Single Serve Stovetop Espresso Coffee Maker forgoes all the fancy machinery needed to make your morning doppio; instead, this simple device looks like nothing more than a mini sink that pours out fully-brewed 1.7-ounce shots. It works with electric, gas, or induction models and it only takes up a few inches of space, so it's ideal to travel with. This particular model is not yet for sale, but other Fino products are available on Amazon.
Smarter wireless cooking tools
The digital age is ready to revolutionize your kitchen and grill with built-in wireless technology that allows for more hands-off cooking.
ChefsTemp has created a one-of-a-kind fully wireless meat thermometer (retailing for $139.99) that, unlike other options on the market, has an unlimited range. Because it combines Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, it improves the area in which it can be used and cuts down on disconnection issues, meaning you can fire up your meal and forget it (you'll get the updates as long as your smartphone has an Internet connection). The device is also water-resistant so it'll work even on those rainy nights when your grill is going and you are staying dry inside.
BLOK's smart cutting board is said to be like the "Peloton of the kitchen." The slip-free walnut surface is a great working area for slicing veggies and meats, but the best feature is its built-in digital display where you can watch on-demand cooking classes. Look through the library, find the one you want to use for guidance, and follow along while you prep your meal. The BLOK is available for $699.99 plus a subscription to access the digital content.
Energy- and time-saving cookware
Materials matter when it comes to designing the best cookware for a modern kitchen. While nonstick pots and pans were all the rage in decades past, today's tools are made from more durable and eco-friendly sustainable options that save time and energy in the kitchen.
The carefully constructed double-handle pan from Emile Henry USA (retailing for $75) lets you make Chicago-style deep dish pizza at home to better results. While there are a number of pizza pans on the market, many are made of cast iron that needs to be seasoned, can scratch easily, and make pizza dough stick to the surface. Additionally, several models don't offer handles, making them more cumbersome to use and increasing the risk of burns. This design is also multi-purpose, allowing you to cook and serve the pie in the same pan. Because it's made with refractory ceramic, the material holds heat better, allowing the crust to reach the perfect golden finish quickly.
FIREUP Cookware is made of recycled cast iron and was crafted by a rocket scientist at the University of Oxford. What sets this pan apart from the competition is that it heats food from the bottom and sides. This not only saves energy (and your gas bill), but it also cooks food more quickly and evenly, whether you're using it to make a big batch of stew or braised meat. Prices begin at $190.
Super multi-purpose tools
Life is busy enough, so multipurpose kitchen tools are not only convenient but an everyday necessity. Heeding the call, many manufacturers have come up with innovative designs that have as many uses as a Swiss Army knife.
Kitchen Mama has crafted a multipurpose tool (retailing for $29.99) that opens cans, jars, and bottles of any shape or kind, whether they are screw or crown tops (it even has a feature to release pull-tabs on soda cans). The bird-shaped gadget is more than just aesthetically pleasing, too as the "beak" of the design can loosen vacuum-sealed containers as well. Because it's made of metal, the tool can also double as a fridge magnet, meaning it's always nearby and ready to use.
The Zyliss Multipurpose Dessert Knife (retailing for $6.95) looks simple enough, but it's an incredibly resourceful gadget with serrated edges that cut through a range of baked goods (no more needing separate cake and pie cutters). It can even be used on treats or savory dinners like lasagna in non-stick cookware since it doesn't scratch, and works great on a head of lettuce too as its plastic design wards off browning.
Automatic grinders and slicers
If one of your most dreaded cooking tasks is slicing, dicing, and grinding finicky ingredients, more modernized and automatic tools are on the horizon to get the job done with as little stress as possible.
Freshly grinding tough-as-nails ingredients like cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and star anise is a major flavor upgrade for your spice cake, and the FinaMill GT Pod makes it a bit easier. A one-of-its-kind design, this handheld cordless grinder offers interchangeable plates that can grate everything — including rock-solid spice pods and nuts — without all the blood, sweat, and tears. It's rechargeable via USB and easy to clean since the plates are removable. The product is not yet available to buy, but you can explore other products on Finamill's website.
When you crave pizzas and salads with all the toppings, tools like the Professional SaladShooter(R) Electric Slicer/Shredder (retailing for $69.99) make chopping a more automatic process. It works on a motor with a range of interchangeable inserts for finely shredded cheese, thick cucumber slices, and diced onions. When you're ready to add to your dish, all you have to do is "point and shoot" and pile it on.