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CLEVER KITCHENS
In the kitchen, the new Samsung Family Hub Fridge Freezer [3] works with the SmartThings ecosystem, allowing you to control and
monitor your connected home from the Family Hub screen. In addition to being able to see on your phone what’s inside your fridge when you’re in the supermarket, you use it to access Spotify so you can play music while you cook, send memos and adjust the thermostat. An in-built Meal Planner can give you recipes for the family based on their food preferences and dietary restrictions – and it can keep an eye on food expiry dates and alert you when chilled products are running low too.
Caple’s DD935BK is an induction hob and downdraft extractor in one [2]. The clever technology in the hob features 13 power levels (0-9, bake at 42°C, keep warm at 70°C, boil control at 94°C and a booster on every zone) and a bridge function that connects two or more zones to accommodate larger pans. Other functions include keep warm, automatic heat-up and pause, memory recall and timer. The extractor is built into the centre of the hob, and features four speeds including a boost function with an automatic timer that switches off 10 minutes after cooking has ended.
Or how about Hotpoint’s
ActiveCook induction hob [4]? It can help you to cook up to 63 common recipes: simply select the
category of food being prepared and your desired cooking method, such as boiling or pan-frying, and the hob will then guide you through the cooking process from
start to fi nish with prompts shown on the display on the right of the control panel. Pre-set cooking methods include melting, simmering, boiling, pan-frying and grilling for a range of food categories including meat, fi sh and dairy. There’s also a Moka feature for stovetop coffee makers.
The ultimate in smart kitchen technology, though, has to be the latest model from Thermomix, the TM6 [5] – £1,099,
thermomix.co.uk. Loved by top chefs, some of whom have a whole bank of them in their professional kitchens, a Thermomix can replace a host of other cooking equipment
because it does pretty much everything for you.
As well as being a super-powerful blender, it also cooks and stirs food at adjustable temperatures and speeds, and comes with a built-in weighing scale and a steamer attachment. It makes perfectly smooth sauces – one of the key reasons why chefs love it – with no stirring required. It will chop and fry an onion in seconds, prepare cake batter and bread dough, make jam, ice cream and caramel, as well as sous-vide and slow-cook dishes. It cleans itself after use, and connects to the internet to bring you thousands of recipes that it will then display on its touch screen and talk you through step- by-step, with nothing more required on your part that the turn of a dial every
now and again. In a nutshell, it means that even novices can cook like pros, while those with more experience in the kitchen can take their repertoire to a whole new level. Clever stuff!
4. ActiveCook induction hob (ACP 778 C/BA), around £750, from Hotpoint (
hotpoint.co.uk)
ENERGY
EFFICIENT There are currently 31,000 oil-heated households in Kent, and Malcolm Farrow from OFTEC (
oftec.org), which represents the oil heating industry, says: “Advances in home technology over the past few years have made it easier and more cost effective for households to smarten up their heating. Not only can this provide greater flexibility with how you control your system, but it can also help with monitoring and reducing energy usage which, in turn, leads to lower emissions and bills. “Consumers have an important role to play when it comes to reducing our carbon footprint and the collective actions individuals take really can make a difference. Speak with your local technician when you next have your boiler serviced as they will be able to provide advice and guidance on the best way of enhancing your existing set-up.”
5. TM6 by Thermomix, £1,099 (
thermomix.co.uk) 3. Family Hub Fridge Freezer, £1,999, from Samsung (
samsung.com/uk)
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