Kitchen Widgets of the Future

[browngirl]

Every so often I read an article about Kitchens of the Future, invariably written by a futurist who obviously doesn't cook, and the devices described are either pointless (a microwave can cook something in 3 minutes. Is it really *that* much of an improvement if a device can cook something in 3 seconds?) or annoying (I really don't want my fridge to remind me that my doctor said I should lose weight and thus tell me to use canola oil rather than butter in my brownies, not least because the oil will ruin the texture and also because I could be making brownies for someone else. It's none of the damn fridge's business). I'd rather read a prognostication from one of today's molecular gastronomists, but I digress.

While cooking tonight I realized what item I really want: an instant reducer. I want a widget that, when placed in a sauce, instantly removes X amount or Y percentage of the water molecules, leaving everything else intact. No more time-consuming, splattery, risky-with-potential-of-burning boiling down!

What kitchen widget would *you* want the future to give us?

Comments

[bercilakslady.livejournal.com]

Dude, an instant reducer would be great!

I'd like an alarm that would tell me about two minutes before my pot boils over, so I have time to get to the stove and prevent the boil over.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Maybe with flashing lights, and a klaxon...

[jenny_evergreen]

That would be AWESOME. I got nothin', but I just started with the cooking. :)

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Then I'll ask you again in a year. :)

[gingicat]

That would be awesome. I'd want instant Maillardization of a roux for similar reasons. :)

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Oooh, yes. With several settings.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

how about a widget that can tell you - without opening fridge doors - what's in the fridge/freezer, and the condition of said item(s) so you don't have to sit there with the door open trying to figure out what to have for dinner.

Bonus item: something that can give you quick recipe ideas by looking at what you have in the kitchen and letting you know what you can make with what's there. Great for those times that you don't feel like cooking much, but am hungry for dinner ASAP.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

how about a widget that can tell you - without opening fridge doors - what's in the fridge/freezer, and the condition of said item(s) so you don't have to sit there with the door open trying to figure out what to have for dinner.

As long as it doesn't comment on my food choices, I am so there.

As for the latter, there are websites that will do that, turn a list of ingredients into a list of suggested recipes. Alas, I can't recall their names at the moment.

[khaosworks.livejournal.com]

I want a microwave oven that can literally nuke things. I mean, like, you'll need a radiation suit to use that baby. That would be awesome.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I am physically incapable of reading the above without cracking up laughing, even with the Head of School in the room. I had to pretend I was laughing at a book choice for the coursebooks list!

Oh, that's easy

[cereta.livejournal.com]

An instant garlic peeler that leaves the clove intact even when it's actually fresh and keeps the peel in a tidy pile for easy clean-up.

Do you have any idea how much easier that would make my cooking life?

Re: Oh, that's easy

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

It already exists. It's called a bike tyre inner tube (well-washed, of course). Put the garlic in, roll it on the bench a couple of times, tip the peeled cloves out.

[awfief.livejournal.com]

What microwaves did for ovens, I want for freezers. I don't have the equipment to handle LN2 in my house, but many times I'd like to have instant ice pops, instant ice cubes, freeze a block of meat partially or fully solid so it's easier to slice thinly.

I'd use reusable ice cubes a lot more if I had it (plastic ice cubes that don't dilute your drink!). In the summer, I want more than 4 freeze-cups I have -- those plastic cups with liquid on the outside that you can put in the freezer and it keeps your drink cold.

On the flip side, something that thaws instantly. I want room temperature butter in 1 minute, the microwave doesn't do a good job of thawing without cooking.

And we already have the next things I will talk about, but I want to see them in better use. What I really want is an "instant slicer/dicer". The slicer/shredder attachment to my food processor works well, but I'd really like to have a device where I insert an onion and get out diced onion. Or make perfect cheese cubes. But be sharp enough for tomatoes.

There are plenty of products that help you do this, but they're messy, and work really well for the first direction and not for the 2nd.

If my fridge and pantry can have a list of contents, I want to have any number of options for the measuring units. For instance, sometimes I want to know that I have 1 lb. of sugar left, and others I want to know if I have 3 cups of sugar.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

These are all *great* ideas. And some of them at least should really be doable with today's technology!

[alcinoe.livejournal.com]

I want something that will get rid of the fat in my stock. With stock, if you put it in the fridge (and wait all night for it to cool) you end up taking half the stock with the fat, which never seems to cool to a complete, pick it off the top solid. I just want to put the device in the hot stock and then fish it out, and all the fat is gone.

[alcinoe.livejournal.com]

Oh, and when I say stock, I mean the stuff that gels when cold, though I would like this to work for broth also.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

*nod*

I know there are skimmers designed to be used with stock that has settled but is still hot or at least isn't cold. If I find out more details I'll let you know.

[susanscookietin.livejournal.com]

Since I kinda dislike washing up, I guess a dining-table & sink in one that does-all-the-cleaning-and-washing-up-after-dinner-without-me-lifting-a-finger? And that includes washing the pots and pans. Best if I can get it to work by twitching my nose (think Bewitched). Oh that'd be a dream come true :oD

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I hear you. Dishwashers are great, they cut the time and labor from an hour to fifteen minutes, but even so.

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

Something brought to mind by an office equipment wish:

An automated sorting-and-disposal system. Meaning you put all of your garbage in, and it sorts recyclables from compostables from trash, subsorts the recyclables if your municipality needs that done, chops the compostables into relatively uniform pieces (so you don't have, for example, half-grapefruit-rinds just sitting on the pile), and compresses and bundles paper-recycling and garbage. (I could see it breaking/shredding/crushing recyclables, like the deposit-return machines in NY do to glass bottles, plastic bottles, and cans, but I'm less worried about that.)

What brought this to mind is the fact that it's Shredding Season here at work, and the part of shredding that annoys me most isn't sitting there mindlessly feeding paper into the hatch of the shredder. It's the endless sequence of "open the door, shove the paper shreds down, shred some more. Open the door, shove the paper shreds down again, shred some more. Open the door, remove the bag, insert new bag, shred some more." I'd like it if the shredder were attached to something like a garbage compactor, that automatically compacted, baled, and wrapped the shreds.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I hear you. I think such things exist, but only in the bowels of shady government offices...

[libitina]

I want a Star Trek style replicator - which you'd think would get in the way of cooking, but you could still go up to it and say, "One cup carrots, in 1cm cubes." And you'd never waste your groceries.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I always loved that on DS9 they showed people seeking out actually-cooked food for a night out, etc.

*contemplates creative replicator use*

[ailbhe]

I want Jeeves.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

*giggle* But he's not technology, he's magic.

Also, I really like your new default userpic.