Is the future already here?

We at Nicholas Hythe are big fans of technology but it has to be technology that makes life easier, more interesting or, let’s face it, more fun!  So when we heard about a range of Internet connected kitchen appliances our first thought was: why?!  They might be fun (for a while anyway) but it’s unlikely that that would be enough for us to recommend to our customers.

So we began to dig deeper and our research has thrown up some really valid reasons as to why you might want your next cooker, washing machine or refrigerator to be Internet enabled.

Of all the appliances you own the one you’d be most lost without would undoubtedly be your mobile phone.  Whilst watching another repeat of ‘Only Fools…’ we were reminded about how far mobi’s have come since they were launched back in the 1980s!  Now, they’re so powerful and can connect to the Internet from almost anywhere.  And that really could spell cleaner clothes, the absolute end of fridge doors being left open and even the end of burnt roast chicken!  They could even help reduce your energy bills!

Kitchen appliances that can be controlled by your smartphone already exist.  To illustrate how they might really help people who are leading increasingly busy lives, imagine a scenario that we’ve all found ourselves in at one time or another: the Sunday roast is in the oven and everything’s under control.  Then one of the kids has a minor accident and you get distracted and forget about that lovely, (increasingly expensive!) chicken you’ve got cooking!

Well now the oven can alert you via your phone when the chicken’s cooked and, by return message, you can let it know to switch off so that it’s not ruined!  Handy, but not really a reason for buying an Internet-enabled cooker!

However, in these days of ever-rising energy costs, smart technology in kitchen appliances could help reduce your energy bills.  How?  By, for example, recommending the cheapest time to do a load of washing or show you how much electricity you’re using every month (so that you can alter or reduce consumption and improve your carbon footprint).

So rather than being a technology of the future, the reality is that demand for smart appliances already exists and is bound to grow, leading, over time, to them becoming mainstream products manufactured by more suppliers thereby driving prices down.

Thought for the day: if iPhone’s already exist, how long before iWashers or iCookers?!

For more information about Nicholas Hythe Kitchen Design Studio please go to www.nicholashythe.co.uk or telephone 01480 468598 or email us at info@nicholashythe.co.uk