Home Improvements & Technology – Get the Futuristic Edge in the Kitchen

Spending much time in the property industry, whenever a property is bought or being renovated for sale one of the first rooms to be remodelled is the kitchen. It is well known that this area is the hub of a home, especially with large gatherings, and being able to set up a kitchen so it won’t need replacing within the next 10 years at least is a must. A survey conducted by Plentific showed that the kitchen was the number one area to renovate to increase interest in a property. So here are some items to consider ranging from $15 to $3000 so that 10 years from now your kitchen still makes you feel as happy with it as the day you designed it.

Retractable Power Sockets

Seen more and more but still impressing everyone are these “sinkable” power sockets. Great for any area of the house, they come into their own in the kitchen, especially if you are planning on using an island as your main cooking area. It enables you to connect multiple appliances needed for your gastronomic plans as well as saves countertop space by having the plugs aligned vertically. The ability to have the entire unit disappear into the counter allows for multiple uses for the area it is installed in.

Wireless charging points under the counter

Perfect for rushing in and out the house without having to worry about pulling your charger out of the wall and half the plug socket with it. It is simple enough to have a wireless charging point installed onto the top of your counter but who wants to see it when you can have it magically placed under your countertop and experience real life magic. While it is currently only your phone using wireless charging

Magnetic Knife Rack

Although chefs in restaurant kitchens have been doing this for years, its taken a while for everyday people to cotton on to this hygienic and space-saving way of storing knifes. The ability to mount this on the wall enables users to keep this at a height out of reach of little hands. Not to mention, its also a lot cheaper than most chunky knife racks.

Induction Hobs

What’s more fun than pretending you’re burning your hand as you ‘accidentally’ put it on the hob? Not a much. What is great, is knowing that you will be keeping your children safe from any potential burns due to the electrical induction used to heat the pan, instead of the usual thermal conduction. Make sure to check your pans will work on a hob like this, to do a simple check, see if a magnet is attracted to the pan, if it is then you’re good to go.

“Hidden” Extractor Fans

Perfect for having your hob on an island away from a wall without having to have a potentially hideous column coming down from the ceiling. Having seen this recently installed in a Mayfair Penthouse it blew my mind. Known as Downdraft extractors they are able to rise and fall in a silent motorised fashion and can be installed on gas or hob cookers. You should keep in mind that the further from the wall connection for the extractor fan you install this, the more the performance will be affected.

Ultra-Connected Fridges

Want to do more with your fridge than just keep stuff cold. How about listening to the radio, updates on your morning commute, news briefings, watch tv, add shopping lists or family reminders to the front of the fridge? This might seem a bit OTT, but the incredible functionality of this fridge is a great way to have all the technology you want in the kitchen, without being completely overrun with individual items. Let’s not even begin on the technology involved in keeping your food cool or the fact you can look inside your fridge while at the supermarket to see what you need. I promise you, this will be the most excited you’ll ever be about a fridge and it’s completely justified.