E Commerce Iws Mar 24 Technology In The Kitchen

Technology in the Kitchen

How Geeks and Gadgets are Changing our Relationship with Food

Marti McCalebWashington & Lee University School of LawE-Commerce PracticumIdeas Worth SharingMarch 24, 2010

Top Kitchen Innovations

• Induction Cooktops– electromagnetic current beneath the cooktop runs

up through the pot, creating resistance in the pot’s metal, heating up the pot itself

– Induction cooktops transfer 90% of its energy to the cookware• Electric cooktops lose 50% of energy before they ever

heat your food• Gas coils lose 60% of energy to the outside

environment



• Speedcook Ovens– Combines

convention heat with microwaves and/or light waves to cook up to 15x faster than conventional oven

– $7,895.00 at www.turbochef.com

The Jetsons, anyone?


• Vorwerk Thermomix TM 31– All-in-one countertop

replacement appliance– blends, steams, boils,

grates, whisks, kneads, chops, and weighs

– $1,400 at www.ThermomixCanada.ca

Will it do the dishes afterwards?


• Online Groceries– Fresh, local produce

delivered to your door on 24-hour notice

– In NYC, Seattle and several other major cities


• Microplane Grater– This really did start out

in someone’s garage– Now, Microplane’s

kitchen tools are chemically cut (not stamped) to provide the best slice available on the market

– $13


• Epicurious iPhone app– Recipe book and

shopping list all in one– Never again do you have

to come home from the store to realize you forgot that one KEY ingredient

– FREE


• Molecular Gastronomy– Chefs (w/ PhDs in chemistry)

started experimenting with the chemical processes that cause our taste buds to register flavor

– Now, you can try it at home—spherification, thickening, foaming agents

– $69.99 at www.thinkgeek.com


• Sous Vide Supreme– At home water oven– vacuum sealed food is immersed

in a water bath and cooked at a very consistent low temperature over a long period of time

– Taste and texture of sous vide cuisine is largely unexplored; new creative opportunities

– $450; www.sousvidesupreme.com

Not So Top Innovations

• Heat-sensing utensils• Rubber sinks• Talking oven mitts• Self-boiling tea kettles• Grocery-monitoring refrigerators• DISHMAKER

Really?

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E Commerce Iws Mar 24 Technology In The Kitchen