Whirlpool shows off a futuristic kitchen design including a reworked cook top, responsive countertops with heating and cooling, and a new approach to refrigeration.  Honestly, it seem they've been reinventing the kitchen for so long, I'm amazed da Vinci didn't present a "Kitchen of the 17th century" when the calendar ticked to 1500.  They're always so colorful and fluid and look like they got blown into space from the Enterprise, but somehow my 2012 kitchen is still using gas fed flame and filled with stone that was ancient when da Vinci's mother was hoping for someone to invent disposable diapers.  That said, I can dream as well...

Amber woke up, her bed vibrating as she began to shift in her sleep.  She opened her eyes, and rolled out from under the sheets, the bed firming up to support her as she sat up and stood.  The lights were dim and comfortable as she stretched and headed towards the bath.  Behind her, the drapes began to open, letting in the sun.

Entering the bathroom, the lights had already matched those in the bedroom, though the drapes had opened wider for a window facing away from the rising sun.  Music began to play softly, picking up where it left off at bedtime.  As she went through her morning ritual, a voice piped up, "Miss Amber, would you like to order breakfast?"

She thought about it for a moment.  "A fried egg with toast, two slices of I-can't-believe-it's-not-bacon and half a serving of yogurt with a sprinkle of meusli."

"Coffee or tea?"

"Assam tea, scorching."

"Breakfast will be ready in 13 minutes."

She finished up and dressed for the day.  Checking the clock - she still liked large analog clocks with old-style fonts ending with swirls - the minute hand was halfway through the time highlighted for breakfast, so she paused to check her news feed in the bathroo mirror before heading to the stairs.  Halfway down, the floor started to rise, passing her by the time she reached the bottom of the stairs.  Turning into the kitchen, the ceiling finished reaching the proper height and an eat-in table slid out of the wall.

The tea was on the counter under the cupboard, sitting next to the sink.  It was cool enough to drink, though it was a bit weak.  She'd have to tweak the settings to steep the leaves a bit longer.

She picked up the tea, leaning against the counter to watch the egg and bacon fry on the burner.  The kitchen would move it all to the plate, but doing it herself felt a bit more in control, so Amber pulled one out of the counter and grabbed a spatula, her only spatula, out of the drawer and moved them.  The toast, which had been fed through a slot under the heating element from the freezer dispenser, popped up from the counter pinched between the hands of a robotic arm.  Laid gently on the plate, the kitchen queried, "Butter and jam?"

"Just jam, strawberry if we have it."

A small whir in the counter and a ramekin with a tablespoon of red jam slid from the dispenser.  Amber laid it on her plate and headed for the table.

A screen on the wall before her lit up and loaded a window full of pictures.  "Just show those still at the table."  The list shortened to five.  "My sister, Carol.  Ask if she has the time."  Amber spread the jam on her toast and the screen filled with video, "Amber, how are you?"  The sounds of a Chicago sidewalk filled the air as her sister joined her for breakfast.

Everyone keeps focusing on fancy lights and beautiful design.  Those are nice for those who want them, but it seems to me that a reinvention of the kitchen space from the ground up is necessary to really offer what I would like: simple, clean and makes my meals to order.  Multiple refrigeration units, multi-use counter space, automated vending and stocking, these are all elements that would offer real value in automation.  I do wonder if the hardest design element is in added flexibility, considering cleanliness and the size of a kitchen space need to be considered, especially in cities where the premium of space is constantly rising compared to average income.  

It's great these appliance groups keep funding R&D to envision the future, but they always seem to remain too close to the present to really break free of the gravity of tradition.  But since kitchens are expensive and the parts last differing amounts of time before needing replacement, there also has to be work towards compatibility.

What features mean the most to you in new kitchen design?  Would you be willing to give up control for more service or do you think the history of food preparation is just too central to the human experience that we'll maintain our current designs until costs (less expensive man-made materials, affordable automation), logistics (movement away from grocery shopping towards automated delivery, energy efficiency)  and context (smaller spaces, space travel) force a complete reconsideration of the space?

Whirlpool's future kitchen | Reviewed