Smart kitchen technology is innovating the way we cook.

hat's Cooking in the Smart Kitchen? Why the kitchen has been the slowest room to embrace smart tech and 3 gadgets that are changing that 5 1 rating Feb 26, 2016 | 4:33 pm By Jennifer Tuohy Contributor Smart kitchen technology is innovating the way we cook. The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where we feed our family and friends, and where many of us spend the majority of our time. Clearly, there’s a lot of potential here for new and amazing innovations. With all the recent excitement around smart home technology, what we food-lovers really want to know is: How can home automation make our favorite room in the house better? MORE KITCHEN APPLIANCES 10 Over-the-Top Kitchen Appliances Samsung and Michelin Chefs Create Kitchen Appliances Smart Kitchen Appliances That will Change The Way You Cook 5 Basic Kitchen Tools for Homemade Cooking 10 Kitchen Tools That Will Save You Money 10 Smart Kitchen Appliances That Will Change The Way You Cook The kitchen has been the slowest room in the house to develop any serious connected cachet. Why is this? Maybe because the premise of the smart home, bringing technology to everyday mundane tasks to make them easier, is already met in our kitchens. From bread machines to refrigerators, our kitchen is arguably the most high-tech room in the home. Simply connecting a kitchen device to the Internet doesn’t immediately improve its usefulness. A fridge that tweets wouldn’t work for me, but a fridge that can tell me what’s in it and what I can make from those ingredients? That’s something worth upgrading for. Essentially, you want to look for devices that provide a significant benefit that doesn’t already exist in your kitchen. Here are some of the smart kitchen products currently on the market, as well as a peek into the future at a few exciting devices that could make their way into our kitchens over the next few years. Extra Control Connected ovens, like this one from GE, can be switched on and off remotely and “talk” to other parts of your smart home. The first wave of smart kitchen appliances that hit the market was primarily focused on giving you remote control of your appliances. For example, you can buy a Wi-Fi-enabled oven that you can preheat from your phone while you’re on your way home from work, saving a good 20 minutes of your meal prepping time. You can also pick up a Wi-Fi-controlled crockpot or coffee maker. Belkin’s Mr. Coffee WeMo model lets you program your coffee-making schedule through its smartphone app, which is ideal if you have a variable workweek. You can even eliminate the hassle of scheduling entirely and pair your coffee maker with a WeMo Motion Switch so that it starts brewing the second you hop out of bed. Added Convenience A step up from the simple remote control feature is integration. Take GE Appliance’s Chef Connect technology, built into some of its Profile and Cafe lines. You can use the oven’s Wi-Fi capability to set up If This Then That recipes that work with other elements of your smart home. For example, you can have the oven shut off automatically when you leave the house, or have your Philips Hue light bulbs flash when your dinner is done. Additionally, the Bluetooth technology built into these appliances lets them communicate with each other to sync the clocks on the range and microwave, turn on the lights beneath the over-the-range microwave when you turn on a burner, and start the microwave's vent fan when the stovetop is also on. Risk Reduction The iGrill takes the guesswork out of cooking. The kitchen has ample potential for disaster. From food poisoning to fires, there’s a lot that can go wrong. Remote control technology is a lifesaver in that respect. Checking in on your oven from your smartphone could save you a trip home if you think you forgot to shut it off. Smart smoke alarms, such as the Nest Protect, can help cut down on false alarms when you burn the toast, but also alert you via smartphone if it senses a true emergency. The Nest Protect can even tell you what room the danger is in, and if it’s carbon monoxide or fire that’s the problem. You can then use your app to turn off all your connected appliances and shut down your heating system if you have a Wi-Fi-controlled thermostat, potentially stopping the spread of the danger. Smart technology can also increase food safety. The trusty meat thermometer has received a Bluetooth upgrade in the form of the iGrill. Place its Bluetooth-connected probe in your food, either on the grill, in the oven or in a pan and be alerted via smartphone when the food has reached the perfect temperature. There’s no need to hover over your meat while it’s cooking or worry that it’s not done enough before you bring it to the table. Improved Expertise Many serious foodies are interested in how the smart kitchen can teach us new tricks and turn us into better cooks. Whether you are a newbie or an old hat, there are a lot of smart devices that can help improve your skills. The Pantelligent is a Bluetooth-enabled frying pan that guides you through cooking your dishes, telling you to lower or raise the temp at the perfect time for optimum outcomes. There’s also Pure Imagination’s Perfect Bake system, complete with a scale, mixing bowls and a smartphone app that connect to walk you step-by-step through the baking process. For the more adventurous, the PicoBrew Zymatic is to the would-be homebrewer what the bread machine was to the would-be home baker. The machine connects to the Internet to download recipes and pre-programs itself to the recipe you select, taking a lot of the guesswork (though not all of the grunt work) out of brewing beer. Have you read about the sous vide method, but aren’t prepared to spend a few thousand dollars on a piece of equipment reserved for the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants? The Anova Culinary Precision Cooker is the smart gadget you’ve been looking for. This stick-like device works with your smartphone, a plastic bag, and a pot of water to bring you perfectly cooked meats, vegetables, and eggs. The Future of the Smart Kitchen This past January, the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) provided us with a sneak peek into what’s coming to the smart kitchen. Whirlpool showed off its new Smart Kitchen Suite with the CareSync system, due at the end of 2016. The system includes the Smart Front Control Range, Smart Dishwasher and Smart French Door Refrigerator. All the appliances integrate with Whirlpool’s smartphone app, as well as with other smart home devices. For example, the Smart Front Control Range will send you an alert if it is still on when your Nest Thermostat senses the home is empty. The Smart Dishwasher can even order its own detergent when it senses you’re running low. The Samsung Family Hub takes you inside the fridge virtually and acts as an entire smart home hub if you have its compatible SmartThings ecosystem. Samsung showed off its new smart fridge at CES, too, with first-of-its-kind interior cameras and a huge tablet screen. The Family Hub’s cameras let you check its contents via your smartphone, ideal when you’re out shopping and can’t remember how much milk you have left. Samsung also promises the fridge will soon be able to tell you when you need to buy certain foods and even let you order groceries right from its screen. Speaking of cameras, have you ever wanted to watch your lasagna as it browns, but not keep jumping up from the couch every five minutes to do so? The June Intelligent Oven hopes to be the answer to your prayers. Not only will it let you look inside from all angles while your food cooks, but it can also use its camera to detect what food you are cooking and suggest cook times and recipes, all of which you can control and monitor from your smartphone. June hopes to release its first models to consumers in Spring 2016. Conclusion The promise of the smart kitchen is one that will make cooking easier and better. Appliances that are not only connected to the Internet, but to each other, and can “think” for themselves to help us produce better food — that’s the promise of a truly connected kitchen. And while the smart kitchen is still in its infancy, there are a lot of exciting products already available and promising ones coming down the pipeline that are enough to get any chef’s mouth watering. Jennifer Tuohy is a smart home enthusiast who writes about home automation and technology. She provides great tips on how you can use smart home tech both inside and outside of the kitchen. To see a wide selection of Home Depot's smart home products, click here.

Culinary Terms Actually Mean?

Navigating a fine-dining menu can be a challenging endeavor, especially if you don’t speak French. Here are 10 challenging fine-dining terms you might encounter while out on the town, along with their definitions. Amuse-Bouche You know you’re in for a high-end meal when a complimentary amuse-bouche arrives shortly after you sit down. This is traditionally a very small course — just one or two bites — that the chef sends to the table. It’s a way for the chef to express his or her philosophy on food and to give diners a glimpse of the meal that they’re about to experience. While it literally translates as something with which to amuse the mouth, the gesture is more about a warm welcome and way to wake up diners’ taste buds. Carpaccio Typically very thin slices of raw beef topped with lemon, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and arugula. Today, the term generally refers to any thin-sliced raw meat or seafood. MORE CULINARY TERMS What Is Ackee? What Is Quinoa? What is Dulce de Leche? What is Ceviche? What Is Kimchi? Consommé This is a clear soup, made from a richly flavored stock. While it may look like a cup of broth, the process involved is actually very complicated: Ground meat, vegetables, tomatoes, and egg white are added to stock and allowed to simmer until all the impurities are brought to the surface. This is then simmered even longer, then filtered, skimmed, refrigerated, and skimmed again. It’s usually served very hot and with garnishes ranging from sherry to shaped savory custards. Because of the lengthy process and the fact that more than a pound of meat can go into one eight-ounce serving, consommé is a dish usually reserved for only the very wealthy. Coulis A coulis is a thick sauce made from puréed and strained fruits or vegetables. Vegetable coulis are usually used on meat and vegetable dishes or as a base for soups and sauces, and fruit coulis are generally used on desserts. Raspberry coulis is quite popular. Crème Fraîche Like sour cream and yogurt, crème fraîche is cream that’s been soured and thickened with bacterial culture. It’s less sour, thinner, and higher in fat than traditional sour cream, however, and lends a smooth and creamy texture to both savory and sweet dishes. It adds a velvety note to soups, for example, and is also served cold alongside fruit and powdered sugar as a dessert. Foie Gras Foie gras is the liver of a goose or duck that’s been specially fattened via force-feeding. It’s rich and buttery when seared, and also shines as a mousse or pâté. The force-feeding has turned it into one of the most controversial foods in existence, but it’s something that everybody should try at least once. Gastrique A gastrique is a sweet and sour flavoring for sauces traditionally made by deglazing caramelized sugar with vinegar and stock. Today, when you see the term gastrique on a menu it usually implies that the sauce will be tart and slightly sweet. Hors d’Oeuvres These small starter dishes are intended to be eaten by hand. They’re usually passed around during the hour before dinner or during a cocktail party. A canapé (which translates to “couch”) is a popular style of hors d’oeuvre: It’s thinly-sliced bread (the couch) topped with anything from smoked salmon to foie gras. Prix-Fixe Also called a set menu, a prix-fixe is a multi-course menu that has a fixed price. The menu is often set in stone, but in some cases guests may choose between a handful of appetizers, entrées, and desserts. Quenelle The term quenelle has been turning up on many menus recently. In its strictest definition, it’s a Lyonnaise dish in which creamed fish or meat (usually pike) is formed into a football shaped dumpling, which is then poached, broiled, and served in a cream sauce. While true quenelles are only found on the menu at the highest-end French restaurants, you’ll see the term applied to other foods — especially ice cream, sorbet, and mashed potatoes — when served in a similar shape.

Stomach and mood disorders: how your gut may be playing with your mind

If you’ve eaten a fabulous meal recently, the experience was pleasant, comfortable and pain-free because your stomach and intestinal system worked seamlessly to move the food along and eventually absorb it. Our gastrointestinal tract, or gut, is sometimes described as our “second brain”. This is because it is controlled by its own complex nervous system comprising hundreds of millions of neurons – more than all the nerves in your spinal cord. The gut and brain talk to each other through nerve signals, the release of gut or stress hormones, and other pathways. We have long known that emotions can directly alter gut function. But lately we’ve been discovering that it works the other way too: our gut actually has an effect on our brain. And because it’s easier (and generally safer) to manipulate the gut than the brain, this knowledge provides the possibility that doing so could treat some chronic psychological and brain diseases. How your brain affects you gut Think of a time you had to do an exam and had “the runs” (diarrhoea) or felt anxious and developed butterflies in your stomach. This is your brain driving your gut. If you are stressed or anxious, you even change the production of stomach acid through nerve connections. Think of a time you had to do an exam and had the runs. from shutterstock.com Traditionally it was thought gut symptoms came about from an underlying psychological disorder, such as anxiety. Anxiety changes gut function. Over time, this can lead to unpleasant symptoms such as pain, diarrhoea, bloating or excessive fullness. Many people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or severe indigestion are anxious, for instance. And doctors have investigated antidepressants and psychological treatments in these disorders with variable success. But actually many signals go up to the brain from the gut as well as in the downward direction. So could it be that in some cases, changes in the gut are actually driving anxiety experiences rather than the other way around? Accumulating evidence suggests this is likely to be the case. How the gut changes your brain We followed 1,002 people over a 12-year period in Sydney and found about 50% of the participants with chronic gut issues had been anxious first and then developed their gut problems. But the other 50% developed the gut disorder before the psychological problems arose. In other words, their gut appeared to get sick first and this led to brain dysfunction manifesting as anxiety, not the other way around. We later observed similar findings – that psychological distress can predict later onset of gut disorders and vice versa – in a large study in the United Kingdom. We know that some people with IBS have mild gut inflammation. We have also identified that some people with IBS have elevated levels of cytokines in their blood. These are byproducts of inflammation; part of the immune response. One study showed a clear increase of certain cytokines in people with both anxiety and IBS. Higher anxiety levels strongly correlated with higher cytokine levels. Based on this new information, we concluded that gut inflammation releases cytokines that may cause anxiety in IBS. How the bugs in your gut alter your brain Everyone’s gut is chock a block full of bugs (trillions of them) that can be good, bad or indifferent. They hang out all the way from the mouth through to the end of the bowel. Everyone’s gut is chock a block full of bugs. from shutterstock.com The bugs talk to the nervous system through pathways, including the immune system, that keeps them in check. Experimental work suggests an imbalance in these bugs can affect the brain and, in some cases, may lead to anxiety or depression. Altering gut bacteria is a new way to treat many diseases of the gut and possibly the brain, including through diets (changing your diet rapidly changes your gut bugs), or by providing “good” bacteria and suppressing “bad” bacteria, that can be done with probiotics. Other methods include transplanting stool from healthy people to those in need. Intriguing observations could also unlock new ways to manage currently incurable degenerative nervous diseases. For instance, altered gut function manifesting as constipation is often the first symptom of Parkinson’s disease. And studies are currently exploring the role of the gut in neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis. But for the moment, new evidence suggests when the gut is inflamed, it may affect the brain and lead to psychological dysfunction. Anxiety Microbiome gut Gastroenterology gastrointestinal tract Mood disorders Irritable Bowel Syndrome Tweet Share Get newsletter You might also like

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