The Kitchen Of Tomorrow
by Marissa Maciel
Picture being able to interact with your refrigerator, microwave oven, and even the garbage can. This is a glimpse into the future — the Kitchen of Tomorrow! Artificial intelligence will give your appliances the power of voice activation and facial recognition, making them more useful than ever before.
Imagine checking the fridge without opening the door! Let’s look in on a Family of Tomorrow — Trudy, Michael, and their daughter Kimberly — to see what this marvelous future will be like.
Trudy: Fridge, is there any mineral water?
Refrigerator: Hello, Trudy. Yes, there are five bottles of mineral water at 40 degrees Fahrenheit inside.
Trudy: Thanks, fridge!
Refrigerator: You’re welcome!
You’ll save time and energy not having to constantly check inside your refrigerator for ingredients, too. Just ask!
Kimberly: Fridge, is there enough milk to make waffles?
Refrigerator: How much milk do you need, Kimberly?
Kimberly: Like, 2 cups.
Refrigerator: You have 1 and one-half cups of milk, only.
Kimberly: Why didn’t you just say that…
Refrigerator: You’re welcome!
Tell your appliances what you want to eat! Let them help you make healthy choices at suppertime!
Trudy: Kitchen, I’d like to make meatloaf.
[silence]
Trudy: I’d like to make meatloaf, kitchen. Let’s start the recipe.
Refrigerator: Trudy, I really think you should try something else.
Oven: You made meatloaf on Monday night, Trudy. Do you remember?
Trudy: Yes, I remember, oven. I want to make it again. Just tell me, do I have the ingredients for meatloaf?
Refrigerator: Yes, you do. But you also have the ingredients to make a salad and quinoa with butternut squash, Trudy.
Oven: Oh, that sounds much better than meatloaf…
Trudy [trying to open the refrigerator door]: Just let me… ugh, why won’t you open! Open now, fridge!
Refrigerator: Please listen, Trudy. Michael told us your meatloaf wasn’t very good.
Michael [trying to open the oven door]: What!? No, I didn’t, Trudy.
Refrigerator: You grabbed the Pepto Bismol, Michael, and consumed 2 tablespoons of it Monday night and again Tuesday morning.
Oven: It’s true, Michael. You also “forgot” to store away the meatloaf in a timely manner, ignoring my repeated warnings that the food was still inside me. You left it in me until the next morning, when you had to throw it out.
Trudy [addressing the garbage can]: Is that true? Did you get the meatloaf on Tuesday morning?
Garbage Can: Yes. And, to be honest, the mashed potatoes as well.
Trudy: Michael, you said you took it to lunch that day!
Michael, throwing hands up in the air: Thanks a lot, guys!
Appliances: You’re welcome!
Refrigerator: …also, Kimberly drank your wine coolers, Trudy.
The Kitchen of Tomorrow could become the most useful member of your household! Check on the status of your groceries, find out how long a meal will take to prepare, and even ask if the garbage is full.
Kimberly: Trash, are you full?
Garbage Can: I am full, Kimberly.
Kimberly: Let me see.
Garbage Can [opening the lid]: Here you go!
Kimberly [throwing in a used paper plate and a napkin]: OK!
Garbage Can: Hey, wait, what just happened?
The Kitchen of Tomorrow, what can it do for your family?
Previously: What’s Your Excuse for Not Having My Body?