For restaurants aiming at world-class performance, connecting the kitchen with smart appliances is becoming increasingly important. These technologies elevate efficiency, cut costs, raise quality, maintain consistency, and adjust to changing customer preferences. But how far is too far? Food is one of the most personal pleasures we seek out and pay good money for. As restaurants become increasingly ‘smart’, does the personal touch of a chef carry the same weight as it once did?
Smart kitchen appliances come in many shapes and sizes and vary substantially in use-case. Broadly speaking, the sector can be broken down into six key areas: advanced cooking, sustainability, operations, precision, hygiene & speed. Below we’ve listed some of the latest innovations in each category.
Advanced cooking & precision
With smart tech in place, any kitchen has the means to equip its chefs with a set of tools that can help them achieve world-class results without the necessary skills or training. The new flagship grill from Weber features a blazing hot top-down infrared broiler, the first of its kind and is powered by a digital control system that helps analyse and record data.
Sustainability & operations
As the consumers continue seeking more sustainable food products, there is a rising focus on eco-friendly kitchen solutions. This includes energy-efficient appliances, composting technologies, and sustainable packaging solutions to reduce the environmental impact of kitchen activities.
Smart bins have the ability to track the performance of a kitchen in real-time, making data-driven decisions to optimise operations by minimising food waste. Several companies are producing smart bins, such as Swiss-based Kitro, which records all waste thrown into the bin and suggests supply shifts based on the results. Kitro states that some of its clients have reduced food waste by 60% with average reductions of around 30% within the first 6 months of measuring. This results in savings between 2% and 6% of their annual food cost.
Hygiene & operations
In response to hygiene concerns, touchless and voice-activated controls are becoming more prevalent in kitchen tech. Users can control appliances and access information without physically touching surfaces, from handsfree ovens to faucets.
Speed
The smart kitchen seems to be doing away with the old ways of ‘slow cooking’ in favour of lightening fast food, cooked to perfection. Sharp have launched a high-speed ai-powered oven, claiming the ability to analyse what’s in the oven and apply the appropriate cooking method whilst reducing cooking time by approximately 66%.
While the implementation of smart kitchen technology requires an initial investment, the long-term benefits in terms of efficiency, cost savings, and improved customer satisfaction can significantly contribute to the success of a restaurant, providing a competitive edge whilst future-proofing the business for years to come.