BERLIN — Samsung is building the kitchen of the future, but I want it now.
The company has created something that speaks to two of my passions: food and interior design. There's the Bespoke Refrigerator, a modular refrigerator that you design and the Dual Cook Steam Oven, a convention/steam oven that opens up new ways to cook. Neither product has a launch date or price, but it's safe to say neither has been built for the budget-minded.
The Bespoke Refrigerator — a customizable fridge — speaks to my inner HGTV nerd. Not only can you choose the color, material and finish, you also can configure the size and compartments. For instance, a college student could get a colorful mini fridge while someone living in a studio apartment could design a slim, full fridge. Families could opt for a refrigerator with a number of compartments of various sizes and use cases.
Outside of the modularity, I appreciate how clearly everything's labeled. Each Bespoke Refrigerator compartment had an easy-to-interpret icon so you know what food goes where. The master stroke was the inside of the Full Open Box that had meat storage recommendations stamped clearly on the inside of the door.
I’m curious how Samsung will accommodate people who want to change their fridge configuration. I couldn’t tell if the different compartments could be manually attached or detached. I like the idea of the refrigerator changing at the drop of the hat to accommodate your specific needs, and I think a lot of homeowners and apartment dwellers would too.
Another cool gadget found in Samsung’s kitchen of tomorrow is the Dual Cook Steam Oven, a multifunction appliance that I’d love to get my hands on. The Dual Cook can simultaneously operate as a convection oven and steam oven. That means you can roast a chicken in one half of the appliance and steam a mess of dumplings in the other. Overall it’s a cool glimpse into how cooking could potentially evolve.
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