Your Kitchen - The Nanny

Within the past two years there has been a surge in "smart appliances," a technologically-savvy version of those products which serve us well in the kitchen. For example, what began as an icebox is now an appliance which almost does a much on the exterior as it does on the interior.

The first refrigerators that did more than cool and freeze food offered ice trays which fit in specialized trays over the freezer. Then the automated ice maker became the marvel of the 1960's followed by cold, filtered water. Clocks followed and now a flat-screen television in the fridge door is available from all appliance companies.

But what is coming now for the luxury kitchen you may ask? Well, envision this:

You walk into the kitchen and say,"Okay kitchen, let's get rockin'!" A control panel recognizes your voice and your pre-programmed dialogue. The lights adjust to your liking and the first of a string of your favorite songs begins playing at a pre-ordained volume.

A screen pops up from the island and you say "Vanilla mousse" and th recipe appears in front of you along with a read-out of how many of the ingredients you have and where to find them. Then the scale built into the counter tells you when the right weight of ingredients is reached. If it is a roast the oven automatically starts and heats to the required temperature.

This is not too far-fetched for the new kitchen. Right now prototypes of the new kitchen controls make up shopping lists and automatically text them to the owner to pick up on the way home. In five years, they will send them to the store which will deliver the necessities at the exact time you need them.

George Jetson's kitchen, you may ask? No, its the kitchen that's gearing up for you.