At least at one point in time, people dream of having a smart kitchen of the future. With the advent of the Chopbox cutting board and other interesting innovations in the kitchen, it seems like we are already heading that way. Imagine – we already have a smart cutting board, which is unlike the Ultimate Cutting Board, which is a modern take on the nearly unchanging form of the traditional chopping board. But how do we make sense of these two worlds? We take a look at what smart kitchenware and traditional kitchenware offer home cooks and homemakers these days, so you can decide which direction is more favorable for you.
Smart Gadgets, Smart Kitchens
The term “smart kitchen” has been around for decades, but it is only now that we are beginning to see the fruits of all the research and innovation that has been going on in the name of progress. The most important points that have to be addressed when buying into the idea of a smart kitchen are:
- Environmental sustainability
- General usefulness over traditional kitchenware
- User-friendliness
The kitchen is the most traditional domain, so smart gadgets have a while to go before convincing people to shift to it. What we see a lot, especially in products like the Chopbox cutting board is convenient, because the Chopbox cutting board combines a lot of other tools into one neat package. For example, it has its digital timer, a 254nm UVC light, and a weighing scale. Its non-electric features include the dual board design, the two knife sharpeners that are built into the board, the special wooden groove that is designed for catching all the juices that come about when you are preparing the raw ingredients before cooking. The manufacturer says that the board is also quick charging, so if you forgot to charge it, you can just plug it in and wait for the battery to fill up quickly.
But how environmentally friendly are smart gadgets? The Chopbox cutting board is made from 100% organic bamboo, so the main body of the chopping board will not harm the environment. But then again, there are electronic components – what about them? The components are replaceable, so you won’t have to throw away the board if one feature or component is broken. This is important when buying new devices like this one because we don’t want to contribute to the waste problem by buying gadgets that cannot be repaired easily. And then we can talk about the safety of these new smarter gadgets.
You cannot expect traditional makers to install things like UVC lights onto their wares. It just doesn’t fit into the blueprint. However, with smart gadgets like the Chopbox cutting board, we have the added benefit of important innovations like UVC light, which helps sanitize the board. UVC light has been known to kill bacteria for a long time, and we are happy that they’re thinking along these lines to keep consumers safe and healthy while preparing their meals.
Traditional Kitchenware
Whether we like it or not, traditional kitchenware will eventually get upgrades to reflect more modern lifestyles. In terms of environmental-friendliness, we can easily say that apart from additional electrical components, traditional kitchenware still consumes the same amount of plastic, metal, and wooden parts as smart gadgets. So they use the same kinds of raw material during manufacturing, except for the electronic components.
What about user-friendliness? People may be more drawn to more traditional kitchenware due to familiarity. Some people don’t like to have to learn new things, especially in the kitchen. Smart gadgets are sometimes intimidating because there are buttons to push and stuff like that. This isn’t a problem with traditional kitchenware.
However, you still need to learn how to use traditional tools correctly if you want to succeed in the kitchen.
We also see hybrid kitchenware like The Ultimate Cutting Board, which follows the logic of smart gadgets. Instead of just giving people a reliable cutting board, the manufacturer of The Ultimate Cutting Board almost put an entire kitchen into one product.
The Ultimate Cutting Board is made of durable maple wood and is designed to be more than just a cutting board – it is a prepping station. Prepping food is laborious, but it is made slightly easier if the majority of the things that you need are naturally within reach.
This particular board, which has found a home at Kickstarter, has a serving platter, a mandolin slicer, a cheese grater, a removable juicer, measuring cups, storage for knives, and a disposal drawer to remove scraps from the cutting board easily. The manufacturer also states that it is easy to wash and easy to store, and it’s also easy to bring from one place to another. While this board still falls into the same category as traditional kitchenware because it does not have any electronic components, it still requires a little getting used to, so at this level of innovation, we can say that these innovative ideas and smart gadgets are at the same level because they both amazingly employ technology.
Bottom-line
If you are thinking of investing in smart gadgets and innovative kitchenware like the Ultimate Cutting Board, ask yourself if you are willing to face a slight learning curve with using these products, because they can be slightly disconcerting at first.
Then we also encourage people to purchase gadgets that are environmentally-friendly and are created with sustainability in mind. The products also have to be durable, so you won’t end up buying another board (or any other kitchenware for that matter) after a couple of months.
The majority of smart gadgets, except those that are manufactured with heavier materials like wood, are not safe for children, so you may want to reconsider before buying less durable ones. This isn’t a concern with traditional kitchenware, which is usually built to last for a while before they show signs of wear and tear.
