How Technology Can Aid You in Your Kitchen Remodel
Technology
Every day we are surrounded by technology, from work to home alike, and that includes in the kitchen.
Most technological items that people have in their kitchens would include typical kitchen appliances, such as ovens, dishwashers, microwave ovens, toasters, and so on. But in the day and age we live in now, there are far more kinds of technological devices that you can use in your kitchen to help you out on a day-to-day basis.
Considering the fact that the kitchen is often the heart of the home and the room where we spend the most amount of time in, spending the time and money to invest in improving your kitchen can be a good way not only to improve your home’s value but also to just make things easier in your life as well.
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If you are currently planning on remodeling your kitchen in the next few weeks or months, the following technological aids would be worth considering:
Countertop Estimators
Selecting your countertops is one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make and is usually the second biggest ticket item after the cabinets. An invaluable online tool to use is a countertop estimator before remodeling your kitchen.
A countertop estimator will allow you to measure the size of your countertop in square feet, to choose the materials and color that you would like to have, the edge profile of the countertop, and the cooktop and sink cut-outs. After figuring out the above information, it will be super easy to know exactly what kind and style of countertop will be the best suited for your kitchen.
If you’re interested in doing your own countertop install, check out my DIY guide to installing quartz here.
Virtual Room Planner
Taking things a step further, what if you could actually see what your kitchen would look like before you actually had anything built or remodeled? The latest in useful online tools are called virtual room planners. There’s no need for you to invest in a computer program because you can just use an online virtual room planning program to design any room in your home, including the kitchen. A quality virtual room planner will allow you to choose the finishes and decor for your kitchen after you design the basic layout. You can even do things like previewing cabinetry, appliances, and other kitchen components.
LED Lighting
LED lighting is becoming increasingly common for American kitchens these days (as well as for bathrooms). It’s not at all difficult to see why: LED lights are energy efficient, extra bright, and don’t create nearly as much heat as other kind of lights. Today, it’s not at all uncommon to see LED lights being used for the recessed, under cabinet, and overheat lights. You can even buy self-sticking LED light strips, which are much easier to install for remodels.
Smart Kitchen Appliances
The list of smart appliances available keeps growing bigger everywhere you look. Refrigerators that generate shopping lists and alert you when items are about to spoil, coffee makers equipped with Bluetooth that can be voice activated, and ovens that will send you an alert on your phone when that roast has reached the perfect internal temperature are just a few of the functions that are becoming commonplace. While virtually any smart appliance can be controlled with your tablet or smartphone, the next wave of technology will see refrigerators and ovens doubling up as media and entertainment devices.
Anti-Bacteria Countertops
Anti-bacteria countertops are a germaphobe’s biggest dream. There literally are kitchen countertops these days that will kill bacteria. Countertops manufactured with copper ion technology can kill up to 99.9% of all bacteria within a matter of hours. If you’re going to be remodeling your kitchen, installing anti-bacteria countertops can be one of the healthiest improvements that you make.
Microwave Drawer Ovens
The best space saving design that has solved the problem of where to put the ever popular yet always ugly microwave oven comes in the form of an under the counter microwave with a drawer instead of a door. Now you can still have two wall ovens and a separate microwave, without having to set it on top of the counter. Click here to check out my favorite model on Amazon.
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mobile Device Charging Stations
It’s not uncommon for our electronic devices to end up in the kitchen with all of the cords and chargers cluttering up the counter space. Installing dedicated charging stations in the kitchen has become a major trend in modern kitchens, keeping the workspace clean with cords hidden away in drawers and cabinets.
To Wrap It Up
If there’s anything that you take away from this article, it’s that remodeling your home truly can be an excellent opportunity to make it more technologically advanced in the above ways, which will either increase the value of your home or make working in your kitchen much easier (or both).
