By Gina Greco, Senior Brand Marketing Specialist, SEMCA

Wondering what kitchen appliances are trending this year? If you are obsessed with home appliances and adding new gadgets into your kitchen as I am, you have come to the right place.  For one, Superheated Steam Ovens are definitely trending with baking enthusiasts looking for restaurant and bakery-quality performance. 

A favorite method of cooking overseas, steam ovens in the US, had largely been the domain of restaurant kitchens in the form of free-standing combi-ovens as tall as your refrigerator and costing tens of thousands of dollars. Superheated steam ovens are remarkable; there are no two ways about it.

You may not realize it at first, but it is very rare to find a whole new cooking method in an appliance; trust me, I’ve tried. More commonly, I find reboots: countertop grills, versatile pressure cookers, multi-function blenders. Painting a new, blue non-stick surface or adding a rotisserie bar to a countertop toaster oven is not revolutionary.

Some built-in steam ovens have made their way to the home appliance arena, but the SuperSteam+ Built-In Wall Oven doesn’t just use steam; it is the only oven that uses purely superheated steam up to 485°F. That is hot enough to brown food, like crispy bacon and crunchy cookies. We offer many tips and tricks to using steam ovens, as well as some fantastic recipes like Gluten-Free S’mores Cupcakes and Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole.

Appliance Features and Options

People seem to be looking for small conveniences, little luxuries, and dependability in their kitchens. For countertop appliances, sometimes all you need to grab your attention in a countertop appliance is thoughtful lighting. Many of us would turn away from that cute gold-plated toaster oven at the store if it didn’t have bright LED lighting inside when you open the door.  

Especially in this new work from home age, many of us are also looking for peace-and-quiet in new places and ways. With the pandemic affecting the area I live in so heavily, air purification became a big concern. I purchased several air purifiers to circulate the air throughout my home. It was important for me to find Air Purifiers covering the square footage of my kitchen and living room and featured Library Quiet operation.

Whether I am trying to get a good night’s sleep or find myself working from home in any room of your house, I wanted to find the harmony I was looking for.  I ended up deciding on both the Sharp Plasmacluster Air Purifier with True HEPA Filtration and Humidifying Function for Large Rooms (KC860U) and the Sharp True HEPA Air Purifier with Plasmacluster Ion Technology for Medium-Sized Rooms (FPK50UW) because they matched the square footage of several rooms in my home quite nicely. 

Touch-Controls are trending in modern kitchens, too. Knobs, switches, and buttons are fading in exchange for sleek, responsive, and easier to clean options. I am currently obsessing over microwave drawer oven because they feature hidden panels with responsive, touch-glass controls that simply wipe clean. Plus, it adds a premium look and feel to my kitchen design and takes my microwave oven off the counter and into the island. 

Going one step further, the latest Sharp Microwave Drawer Oven trend is “Easy Wave Oven.” So, you don’t even need to touch the oven to open the drawer! Simply wave up-and-down near the motion sensor, and Microwave Drawer Oven will glide open, is that cool or what? The oven stays closed when you walk by, too, so you won’t have to worry about children and pets accidentally opening it.

Appliances with New Technologies

Many readers have expressed that they are cautious about IoT in the kitchen. Trust me; I understand your concerns. My family and I were cautious, too, at first. The idea of my Microwave Oven turning on from one or two simple voice commands was too much for me to process. That was until I realized how much more convenient my day-to-day became in the kitchen.  That is why the Wi-Fi’s smart features enabled the Microwave Drawer Oven, which uses the Sharp Kitchen App, focusing on convenience. This appliance uses IoT technology and a mobile app to easily make features of the appliance accessible, even the less popular features. It is amazing how many people are not aware that there is a “power” button on their microwave oven. Others may not have ever tried “auto-cook” or “sensor defrost.” Tasks that may seem challenging to perform from the control panel are simple and easy to do using the app.  

 Appliance Aesthetic Trends

While vibrant color and retro-design appliances find their way into design magazines and showroom floors, both retro and color are commitments, most people aren’t willing to make. What are you going to do when that limited-run “minty-aqua” countertop microwave with TV knobs your purchased 10 years ago breaks?

Stainless Steel is king. That isn’t changing any time soon. Although color has had great success in countertop appliances, it is very restrictive in large kitchen appliances. Grey had a moment. It may not have been exciting, but your entire look wouldn’t fall apart because your upgrade and replacement paths could be either stainless steel or black stainless. The same would probably be true with the new, white appliances with stainless steel handles and trims… you could still retreat to stainless steel’s safety.

Black stainless steel has seen a steady rise in popularity for its elegant contrast, bold statement, and growing catalog. Naturally, Stainless steel never goes out of style. As your family’s needs change, your appliances will, too. Sticking with the classics means stress-free upgrades and replacements.

What are your favorite new kitchen trends?