The kitchen is the focal point of the home. Whether you love to throw dinner parties or you’re not the most confident cook, the kitchen is typically the most utilised room of the house, so it’s only fitting that you fill it with the best kitchen appliances.
As we’ve officially entered 2024, the new year comes with plenty of new and exciting trends for the home and kitchen. This year, I expect to see smart tech becoming more prominent in the kitchen and multifunctional appliances cementing their place on countertops. But whether you enjoy indulging in trends or not, having a few key kitchen appliances in your home makes cooking, baking and entertaining much easier and more enjoyable.
From the best air fryer to the best American-style fridge freezers, here are five appliances you need to introduce to your kitchen in 2024.
What appliance trends can we expect to see in 2024?
Before we get into the list of appliances, what kitchen trends can you expect to see in 2024? As mentioned above, smart appliances are predicted to become more utilised this year, particularly bigger devices like ovens and fridges. While they might be expensive investment pieces, having a smart oven or fridge in your kitchen makes it easier to cook and store food, while also limiting food waste and offering voice assistants for better control of your appliances.
Multitasking or multifunctional appliances are already popular and it’s not uncommon to see an air fryer, multi-cooker and barbecue hybrid in many kitchens. I expect this to become even more popular this year with these styles of appliances being used to replace bigger devices like ovens to save extra money.
Speaking of saving, the cost of living crisis hasn’t eased up and many people are looking to save money on their bills, particularly in the kitchen. This year, I expect to see more energy saving and sustainable appliances that use less electricity and power to keep costs down in the long run.
5 kitchen appliances to invest in this year
1. Samsung Family Hub Smart Refrigerator
(Image credit: Samsung)
Sticking to the smart appliances trend, the Samsung Family Hub Smart Refrigerator has both shocked and amazed customers and experts. While Samsung is normally best known for its TVs or smartphones, its smart fridges are taking the world by storm, and it’s easy to see why. The Family Hub Smart Refrigerator uses AI to see into your fridge without you opening the doors and while you’re away from home. With the door screen, you can quickly check what’s in your fridge while also leaving messages to your family and looking up new recipes.
While this model has been on the market for a year or so, a new Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator from Samsung is expected to debut at CES 2024 and I can’t wait to see what it has in store.
2. Haier I-Touch Series 6 Oven
(Image credit: Haier)
Another smart appliance worth investing in this year is the Haier I-Touch Series 6 Oven. The Haier name is synonymous with the best ovens and its new smart oven is incredibly impressive, thanks to its app connectivity and built-in smart features. Unveiled at IFA 2023, the Haier I-Touch Series 6 Oven has an interactive touchscreen that customises the heat, time and function of the oven, while also searching for recipes. This oven also connects to the hOn app for more versatility and control. Its AI feature called Climatech guarantees perfect heat distribution and it even comes with a wired meat probe for the best cooking results every time.
3. Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Dual Air Fryer
(Image credit: Ninja)
With multiple functions in mind, the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Dual Air Fryer AF500UK has a huge 10.4-litre capacity, two baskets and seven cooking programmes to choose from. Unsurprisingly, this air fryer is pretty big and for good reason. While the dual baskets can create two independent cooking zones that you can use at the same time, you can simply remove the divider to utilise the extra large MegaZone cooking space which can fit a leg of lamb! Not only is this air fryer multifunctional but it also offers healthier cooking options and uses less energy than a traditional oven. See our Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Dual Air Fryer review for more details.
4. Swan Alexa Smart Kettle
(Image credit: Amazon)
The world’s first Alexa smart kettle is really as cool as it sounds. The Swan Alexa Smart Kettle is the perfect addition to your kitchen with its stylish design that’s cordless, compact and takes up hardly any room on your countertop. The LED touch panel display illuminates for easy use, and you can simply say “Alexa, turn on the kettle” and it’ll start boiling for you! Ideal for when you’re running late in the mornings, the Swan Alexa Smart Kettle can make up to 10 cups at a time and has four temperature settings to create the perfect tea or coffee every boil. For more details, take a look at our Swan Alexa Smart Kettle review.
(Image credit: Smeg)
If you’re looking for a new hob, it could be time to upgrade to the best induction hob. Induction hobs heat the inside of your pots and pans directly and quickly, limiting heat loss and speeding up your cooking time. Compared to gas hobs, induction hobs are also more energy efficient and cheaper to run, as well as easier to clean. The Smeg Venting Induction Hob is my choice here as it’s powerful, quiet, fast and has multi-zone cooking for the ultimate flexibility. It also has an integrated extraction hood so your kitchen doesn’t get too steamy.
