Can a kitchen’s design help us eat more sustainable, plant-forward diets?
Swedish appliance manufacturer Electrolux thinks the answer is yes and, to that end, has launched an ambitious new kitchen system concept to help us get there.
Called GRO, the new system is comprised of a collection of interconnected modules that utilize sensors and AI to provide personalized eating and nutrition recommendations. According to the company, the system was designed around insights derived from behavioral science research and is intended to help encourage more sustainable eating behavior based on recommendations from the EAT-Lancet report for planetary health. The company will debut the new system at this week’s EuroCucina conference.
“How can a thoughtful kitchen slowly nudge you to more sustainable choices,” asks Tove Chevally, the head of Electrolux Innovation Hub, in an intro video to the GRO system. “To make the most of what you have, to buy smarter, and eat more diverse?
The GRO is a modular system that can be tailored around a user’s preferences. Some of the modules in the GRO system include:
- The Plant Gallery: A glass-enclosed showcase for fruits and vegetables.
- Pulse and Grain Library: A transparent storage system for beans and grains.
- Fermentation Pantry: A temperature-controlled home fermentation cabinet.
- Nordic Smoker: a countertop kitchen smoker.
- Steam Oven and Grill Drawer: An appliance garage.
The system will also have a touchscreen with a digital system called the ‘GRO Coach’ to provide the user with personalized eating recommendations, goal-setting, dietary and cooking guidance, and progress measurement over time. The system will also provide visualization of the user’s eating habits and how those impact the planet. The system will also possibly understand a consumer’s food inventory, making recommendations based on what is already in the fridge.
Something I might expect from another Swedish company in IKEA, the GRO system is unlike anything I’ve seen from a home appliance maker. It’s less a new appliance or even a series of appliances, but instead a fairly detailed vision of the future of the home kitchen. And not just a vision around space design, but in many ways around how consumers should live and eat in the future.
All of which is, in some ways, a real credit to Electrolux. It’s not often a company makes such a declarative values statement when introducing a new product, especially a product like an appliance or kitchen cabinetry system. It’s also, in my opinion, a vision that will probably play better in Europe than other regions, given the typical European’s (and especially northern European) higher level of awareness and concern about climate change.
At this point, Electrolux has not announced when the GRO system will be available to consumers. My guess is it may take a little time to roll out, given that it’s a brand new concept and might need to leverage home builder channels pretty extensively (it’s a complete kitchen system, after all, not just a single appliance upgrade).
No matter when it comes out, I’m interested in seeing how the industry and the consumer react to Electrolux’s future kitchen vision.
You can see a concept video of the GRO below:
