Cooking trends: what kind of cook are you?

Written by cook: Alice Zaslavsky

In cooking, as in fashion, trends will come and go. But the real savvy shoppers are those who are able to cut through the noise and find the features that most benefit them. Knowing what suits you, your lifestyle, and your priorities, means you’ll always be comfortable and confident – in the street and in the kitchen!

Let’s look at four of the latest trends and try them on for size:

Want to learn more about Alice? Check out our Cooking appliance hub!

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Induction

For future-focused cooks who love a turbo-charge

If you’re the kind of busy cook who likes the convenience of a swift, consistent heat, look no further than induction. This tech means your big pasta water pot’s at the boil before you can say “has anyone seen the lid?” and even wok cookery is possible on modern induction cooktops, which means all of the heat, way less cleaning up. And the heat control cannot be beaten – every recipe that says ‘medium heat’ sits at a 5 (or whatever the middle is for your brand of choice), a low simmer’s a 2-3, and did I mention the rapid boil? These cooktops are also designed to cool rapidly, which means that if you’ve got small hands wandering about the kitchen, it’s no sweat. And speaking of no-sweat cookery, look for induction cooktops with the convenience of connected rangehoods, optimising the speed of the fan to the intensity of the heat.

Steam

For cooks big on texture and flavour, steam cookery’s a no-brainer

Steam means indirect, wet heat, locking in more nutrients and moisture, which is terrific for everything from tender steamed fish, bouncy dumplings, and verdant leafy greens. Baking with the benefit of steam is unrivalled too, yielding fluffy loaves and muffins – which you’ve loaded with veg, of course! If you’re renovating and already a bit of a steamer, it’s worth considering an oven with plumbing in for steaming, but many brands offer a “filled from the front” option too. Look for steam ovens with a hydrolytic or pyrolytic cleaning function to make cleaning a cinch! For dipping a toe in, you could even start off with a benchtop steamer or multifunction with steam.

Air-frying

For creatures of habit fond of a shortcut

The compact size of an air-fryer, along with its rapid heat-up, means that you can whack on whatever would otherwise have copped a deep or shallow fry, and it’s crisped up before you know. If you’re on the wagon, you’ll know that modern-day air-fryers now offer multi-zone machines that mean you can cook at different temperatures and moisture levels, which means you can do everything from crisp to bake to dehydrate, all in one tidy package. Speaking of packages! Oven manufacturers are jumping on the air-fryer wagon now too, providing handy presets and even air-fryer grill trays that are worth giving a whirl the next time you’re seeking the crispiest roast spuds for your next dinner party.

Smart Fridges

For cooks who like to be prepared and precise

Fridges have come a long way since the Coolgardie safe, and modern fridges can now be programmed for climate-controlled storage that maintain optimum conditions for every kind of ingredient and meal-prepper. Most fridges have a dial or thermostat that can be adjusted (3°C-5°C is optimum broadly), but with modern technology you can toggle different zones to optimise for moisture (for items like veg) and slightly higher temperatures (for your dairy drawer). Being able to see what’s in the fridge, whether that’s with apps and AI or preview windows means there’s less variability to your fridge temperature with all that standing around from *certain* members of the household (there’s always one!), helping keep temperatures stable and energy efficient. Clever!