Presented by videoconference a week ago, we were able to discover but all the concept of the kitchen of the future GRO of the Swedish Electrolux at the Milanese show Eurocucina.
Behind its enigmatic name for us French speakers, GRO (which means to germinate in the language of Ingmar Bergman and Greta Thunberg) hides Electrolux’s vision of what the kitchen of the future might be. It was not purely technical performance that inspired the engineering teams, but environmental and dietary issues with the emphasis on ending food waste. Indeed, according to Simon Bradford, design director at Electrolux, “a third of what our refrigerators contain ends up in the trash”.
GRO also emphasizes healthy food; And for that, no secret: you have to gradually give up industrially produced food. Still according to Simon Bradford, “the current agri-food industry no longer works. It has disastrous effects on the climate, on our delicate ecosystem, but also on our health. As I speak to you, this industry is responsible for a third of carbon dioxide emissions, and what it produces is not good for your health”.
Broadly speaking, the GRO kitchen revolves around several elements combining the conservation and manufacture of ingredients for future “homemade” dishes, a bit like a refrigerator whose compartments the user can choose and include as they wish. all over the kitchen. On the Electrolux stand, GRO, for example, took on the appearance of a gourmet library.
Some GRO modules are specialized in conservation only to better preserve fresh products (fish, meat, eggs, cheeses, etc.) or fruits and vegetables. These compartments are separated, because the required temperatures and humidity levels are not the same. Other spaces are intended for the transformation of basic products. This is the case of the seed module which allows them to germinate or the fermentation zone which will delight lovers of pickles and jars who can store their favorite productions there to improve their taste qualities. Electrolux has even thought of a table smoker to spice up and season meat or fish and extend their lifespan.
Of course, at a time when artificial intelligence is taking up more and more space, the kitchen of the future Electrolux will not escape its HAL. Baptized GRO Coach by the Swedish brand, it will learn the habits of the user and adapt the menus according to stocks to limit food waste. This information will be crossed with many other parameters (special diet, level of germination of seeds in the dedicated compartment, seasonality of products, local productions, ingredients arriving soon at the expiry date and many others) to offer dishes , then menus in order to set up a complete nutritional follow-up over several weeks, even several months. In addition, it’s a safe bet that the GRO wizard will detail each step in video or audio recipes.
GRO is still in the concept stage, so it’s premature to talk regarding a sale price or a possible availability date. Nevertheless, the ideas developed here and there by the Electrolux teams are likely to be found in certain products in the future.
