Smith, Feb. 4

Final Draft:

With the hustle and bustle of daily life, sometimes one might wish they had an extra hand with completing household tasks, such as chores or even cooking dinner

For the year 2014, big changes are coming to the world of kitchen appliances. One product which will give a technological makeover to kitchens is the Interactive Cooktop from Whirlpool.

This particular stovetop will be button-free and be controlled by voice or touch. By a simple tip of a finger, a person has the ability to choose the use of space on the counter, said Chris Quatrochi, director of Global Creative Design for Whirlpool.

By drawing out a square, which appears by touching the surface, a person also has the capability of deciding how large of an area will be used for cooking space.

 It also features a cook-anywhere feature which means food can be prepared on any part of the surface verses only having four burners, said Quatrochi. The Interactive Cooktop will fulfill cooking needs; however, it will feature so much more.

“Through seamless connection to mobile devices and internet-based content, the Whirlpool Interactive Cooktop can truly enable consumers to manage their home,” Quatrochi said. “With a multi-purpose cook surface, consumers can monitor the weather, manage appointments and find favorite recipes on Pinterest without leaving their kitchen.”

When asked where the design of this appliance came from, Quatrochi said the purpose was to ease the life of consumers.

“It’s not the technology that matters most, it’s about our consumer and creating a deeper connection,” Quatrochi said. “Whirlpool is focused on simplifying home life-such as making it easy to stay ahead of to-do lists while juggling the rest of life.”

Along with creating appliances to make the task of household chores easier, companies such as Whirlpool will also be releasing products to fulfill entertainment needs.

The team at Whirlpool has recently designed the CoolVox Refrigerator which has taken the concept of entertainment to a completely different level.

“Whirlpool brand applies technology we’re familiar with in daily life, such as hands-free devices and touch screens, with concepts not yet implemented in the kitchen said Eric DeJong, Whirlpool Brand Manager.

The CoolVox is a refrigerator designed with Harmon Kardon speakers inside the appliance which allows the capability of playing music or any other sort of audio.

“You’ll no longer need speakers or a dock for your mp3 player, DeJong said. “So we eliminated extra cords and freed up valuable counter space where you need it most.”

The CoolVox can also hook up to any blue-tooth device.

DeJong said the concept of this appliance was to find a way to make not only free up counter space, but to also utilize the kitchen more since it is an important part of the home.

“Ultimately we wanted to deliver a fun experience for our consumers by bringing music and other forms of audio into the kitchen, DeJong said. “Along with cooking, the kitchen continues to be a focal point for entertaining and spending time with your family and CoolVox enhances that experience.”

So far there is no word on how much these appliances will cost or their exact release date. The team at Whirlpool has however said to expect the release of these products sometime late this year.