Food prep, cooking and cleanup are getting easier by the moment - The Vancouver Sun, February 2026

This article was written by Lise Boullard and published in The Vancouver Sun.

In the 1950s, dishwashers revolutionized kitchen cleanup, streamlining things for home cooks. Then it was the microwave. Today, AI-powered appliances, smart kitchen tech and voice-enabled gadgets are taking cookery into the future.

It may be some time before fully independent kitchen robots like the Italian-made Moley — it can pour, stir and make an entire stovetop meal without human assistance — will be available to Canadian consumers, but the technology is developing. Case in point: Appetronix was named a Foodtech Frontier 25 Rising Star by the Canadian Food Innovation Network for its AI-powered kitchen. The 100-per-cent automated system is designed to run a restaurant kitchen without any on-site employees, similar to the robotic back-of-house and serving systems at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Until this type of technology is available at home, there’s an array of tech-forward solutions like these designed to make prep, cleanup and cooking easier than ever.

1.. Charge your device while you chop vegetables with an integrated countertop charger. By integrating FreePower’s wireless technology, Cosentino has transformed its Dekton and Silestone stone surfaces into functional powerhouses. Pricing available on req

2. Transform your morning caffeine routine with Thermador’s built-in stainless steel coffee machine. With its MyCoffee feature, you can store your family’s drink orders by name, and the Wi-Fi enabled system lets you connect to Amazon Alexa for voice-activated brewing. $9,159

3. Take the guesswork out of your weekly fridge restock with Thermador’s smart refrigerators like this built-in french door model. They’re fitted with built-in cameras that snap a pic of the contents, which you can access via the app while you’re wandering the grocery aisles. $31,009

4. With Miele’s built-in microwave ovens integrated with Amazon Alexa and Miele@home, voice activation can reheat your leftovers faster than you can say “hangry.” $2,249

5. Until we have humanoid robots to do our dishes, we have the ultra-energy-efficient 24-inch built-in dishwasher from LG. It’s ENERGY STAR certified, and reviewers say it hits the sweet spot of powerful cleaning with low noise and sensor-informed wash cycles. $599.99 | Bestbuy.ca

6. Love cooking, but loathe the tedious prep? Enlist the Thermomix TM7 as your sous chef. The “all-in-one kitchen robot” merges the functions of over 20 appliances, and can weigh and chop ingredients, steam, cook and guide you step by step via its touchscreen. $2,299 |

7. Gone are the days where you have to open the door to check if the cookies are burning. The Samsung 30-inch smart induction slide-in range uses AI to automatically adjust temperature and time to ensure your baking turns out perfectly. Choose from multiple cooking modes, including air-fry, slow cook and convection bake. $3,699