Kitchen Trends for Mother's Day

Kitchen appliances get a bum rap as being fairly standard devices that haven't changed since our grandmothers started using hot pots. Not true - even the tech-obsessed will get a kick out of these new cooking gadgets and appliances which feature everything from Internet-connectivity to computerized controls.

The Big Ticket Items

It doesn't cost a fortune anymore to upgrade your kitchen basics like the dishwasher, refrigerator, and even the kitchen sink. Today's appliances are more efficient and eco-friendly, often needing far less water and electricity, but without sacrificing efficiency. Now is the time to ditch the dusty microwave for a new kitchen gadget like theSharp 900W convection microwave oven, which can cook through convection, broil, bake, crisp, roast, and automatically computes the best cooking temperature and time for whatever's on the menu.

The Interactive Bar:

Nothing has come so far as the humble blender. In the past, you'd need to spend hundreds of dollars to get a professional grade blender that could crush ice into smoothies and creamy ice-blended coffees, but new kitchen gadgets now feature all the wattage and blade power of the blenders the pros use. Some blenders even have recipes built-in so they're pre-programmed to make perfect soups, dips, and frozen drinks. Hybrid models like theBack to Basics Blender 5500"also work as food processors for dual functionality.

The high-tech kitchen:

The kitchen of today may not yet cook meals without any human intervention, but there've been huge advances with the creation of new kitchen gadgets that are getting us a little closer. The Aerogarden, for instance, lets you grow fresh herbs and even vegetables, indoors, all year long, while barely lifting a finger. And you don't need to spend hours making ice cream anymore, churning, even freezing is automatic with the Cuisinart Supreme Ice Cream maker which has a built-in freezer compressor so all you do is add the ingredients and push "on".