This news is according to a company which has carried out a survey called the "Digital Design Study". The title of the survey gives you a clue as to what is missing and what is most desired in the latest kitchen.
One of the big differences in this innovative survey was that the public were asked which digital features they would like to see in their kitchen, so that their wishes could be re-created in a one-off kitchen design.
Internet Home Alliance Survey presented 22 concepts and asked over 600 families which features they would rather see in their home; here, the top four are examined.
One of the top recommendations was a recipe projection system, to replace the old 'cook-book'. No more messy spills on the cook-book pages. Instead you just view your recipe on a screen and have both hands free for cooking.
Other ideas included a universal charging station and a digital calendar. This calendar is for all the family to access, so that each member can see where others are at a certain time of the day. Or maybe it is so that the chief cook and bottle washer can be tracked at any time of the day?
It is not so unusual these days for kitchens to boast desk areas that match the kitchen units. They are usually fitted right into your counter top and help to tidy up the clutter of paperwork that gathers on top of (some people's) kitchen counters.
This would be an ideal place to both keep your computer and arrange your digital planner. If the desk area is small, the computer can be set up on the wall behind it, in order to keep the desk free. A flat screen computer works well in this type of situation.
Some of the new kitchen digital 'toys' could also be planned into the appliances: Industry is rising to the call and refrigerators have been designed that will carry some of them neatly on the door.
For instance, there will soon be choices of refrigerators in the stores, with an available port to connect a DVD player, a radio or a digital photo album.
Yet another appliance company will be offering a double door fridge with a 'high-def' screen on one door and an LCD screen on the other which will display local bulletins. This model will also include a digital photo frame and dozens of pre-loaded recipes.
Of the top four choices, the final one chosen by the participants in the survey was a monitoring and control system for domestic energy usage.
Although the goal of the study was to garner public input for the design of the ideal 'digital kitchen' of the future in order to develop a prototype kitchen for industry shows, it also gives a glimpse into what we can expect to see soon in our homes.