The Future of Cooking: 2030
Exploring Wendell Bell's Future Studies through the "Possible, Probable & Preferable"
[Original Image via Midjourney. Prompt: food pantry space in 2030]
To ponder on the future is perhaps the most natural thing a person can do. What else is arguably the most natural thing a person can do? Eat of course! I’ve really enjoyed looking at the concept of “future in the past” across a variety of media this semester, and I’ve decided to take a look at the future of cooking, as well as the future of the food industry altogether. Food is so intertwined with culture, it can connect and bond us. Ethnographic studies show that a huge part of people’s social life occurs in the kitchen. The kitchen is a place where you can combine vital communication and social purposes (B Alolayan, 2014). I always loved to help in the kitchen growing up, food is also, unsurprisingly, one of the most profitable elements of the Australian economy. In 2023, the Australian Foodservice Market Report Overview revealed a whopping total revenue reached 97.8 Billion AUD. When we think about the future, nothing is certain, bar a couple of things, we need food and we need water. As long as humans exist (at least in their current form…) we will need food, there will be a food industry. But will we still need and want to cook? Looking forward - in this blog post, focusing on the year 2030 - what could happen to this industry? Using Wendell Bell’s model (Bell 1998), we can more clearly define the concept of “future”: what are the possible, the probable, and the preferred paths forward?
[Original Image via Midjourney. Prompt: possible kitchen in 2030]
The Possible
2030 sounds a long way off - I mean, even 2025 to me sounds insane - but six years goes by very quickly, we find ourselves in a rapidly evolving technological space and that could hold some pretty exciting things for the future of cooking. We are currently ‘on the cusp of a global food revolution’ (Sippel, S.R & Dolinga M, 2022). Infused with artificial intelligence and connected to the internet of things, kitchen appliances could revolutionise the cooking experience. Imagine a kitchen where a smart oven, equipped with advanced sensors and algorithms, not only precisely monitors cooking temperatures but will also adapt to different recipes, ensuring perfect results every single time. Meanwhile, 3D food printing technology could emerge as a game-changer, allowing home cooks to unleash their creativity like never before. Picture a countertop 3D printer effortlessly crafting intricate food designs, personalised shapes, and textures, turning imagination into reality with each delicious creation. These advancements will not only streamline cooking processes but also empower individuals to explore new culinary frontiers, ushering in an era of culinary creativity and convenience. Maybe you’ll be one of the first to buy an at-home 3D food printer before 2030, make some amazing edible designs for clients or post content about your edible printings on social media and be set for life! The foodie world is your oyster… yum!
[Original Image via Midjourney. Prompt: possible futuristic dining and kitchen space]
The Probable
I think cooking is a bit of an interesting choice to focus on, it’s probably not as exciting as say the future of movies or music or even medicine, we all have a different relationship to the practice of cooking, I know many people who just don’t care for it. But, I think the culinary landscape of the future will prove to be absolutely propelled by cutting-edge tech that will provide efficiency and also allow for creative innovation. Smart home appliances have already entered the market, and so to have “smart kitchen appliances”. Smart fridges are equipped with built-in cameras, touchscreens and internet connectivity, they can keep track of food inventory and even monitor expiration dates, Samsung’s very own will even suggest you possible recipes based on the available ingredients it knows it has inside of it. Users can access the refrigerator's contents remotely through a smartphone app which would allow them to check what they need while at the grocery store. Some refrigerators on the market today even have voice control capabilities, enabling users to add items to their shopping list or adjust temperature settings with simple voice commands. The smart refrigerator market size is growing rapidly at $6.17 billion (USD) in 2023 to $6.94 billion in 2024 with a compound annual growth rate of 12.5%. If you had told somebody twenty years ago that a fridge would be capable of the above features, they’d be blown away, yet here we are, impressed but surely not surprised. I think that goes to show that change creeps up on us, which is potentially one of the most important takeaways of the “Future Cultures” subject.
[Original Image via Midjourney. Prompt: food pantry space in 2030]
The Preferable
I believe a preferable 2030 reality for the practice of cooking and the food industry is one that can eliminate hassle and stress for consumers, and I’m a fan of anything creative, so the technologies I’ve outlined are pretty welcomed changes from my perspective. As always seems to be the fear when we look to the future, I would hope that technological advancements which make their way into our kitchens are safe and secure. Cyber security is a big concern of mine heading into the future in this uncertain time of geopolitics - so it would be important that companies consider the level of security on new devices introduced. The last thing we need is to have our smart fridges and edible 3D print machines spying on us or being hacked.
Moving forward with this series of blogs focusing on the future of cooking and food, I’d also like to take a look at the future of food in a more industrial setting, as opposed to strictly in our households. I think it would be very interesting to travel several decades into the future and experience dining out and fast food! So, wrapping up on this instalment, there’s definitely an exciting future for all of us who enjoy food and it will be interesting to witness the next big steps in food technology over the coming years as we get closer to the year 2030!
Reference list
Alolayan, B., 2014. Do I really have to accept smart fridges. An empirical study. ACHI, pp.186-191.
Bell, W., 1996. An overview of futures studies. The knowledge base of futures studies: Foundations, 1, pp.28-56.
Australian Foodservice Market Report Overview downloaded via
Buchan, R. and Tsagourias, N., 2012. Cyber war and international law. Journal of Conflict and Security Law, 17(2), pp.183-186.
Nguyen, T., A Deep Look Into Privacy and Security Of Vacuum Robot.
Soriano, F.A., Villano, R.A., Fleming, E.M. and Battese, G.E., 2019. What's driving innovation in small businesses in Australia? The case of the food industry. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 63(1), pp.39-71.
Sippel, S.R. and Dolinga, M., 2023. Constructing agri-food for finance: startups, venture capital and food future imaginaries. Agriculture and Human Values, 40(2), pp.475-488.
