Page 49 - Green Builder July-August 2020 Issue

Overwhelmed. When the
lockdowns began, cooking
After the became a family affair. But that
changed with the arrival of
“cooking fatigue.”

lockdowns,

how will

kitchens

change?

BY MATT POWER CREDIT: JACOB LUNDƒƒISTOCK

MERICANS HAVE A COMPLEX and what they’re talking about online. We do this And as the crisis deepens, sentiment about
RELATIONSHIP WITH COOKING. with a combination of web analysis, third-party cooking is once again on the rise. Perhaps it’s
About half say they enjoy it. research, and our own COGNITION SmartData simply human nature to try to make lemonade
Others have re-discovered it as service, which analyzes and breaks down trends when handed lemons, and prepare once again
a way to reduce anxiety during in communication online. for months of cooking at home.
A the COVID-19 pandemic. What we found was a gradual erosion of positive What does this mean to product manufacturers
Will kitchens change measurably due to the feelings about cooking at home, as lockdown time and kitchen remodelers? The longer the period of
pandemic? If you asked that question several wore on. Terms such as “cooking fatigue” began disruption continues, the more likely people will
months weeks ago, as the federal government to show up in blogs, posts and tweets. Drilling be looking to radically change and upgrade their
essentially greenlighted the re-opening of the U.S. down further, we identified various aspects of kitchens. We haven’t yet hit the tipping point that
economy, and governors responded in kind, the kitchen use and performance triggering negative could result in a complete overhaul of the home
answer would probably be no. But with enormous sentiments: spaces that are too small or poorly food prep experience, but that, too, is on the
surges in infection taking place in many U.S. states, designed, appliances that underperform, “missing” horizon.
we might soon cross the tipping point that causes technology such as range hoods and other Where will the “white space” of this new market
lasting behavior change and a true cultural shift. variables that basically make cooking a drag. be? Faster, more efficient cooktops, such as
That’s not just a hunch. There’s past experience We also found that sentiment has continued electric induction technology, faster dishwashers,
and data to back it up. Sociologists have observed to shift, following the lockdown pattern. At first, bigger countertops, better LED lighting, extra
that human beings tend to forget pain quickly and online tweets and posts reflected a generally freezers, more flexible refrigeration, and a lot more
move on like before, unless a crisis is truly world positive vibe about cooking, discovering new storage for foods of all kinds. Every one of these
shattering. It’s one of our resilient qualities, but recipes and having more time at home. But then, a products and design shifts can be achieved with
also a fault. In the case of a short-lived crisis, even few months ago, as the COVID-19 crisis appeared sustainable products and design principles.
an intense one, we typically don’t learn from our to plateau, we noticed a lot of activity online and Major change following a crisis is not impossible,
mistakes. Instead, we quickly resume the behavior negative sentiment beginning to peek through however, as Swansea University Psychology Prof.
that brought us to the brink. around the edges. We’ve also seen renewed Katie Gibbs points out. Research has also shown
interest in kitchen remodeling. that residents in New Jersey became more likely
The ‘Cooking Fatigue’ syndrome Then, the interest in all things cooking faded, to support environmental policies following two
During the long periods of COVID-19 stay-at- almost overnight, as states and cities began to devastating hurricanes, she notes. Experiences
home lockdowns, many people began to use their open up again. of flooding in the United Kingdom have similarly
kitchens in ways they never had. Keep in mind that This wasn’t surprising. It fits with general been shown to lead to a willingness to save energy.
fewer than half say they like cooking, and that’s in tendency of people to try to re-construct the lives Meanwhile, bushfires in Australia have boosted
the best of times. Suddenly, people used to eating they knew before a crisis, rather than adapt to a green activism.
about two-thirds of their meals out of the home new reality. We can’t predict when COVID-19 will end, but
had to up their culinary game in a big way, figuring we can read the data to see where it’s taken us,
out what to buy, where to store it all, and ultimately Back to the brink and where we may be headed in terms of public
producing decent fare. Recently, however, about half of the United sentiment. With the right information, at the right
At Green Builder, we’ve been tracking in real- States saw huge and frightening coronavirus time, we can be ready to capture the new reality
time how people “feel” about cooking and cleaning, infection spikes. Talk of new lockdowns is afoot. of serious cooking at home. GB

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