The true challenge of living sustainably is ridding oneself of preconceived notions of how things should work. Living in this industrialised society, we’ve normalised a series of practices that only began a few decades back. Researching what makes everything tick becomes an essential part of leading a conscious life, looking into every little household item to see what processes can be improved. Since the start of industrialisation, technological advancement has allowed people to lead less complicated lives – but, too often, at the expense of our planet. 

Kitchenware has made huge strides in the past 60 years or so, with appliances made to shorten cooking times and therefore improve quality of life for people around the world. These advancements have also come with a stride of complications, including contamination stemming from natural gas and excessive use of energy over having too many appliances. Even worse, having a large number of gadgets is a sure way to find yourself surrounded with waste a few years later.  Gas stoves contribute enormously to indoor air pollution, adding harmful chemicals like nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde. In poorly ventilated spaces, this can lead to respiratory issues, particularly for sensitive household members like children and older people. For too long, technology was focused on today’s well-being, without looking into tomorrow’s consequences. 

There’s a growing movement to slowly step away from using gas in homes, replacing it with alternative and greener forms of energy. Decades back, electricity stemmed almost exclusively from burning coal and oil, and directly natural gas in kitchens was an environmentally safer alternative. As the world looks for better and less harmful sources of generating energy (like wind and solar plants), we need to think ahead. The move towards cleaner electricity also needs to be accompanied by cleaner products and appliances.

Berkeley, home to the oldest campus of the University of California and one of the most forward-thinking cities in America, was the first to take action. Starting in January 2020, the city has banned natural gas hookups from all new constructions, with only certain exceptions for first-floor businesses that may require it. In general, buildings account for about 25% of greenhouse gas emissions in the state of California.; about 3% of natural gas ends up our atmosphere. Leaks are also a potential risk for inhabitants of older buildings with a strong presence of gas. It’s been a long time coming, but we’re finally seeing companies striving to do better. Brands like Cosori are leading the way into a safer yet still connected future. 

A small Canadian company with about 25 employees, Cosori doesn’t particularly advertise as green, yet their output is clearly a sustainable one. The company specialises in small kitchen appliances, all of which run on electricity, which in itself is a step in the right direction. Plus, many of these devices are multi-purpose, which means purchasing fewer items, leading to less waste in all areas. If just one device can have whatever number of uses, there’s no need to fill one’s kitchen with as many appliances. Interestingly enough, Cosori is something of a word-of-mouth miracle. Without spending on traditional advertising, rather focusing on making connections with influencer cooks, Cosori was one of the biggest sellers on Amazon. Part of that massive growth has come from its focus on building a community based on a return to traditional cooking. By having smart kitchen appliances with many uses, it becomes easier to cook at home, avoiding overprocessed and harmful ready-made ingredients. 

Cooking from scratch is at the centre of Cosori’s image, as its model strives towards returning to the idea of kitchens as a meeting point within families. Traditionally, the act of cooking was one of community-building, with everyone pitching in for big family meals. Traditional cooking involved everyone, from little kids amassing to older women throwing their decades worth of cooking wisdom into each plate. While this beautiful conception has remained in cultures around the world, it’s also a thing of the past for many families in more industrialised nations.  Cosori has built a community of cooks, amateur and professional, who love their products well enough to create and share recipes based on them. Whether you’re entering their website or following on social media, you’ll soon realise Cosori’s entire outlook revolves around going back to that original idea of crafting meals from a place of love and for the people close to our lives. Making cooking processes quicker and less expensive leads to a friendlier approach during family and friend gatherings.

Cooking can be so much more than preparing food to simply survive; through our meals, we continue our culture and traditions. However, life is much faster now than it was when those classic family recipes were first created, and finding the time to make them can feel like a challenge. Smarter technology can significantly reduce cooking time to make recipes more accessible to today’s schedules, all while using fewer resources to make them. Something like Cosori’s popular Air Fryer products can help someone recreate the deep-fried flavours of their youth without having to drown each item in vegetable oil, which can too often end up in drains, ulimately causing clogs and polluting local waterways.

I fell in love with two of Cosori’s appliances: the 6qt Multicooker CP001-SC and the Electric Gooseneck Kettle CO108-NK.

The 6qt Multicooker CP001-SC is an 11-in-one multifunctional cooker. It can slow cook with 3 different power settings (namely low, medium and high), roast, brown, steam, simmer, make rice or yogurt, sauté, bake or boil; at last, you can also just use the manual function. In other words, it can help you cook nearly anything you could crave to have on the menu. It’s also a very easy-to-control device, with only a few straightforward buttons that guide you around the product. Most importantly, the multi-cooker is made to be safer than any of the options it’s made to replace: it avoids burns by shutting off when there isn’t enough liquid and automatically puts itself on standby when something isn’t functioning properly. As a smart device, it also detects power surges, protecting itself from voltage spikes and lows and circuits during bursts of abnormal current. Its overvoltage protection also shuts off power when the voltage exceeds 220V. This is a safe and green cooking appliance that helps me get most of my home’s cooking done in one single place. It’s a far more practical proposal than having to wash whatever number of pots and pans, while I avoid using gas that can lead to an unsafe environment for my family.

The Cosori Electric Gooseneck Kettle CO108-NK has 5 set temperatures to prepare tea exactly the way I want it, without having to wait around for it to mildly cool down. Besides its precision, it’s also considerably faster than using a traditional stovetop kettle, and its controls are a breeze to use. Like every other appliance from the brand, this kettle is smart, which in this case translates to boil-dry and overheat protection, saving users from possible accidents. All Cosori appliances are made with sturdy and food-grade materials, made to last for a long time. The idea behind these multi-purpose devices is to only have a handful, instead of fully populating your kitchen with all sorts of appliances that may die down after a few years. 

Buying things that will accompany you for a long time is one of the most conscious approaches one can take to purchasing. When taking part in the processes of capitalism, it’s essential to look into what we’ve taken for granted. Gas-based kitchenware has taken the lead for so long, it may feel like a stretch to look into alternative ways to cook. Having an easier home life with top-of-the-line technology doesn’t have to be at odds with a green lifestyle; on the contrary. With the Internet of things, moving towards a world connected with our online presence.

Committing to using energy as efficiently as we can is part of the voyage that is conscious living. Choosing energy-efficient appliances and even lightbulbs will not only substantially reduce electricity bills, it’s also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. By populating your home with low-consumption items, you’re directly responsible for a little less exploitation of natural resources such as natural gas, water, oil and coal. It’s one of the most essential ways we can all chip in to create a more sustainable world. Bravo to companies like Cosori, at the forefront of efficient kitchenware that helps families come closer through the flavours of a fine meal! Find out more about the brand here.