Our dietary choices have a profound impact on our health – but they affect planetary health just as much. What we eat greatly influences our well-being, and modern food systems continue having a tremendous impact on climate and our ecosystem. “The way we currently produce food to feed the planet is tragically at the expense of the planet itself,” says Brent Loken, Global Food Lead Scientist at WWF. “Food must be elevated as a key solution by anyone serious about tackling climate change and restoring nature.”
There is no doubt that the need for a kitchen system that both inspires and facilitates a more sustainable relationship with food has never been greater. Now, with Electrolux’s visionary GRO concept, we’re finally getting an optimistic glimpse into a potential solution. Named after the Swedish word for “sprout”, GRO transcends the conventional notion of a kitchen. Unveiled at Milan’s EuroCucina a couple years ago, this customisable conceptual system reimagines the heart of the home as a dynamic ecosystem where design, technology, and sustainability converge.
At the heart of GRO lies a profound commitment to promoting sustainable eating habits. “In GRO, we have reimagined the kitchen around sustainable eating,” says Mathieu Rivière, the Research Designer in Design Experience Innovation Electrolux and the Lead Physical Designer behind GRO. Inspired by the EAT-Lancet report – the first full scientific review of what constitutes a healthy diet from a sustainable food system – the design philosophy behind this exciting solution aims to rethink our collective dietary choices in the context of their impact on the planet. That includes interrogating the role of animal-sourced foods.
“One important action we can take is to dramatically reduce consumption of animal source foods in places where they are currently over-consumed,” Brent explains. “This will help ensure enough healthy food can be produced for every person on the planet without destroying it.”
The desire to support a behavioural change and gently promote more plant-based food choices is seamlessly incorporated into GRO’s clever design through the “jewellery box” – a dedicated storage section for animal-based products. “In the plant-forward movement, meat is frequently used as a condiment, bringing umami and texture to meals,” Mathieu explains. “For this, we have the ‘jewellery box’ compartment. Three drawers dedicated to meat, fish, and eggs. This compartment is about encouraging all of us to treat animal-sourced proteins with respect and appreciating every bite.”
This thoughtful approach to storage permeates GRO’s entire system. The concept kitchen boasts a collection of modular compartments meticulously crafted to preserve and showcase the diversity of ingredients, serving as a constant reminder of the abundance of sustainable food choices – and encouraging people to explore diverse sources of protein while eating less, but higher quality, meat.
Prioritising freshness, flavour and sustainable impact of the ingredients, the concept kitchen showcases how techniques traditionally used to prepare meat can be used to embrace plant-first cooking. GRO’s Nordic Smoker enables people to smoke their ingredients at home, inspiring them to combine different flavours, while the Plant Gallery ensures optimal conditions for preservation of fruits and vegetables, and showcases plants at eye level, framed behind textured glass to make sure they stay front of mind. The Grain and Pulse Library, on the other hand, invites users to explore the diversity of grains, promoting their culinary versatility and potential as a more sustainable source of protein.
In addition, the modularity of the components allows GRO to adapt to any lifestyle and dietary choices, empowering users to customise their kitchen experience. “You need a lot of compartments to reflect the variety of diets in the world,” says Mathieu. “People may want fewer compartments to reflect their food needs, diet, or preferences. Or they may decide they want more. For example, if they are looking for inspiration in exploring new and diverse sources of protein, then the Grains and Pulses Library compartment would be ideal. If they want to be inspired by plant-based ingredients every time they step into the kitchen, they can add the Plant Gallery compartment.”
This flexibility, which empowers users to create a kitchen that truly reflects their culinary identity, extends beyond GRO’s adaptable physical design. Electrolux’s conceptual kitchen harnesses the power of AI to further assist the users with their sustainability journey – the GRO Coach acts as a personalised guide, tracking food consumption and offering tailored recommendations to reduce waste, optimise ingredient usage, and promote healthier, more sustainable eating habits.
While GRO offers a glimpse into the kitchen experience of the future, its design language draws from the rudimentary beauty of the Nordic aesthetic. It rejects the overtly clean and clinical design often associated with kitchens, opting instead for a warm, inviting ambiance created through the use of natural materials like wood, stainless steel, and glass. This emphasis on creating a living space promotes a deeper connection with food and the culinary process. "From the beginning, we wanted to step away from the 'white goods' classic codes," explains Mathieu. "Inspired by our Scandinavian heritage, we imagined this kitchen as a living space."
While GRO is a concept, its impact is already reverberating within Electrolux and beyond. It serves as a catalyst for innovation, inspiring the company to envision future scenarios and translate them into tangible products and services. "With it, we can envision future scenarios and project these into more formal processes, including appliances you will be using in the future," Mathieu adds.
For designers and architects, GRO is a powerful inspiration. It challenges the fundamental conventions of kitchen design, inviting industry professionals to explore new ways to create more sustainable living spaces. And as the world at large collectively grapples with the urgent need for sustainable solutions, GRO emerges as an optimistic symbol of proactive design, genuine hope and human ingenuity – and a bold step towards a future where our kitchens nourish our bodies and nurture our planet.
“GRO is our vision of what a kitchen could look like,” says Tove Chevalley, Head of Electrolux Innovation Hub. “A vision that will inspire and guide our company’s innovations going forward, whilst pushing us forward to meet our sustainability goals.”
