> Coupled with an increase in food delivery efficiency, kitchenless flats could become the norm in densely populated areas.
Sounds dystopian. Hustle and bustle of life aside, physically cooking things can be enjoyable. On the other hand, when I cook "from scratch", I'm buying conveniently packaged ingredients (I don't grow or grind my own flour for example), so maybe I'm happy with my current level of effort from simple familiarity.
Most people don't like to cook or don't care enough to do it themselves. The average household spends an inordinate amount on takeout and that figure will only grow [1].
One could argue 'dark kitchens' are dystopian... food prepared by chefs emulating the menus of restaurants with which they have no affiliation. This has become common in cities all over the world. Deliveroo's dark kitchen network started off using recycled shipping containers [2]. Those who have to prepare meals for multiple mouths (aka parents) eventually get burnt out by cooking.
I love cooking, but I don't see this as dystopic; the kitchen is ripe for technological revolution, and I welcome the democratization of good and (hopefully) healthy food.
> The average household spends an inordinate amount on takeout and that figure will only grow [1].
Is it really inordinate? From the source you cited:
> According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average U.S. household spent an average of $3,459 on takeout, in-restaurant dining, and fast food meals in 2018
That's $288 a month. The average household is 2.5 people, so that's $115 per person per month or $3.79 per day. Assuming 3 meals a day, that would come to somewhere in the ballpark of 10-20% of their meals.
Personally, I'm at $133.96 for this month, from 15 fast food or take-out purchases (14 meals, one snack from the convenience store at the gas station while getting gas). My typical month is generally one Jimmy John's sub and cookie a week, one McDonalds burger and free fries (every Friday if ordered through the app) a week, a Jersey Mike's sub and cookie 3 times a month, and a McDonalds breakfast once a week, with maybe the odd Wendy's or Burger King or Arby's tossed in once or twice a month instead of one of the sub places. That seems rather modest to me.
I'm currently living in a nice house, and have previously lived in a nice apartment. I've lived in places where you needed a car to live, and in places where using a car was a huge hassle compared to the alternatives.
There is far more variability in "good living" than most people realize. Cooking "as a pleasant activity" is a nice luxury to have, and I currently do a fair bit of it, but I'd gladly give it up for other luxuries.
Counter example: i tried to get a kitchenless apartment but couldn't get one that wasnt TINY so it just wasn't worth it. But i totaly would get one if i could save some money (to help pay for eating out more) and could re-use that space for other things.
Sounds dystopian. Hustle and bustle of life aside, physically cooking things can be enjoyable. On the other hand, when I cook "from scratch", I'm buying conveniently packaged ingredients (I don't grow or grind my own flour for example), so maybe I'm happy with my current level of effort from simple familiarity.