The paradoxical psychology of smart kitchen gadgets: a psychoanalytical view

Kitchen appliances as a mirror of the unconscious

Thermomix®, Monsieur Cuisine, Xiaomi - modern kitchen appliances promise efficiency, precision and simplification. But there is more behind the shiny surface than technical sophistication: These appliances reflect unconscious desires, dependencies and social dynamics. A psychoanalytical examination shows that smart cooking appliances have an effect that goes far beyond their function. They act as so-called transitional objects - similar to stuffed animals or dolls in early childhood - and enable emotional attachment and the projection of needs that can hardly be explained rationally.

The digital cooking pot as a substitute for closeness and care

Smart kitchen appliances initially appear to be all-rounders: they replace blenders, kitchen scales, steamers and wooden spoons. However, their use is rarely accompanied by a reduced household. On the contrary: an accumulation of accessories is the rule. YouTube tutorials, community groups and recipes and manufacturer marketing lead to users buying countless accessories - from blender attachments to special steamer containers.

It may be surprising, but this behaviour can be explained by the psychoanalytical concept of the mother-child dyad: The machine symbolically takes on the function of a caring object that provides nourishment, structure and control, just as a cloth, teat, doll and cuddly toy once did. Just as the infant is orientated towards the mother, the adult is also orientated towards the device - in search of emotional security and everyday relief.

Accessories as an extension of the request

The urge to always have the "complete set" of accessories does not follow a purely functional logic. Rather, it is based on a symbolic completion movement. The device is not just used - it is supplemented, equipped and personalised. This behaviour resembles childlike play: Just as a child equips their Barbie or Ken with accessories, adults add accessories to the device in order to achieve an imaginary completeness.

The individual parts - from the measuring jug to the dough mixer - thus become transitional objects in their own right, building a bridge between inner fantasy and outer order. The family of appliances does not grow out of necessity, but out of the desire for control, order and emotional coherence.

Social dynamics: groups, pressure and affiliation

What starts in the kitchen quickly moves to the digital realm: online communities centred around Thermomix® or Monsieur Cuisine exert subtle social pressure. Tips, recipes, accessory recommendations - anyone who wants to be part of it shows off their machine, shares their attachment, posts pictures of the latest steam cooking insert.

These communities act like a normative superego: they define what is considered "good use", what belongs and what is missing. This makes the emotional and financial investment in the brand environment not only acceptable, but desirable. If you belong, you own - and if you own, you feel in good hands[5].

Cognitive dissonance: when reduction leads to excess

The original reason for the purchase - simplification, minimalism - is quickly forgotten. As soon as the reality of the flood of accessories sets in, an inner conflict arises: Why did I buy a minimalist machine that is now blowing up my kitchen cupboard?

This cognitive dissonance is usually not consciously reflected upon, but rather absorbed by psychological defence mechanisms. Rationalisation is the most common: users explain to themselves that every new accessory is "really necessary". Marketing supports this process by presenting new parts not as an addition, but as an "upgrade" - with the promise that everything will now really be easier.

Emotional bonding: between Tamagotchi and identity

The more frequently the device is used, the stronger the emotional bond. Studies on product attachment show that the frequency of use increases the feeling of belonging to the device. The device becomes an everyday companion, hand flatterer and toy - like the Tamagotchi in the past and the smartphone today. People recognise its peculiarities, its noises, its routines.

This bond is hardly rational. It is not based on benefits, but on identification: if you own a Thermomix, you live a healthy life. If you have accessories, you are prepared. If you post new recipes, you are part of the community. This creates an identity that is formed less through cooking behaviour than through product use. The appliance becomes part of the self-image - a modern fetish, fuelled with emotional commitment.

The "digital breast": endless longing for completeness

The term "digital breast" originates from psychoanalytical media criticism. It refers to a digital object that, like a mother's breast, not only nourishes but also soothes, structures and suggests presence - without ever really being enough.

Smart kitchen appliances and their accessories work in exactly the same way. Each new part promises more control, more efficiency, more "real" cooking - and yet never leads to an end of desire. Like the infant who is never completely satisfied, but is always seeking the mother's closeness anew, the adult consumer also remains trapped in an endless loop of optimisation and additions. The desire for an idealised kitchen life is never fulfilled, but only ever postponed - to the next accessory, the next update, the next recipe booklet.

The psychological cycle of consumption

The paradoxical relationship with smart cooking appliances can therefore be traced back to a complex psycho-social cycle:

1. A feeling of lack (time, structure, excessive demands) leads to the purchase of the device.

2. The device becomes a transitional object - it calms, structures, gives control.

3. The world of accessories creates new areas of desire - the desire for completion arises.

4. The community reinforces this desire by promising status and a sense of belonging.

5. The cognitive dissonance is rationalised - every part seems necessary.

6. The emotional bond deepens - the device becomes part of the self.

7. The cycle starts all over again - with the next update, the next model or the next accessory line.

This cycle is actually inane, but by no means just a psychological curiosity. It explains why consumer behaviour is so resistant to criticism, reflection and minimalism. Those affected often know that they own too much - but they still feel inwardly justified in buying "just this one more accessory". It is not the benefit that is decisive, but the psychological balance that is (temporarily) restored by the possession.

What follows from this?

If you want to understand this behaviour, you don't need pure criticism of consumption or appeals for sustainability. What is needed is a deeper understanding of the psychological mechanisms that unfold in the relationship between people and objects.

• Marketing plays with subconscious desires and structures them through storytelling and design.

• Community platforms offer emotional resonance spaces that generate social pressure.

• Individuals experience devices not as tools, but as bonding partners - in the field of tension between control and devotion.

The discussion about smart kitchen gadgets should therefore not be technology-centred. A psychological perspective is much more productive: What gaps is this appliance trying to fill? What desires, dependencies and social fantasies are involved in its use?

Conclusion: The cooker as a mirror of the soul

Smart cooking devices are more than just machines. They are projection screens for safety, belonging and control - in a world characterised by acceleration, excessive demands and isolation. Their promise of simplification is rarely fulfilled. But this is precisely where their psychological appeal lies: they stabilise through repetition, enable emotional bonding and create the feeling of having life "under control" - at least in the kitchen.

If you want to understand why people have 20 accessories for an appliance that they bought "for convenience", you should look less at consumer tips and more at Freud, Winnicott and the power of the unconscious.