While still in its infancy, smart technology has made tremendous strides within a short time. Today, smart products are available for nearly every room of the home. The kitchen, in particular, has received a great deal of attention as an area where smart appliances can offer harried consumers new levels of convenience and control to save them time and ease their stress.

Yet, despite industry claims that adoption of smart appliances is on the rise, consumers on the whole have shown little interest in investing in these products. Which raises the question: Is the smart kitchen a trend whose time has not yet come?

As has been the case with the adoption of green solutions, consumer interest in smart technology is growing, but narrowly. At present, slightly more than 1 in 10 consumers has used one or more smart home devices, but projections indicate that within the next 12 months that number could increase to as high as 1 in 3 households.

Results of Houzz's latest SmartHome Survey show nearly half of homeowners (45 percent) are installing smart systems or devices during a home renovation project. That finding correlates with the results of a survey conducted last year by connectivity software provider iControl Networks, in which the largest portion of respondents (43 percent) said they are or would be most willing to buy smart products when making renovations or upgrades to their home.

In both surveys, between a fourth and a third of consumers said they are more likely to purchase smart thermostats or home security devices, such as cameras, door locks and video doorbells — products that can help them save money or make them feel more secure. Entertainment devices, such as wireless speakers and audio- and/or video-streaming devices are a popular option for about a fourth or fifth of consumers.

In the IControl survey, 41 percent of respondents indicated they were interested in smart technology for the kitchen. But when asked what devices they were likely to purchase in the next 12 months, only 25 percent mentioned connected appliance. About a third (34 percent) chose connected lighting, but in the Houzz survey only 11 percent of respondents had installed indoor lighting with smart features.

As might be expected, interest is much higher among millennials. Half of respondents between the ages of 25 and 34 in the iControl survey said they were thinking of purchasing a connected kitchen appliance within the next 12 months, and slightly more were interested in connected lighting. Among the devices which consumers said they wish could "read their minds" (i.e., use data, analytics and sensors to operate without being prompted) were the coffee maker (10 percent) and the washer and dryer (9 percent).

Several factors at present are impeding wider adoption of smart technologies. The iControl study cites a "chasm between early adopters and mainstream consumers." A lack of familiarity or knowledge about the products is a major impediment. While consumers have high awareness of these products, two-thirds don't know much about what they do or how to operate them, according to a Harris poll.

Functionality is another issue. 60 percent of respondents in the iControl survey said they wanted the devices to work without them having to do anything to install, update and operate them. Short of that, they prefer devices to work with voice control, which itself is still a fledgling technology.

Pricing and cost-benefit are additional factors. Many smart appliances, such as stoves and refrigerators, are prohibitively expensive for most consumers. For the price — in some cases, thousands of dollars extra — they don't see the added value. And many of these products are as yet unproven as to how they will function or whether they will deliver the promised benefits over the long term.

Uncertainty about privacy protection and security of the data these devices collect is another concern.

Many of these factors are due to this being still a relatively new technology. Despite their concerns, 78 percent of the participants in the Harris poll believe smart technology will be standard in new homes within the next five years. As more millennials purchase and outfit their own homes, both demand and innovation will increase.

But, for now, the kitchen of the future appears likely to remain in the future.