James Dyson Awards entries include innovative kitchen appliances

A design competition launched by inventor James Dyson has seen several entries take the form of innovative kitchen appliances.

Among the designs submitted to the James Dyson Awards is a small gas hob that can be removed from kitchen worktops when not in use to save space, as well as a microwave that is able to connect to the web and play a video clip that lasts the duration of the cooking time, Relaxnews reports.

One other invention is a safety system that automatically closes the source of a fire - such as an oven - using wireless technology.

"Increasing population growth, urbanisation, environmental concerns and a greater interaction with the virtual world is leading to the creation of ever more innovative, space-saving, environmentally-friendly household appliances," Relaxnews says.

New kitchen appliances that have recently been launched in the UK include a dishwasher with three drawers instead of two and washing machines with a slim depth to fit into small kitchens.