A new cooker by Electrolux claims to make cooking a much easier job. The kitchen will then be free of all the unnecessary pots and pans that occupy so much space.

The conventional stove will be replaced by a gadget, which has a softened surface in the shape of a surfboard that allows the chef to create their own pan-shaped cooking area by simply pressing into the worktop with their hand.

After achieving the required width and depth, it's just a matter of setting temperature and time with a simple touch of a finger.

The empty cooking area is used to heat up the ingredients. The gadget, named Heart of the Home, is capable of analysing ingredients and even offers suitable recipes.

Electrolux came up with this idea to meet the demands on "space, energy and the environment" for the growing number of people living in cities.

"This is a concept, but it is the kind of technology we could expect to use in the next 40 years' time", said Susan Dean from Electrolux.