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Smart home technology may sound futuristic, but the concept isn’t new. In fact, it dates back to when Nikola Tesla introduced remote controls in 1898. There have been various gadgets introduced over the years, but they all share the common purpose of making our lives a little easier through the use of wireless connections, connections to other devices, and more recently, artificial intelligence. Here are some smart kitchen appliances to consider bringing into your kitchen!
Smart Refrigerators
The most advanced smart refrigerator models have a screen that lets you monitor your food supply, search for recipes, and order groceries. These refrigerators are often paired with a mobile app so you can do those tasks on your mobile device as well. Some can even regulate themselves to keep food at just the right temperature for optimal freshness.
Bonus features include playing music from apps such as Spotify or Pandora, TV mirroring so you can watch TV on the screen, the ability to write notes and set reminders, and control other appliances.
Recommendations
1) Samsung Family Hub 4-Door Flex Refrigerator – Possibly the most feature-packed smart fridge option on the market today, it has a full-color touchscreen that lets you look up recipes and order groceries, play music, mirror your TV, set notes and reminders, and control other appliances. It even has three interior cameras that allow you to see your food supply when you’re not at home.
2) LG 3-Door Smart French Door Instaview Refrigerator – This refrigerator connects to Alexa or Google Assistant so you can add voice-activated commands. Access to the LG SmartThinQ app allows you to further change the refrigerator’s settings. A very cool bonus is the semi-transparent panel that illuminates with a couple of knocks, allowing you to see the contents without opening the fridge.
3) GE Smart 4-Door French Door Refrigerator – This smart refrigerator offers access to the Smart HQ app where you can control the fridge temperature or turn the ice maker on/off from your mobile device. It also offers hands-free water fill. You can also receive alerts on your mobile device if the fridge is left open.
Smart Stoves/Ranges
Smart stoves and ranges allow you to monitor your cooktop on your mobile device and typically include a convection oven packed with even more features. These features include adjusting the temperature with voice control through a voice-enabled device such as Alexa or Google Assistant or a smart system with memory that learns how you like to cook.
Recommendations
1) Samsung Front-Control Slide-In Gas Range with Smart Dial, Air Fry, and Wi-Fi – A luxurious, high-tech option, this range does more than meets the eye. Connecting to the mobile app allows you to monitor the cooktop and even adjust the oven temperature and cook time. The smart dial remembers your settings for quick cooking. You can even add voice controls to make your oven hands-free. Another notable feature is the air fryer mode that will crisp up food as a healthier alternative to deep-frying.
2) Whirlpool Smart Slide-In Gas Range with EZ-2-Lift Hinged Cast-Iron Grates – With a colored touchscreen, this range allows you to create presets depending on what you’re cooking so you’ll never have to remember cooking temperature and duration again. Other features include recipe search and voice control through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. It also features scan-to-cook technology that will cook frozen food based on the bar code you scan.
3) LG Studio Smart Wi-Fi Enabled Duel Fuel Slide-In Range with Pro-Bake Convection with Easy-Clean – The gas cooktop and electric oven ensures your food is cooked efficiently. It also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice commands and connects to the ThinQ app which allows you to change settings.
Smart Ovens
If you’re interested in hands-free or remote control, then you’ll appreciate smart ovens. Smart ovens allow you to control your oven with voice commands and/or control it from any room in your house through the mobile app. It’s perfect for busy parents and hosts who need to tend to kids or guests but cook at the same time.
Some models even have food-recognition technology and use this technology to memorize your preferred settings. Other smart features include cameras inside the oven so you can see your food cooking from your mobile device as well as temperature alerts and indicators.
Recommendations
1) Café Smart Double Electric Wall Oven with Convection Self-Clean – With a customizable appearance, this oven allows you to control its settings from any room in the house with connection to the mobile app. It also self-cleans to cut down on cleanup time. It also features an indicator light to let you know when cooking has stopped.
2) LG Smart Wi-Fi Enabled Combination Double-Wall Oven – Like LG smart refrigerators, this oven also can connect to Alexa or Google Assistant via its ThinQ mobile app so you can use voice commands.
3) W-Labs Smart Oven – This experimental countertop oven with many cool features is designed by W-Labs (by Whirlpool). It features 11 cooking modes, auto food recognition, live look-in (allows you to see your food cooking), built-in preheat, and a food thermometer. Connection to the smart app allows remote control, food monitoring, and memorization of cook settings for your favorite foods.
Smart Small Appliances
If you’re not yet ready for a major appliance, you can get in on the smart kitchen trend by starting small. Make cooking a breeze with everything from smart microwaves to smart blenders!
Recommendations
1) AmazonBasics Microwave – Provided you have an Amazon Alexa, this unit allows you to add voice-controls for hands-free cooking. Not bad for $60!
2) Revolution Cooking R180 High-Speed Smart Toaster – Customize toasting time and temperature based on selected food settings on the full-color touch screen.
3) Thermomix TM6 All-in-One – This is on the pricier side, but with 24 culinary functions from chopping to steaming, it will cut down prep and clean-up time dramatically. The machine is wi-fi enabled and connects to their Cookidoo app where you can access recipes right on the unit‘s screen.
Smart Speakers/ Virtual Assistants
The simplest way you can introduce smart technology into your kitchen is by purchasing a smart speaker that uses virtual assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Siri. Having these small devices allows you to use voice commands to jot down recipes, set reminders, set timers, order groceries, and order delivery from restaurants on days you don’t want to cook. This is a great starting point, especially since an increasing number of appliances and other devices around the home can connect to them.
Ready for an Upgrade?
New appliances for your smart kitchen pair well with updated kitchen cabinets. We can help you design and build a beautiful and functional kitchen that complements your smart appliances. Contact us today for an estimate!