Not too long ago, you probably couldn’t have imagined how smart home tech would be used in your kitchen, but it’s quickly become a new frontier for companies looking to make home automation more of a reality. From small gadgets to full appliances, here’s a look at five products that will make your kitchen positively futuristic.
LG SmartThinQ Refrigerator
It’s one thing to think last night’s leftovers of that double order of chicken parmigiana in the fridge might be calling out to you (we won’t judge), but imagine if your refrigerator could tell you certain things that are missing from your shopping list? Enter the SmartThinQ Refrigerator from LG. This super-capacity refrigerator uses Amazon’s Alexa, which is built-in to allow you to do certain things by voice like creating a shopping list or playing a soundtrack to your dinner prep. The SmartThinQ comes with an LCD touchscreen that provides an inventory of what you have in the fridge, and it also lets you control features, like its energy-saving vacation mode, through a mobile app.
Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker
Cooking “sous vide” is the process of plunging vacuumed-sealed food into temperature-controlled water to be cooked just like professional chefs do it with the help of an immersion circulator. There’s a good amount of sous vide circulators out there, and Anova has released one that’s perfect for smart tech enthusiasts. The Precision Cooker works with any pot you’ve got in the house. But the show-stopping feature is the Wi-Fi connectivity, which allows you to keep an eye on it from anywhere outside of your home. The cooker also has Bluetooth capabilities and comes with more than a thousand recipes from the notable culinary site Serious Eats.
GE Café Double Electric Smart Wall Oven
This double wall oven by GE is all about doing it up big on every front. It has 10 cubic feet to work with so cooking for any and all large occasions will be no issue. Seven different modes of cooking are available and it is self-cleaning as well. It can connect via the built-in Wi-Fi to a smartphone app or to various smart home devices like the Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. You can get real-time feedback, timing alerts and optimized baking performance.
Illy Y5 Espresso and Coffee Machine
You are more than likely a homeowner who appreciates a good cup of joe in the morning as well as some keen technology. The Illy Y5 Espresso and Coffee Machine is a nifty marriage of the two. The Y5 is designed to help you set up your perfect cup of coffee or espresso from your smartphone through a mobile app, right down to the exact time you’d like to have it brewed and the particular blend. It can work with many of Illy’s available coffee pods, and it’s set up to order replacements through Amazon’s Dash subscription program if it detects you’re running out of your favorite flavor.
Whirlpool Smart Dishwasher
Doing the dishes won’t be a boring chore with this dishwasher by Whirlpool. It’s an appliance that taps into what many desire from smart home tech: integrated connectivity to Amazon Alexa as part of a suite that also includes a refrigerator and a stove. The dishwasher’s own mobile application allows you to check on things like when a washing cycle has ended or when you need to order detergent replacements (via Amazon Dash). It can also be integrated with Nest thermostats.
Christopher Smith is a freelance writer when he’s not sampling the best cuisine in his hometown of New York City. Prior to that, he worked in film and television post-production, and counts the honor of working with Eartha Kitt among his milestones.
