For those of us wishing for the Jetson way of life, we are almost there! Especially in the kitchen. Soon we will not even have to lift a finger to make dinner, thanks to smart kitchen appliances. However, we are not quite there yet, but the technology of today is still pretty amazing. For example, smart ovens can tell what you are cooking and figure out how long to cook it. Let’s go through all the other amazing way our kitchen’s IQ has gone through the roof.
Smart Refrigerators
Today’s fridges do so much more than keep your food cool. For example, the LG InstaView Door-in-Door Refrigerator ($4,000) and the Samsung FamilyHub 2.0 ($2,900) boast massive touch screens where you can access apps to create grocery lists, order those groceries, check the weather, play music, leave notes for family members, and much more. To make you feel even more futuristic, you can do all this just by talking to your fridge. Also, both of these fridges have an internal camera that takes a picture every time you close the door. That way you can know exactly what it in your fridge when you go to the store.
While both of these fridges are pretty much the same, the Samsung one is a thousand bucks cheaper. However, the InstaView has an amazing feature that Samsung left out. If you knock on the touch screen it turns transparent. So you can see the contents of your fridge without even opening it. Which save money and it is just plain cool.
Smart Oven
Like I mentioned before Smart Ovens can detect what you are cooking and how long to cook it perfectly. So you will never over or under cook a turkey ever again. Probably the most accomplished of the bunch is the June Intelligent Over ($1,495). A camera inside, combined with image recognition software, lets the oven “see” and know what you are cooking.
If you hate being stuck at home, the Samsung Wi-Fi Connected Cooktop ($3,100) allows you to turn on, control, and monitor your range through your smartphone. This means you could leave food in the oven when you leave the house in the morning and program it to start baking just before you leave the office.
However, should you cook from your smartphone? The American safety and certification company UL has voiced some concerns. In one study on smart-enabled home applications, it warns, “indiscriminate or unintended signals could… cause an appliance to operate in a manner that may be hazardous to consumers.”
Thankfully, some smart ovens do have safety functions. Whirlpool’s Smart Front Control Range ($2,000) has one such safety feature: It connects with your Nest thermostat, so it knows whether you’re home or away. At the end of the day, if you are cooking, you shouldn’t stray too far.
Smart Coffee Makers
The Orenda ($400) lets you determine everything from grinding size to water temperature to brewing style all through its app. For a more affordable option, Mr. Coffee ($150) has an app that will let you start brewing from your bed.
Smart Scale
If you are an avid baker, but you hate that several measuring cups and spoons wind up dirty the Perfect Bake Pros’ Smart Scale ($50-$100) could change your life. Measuring by weight is more accurate than measuring by volume, and for this extra sensitive scale, you just pour ingredients into a bowl until you hear a ding. The scale’s app also has 500-plus recipes and helps you scale them to make more or less, you can also add your own recipes. 72% of Amazon reviewers give this smart scale a five-star rating!