There was once a time where technology in the kitchen was something we only ever saw on an episode of The Jetsons, but today, we’re experiencing the start of a revolution. Thanks to the Internet of Things, smart kitchens are not just the way of the future, but they’re happening right now and there are some great gadgets out there that you can try.
Smart kitchen gadgets are those that have some sort of automatic function, and these appliances work together with other aspects of your smart home to make life a little easier. Although still in its early days, smart homes have a lot of potential and we’re seeing many of the cooler products being found in the kitchen.
If you’re new to the topic of smart homes or want to know what smart kitchen appliance would help you best, this guide is for you. We’re going to explore the latest and greatest kitchen appliances, tools and accessories that will bring your home into the future, as well as the potential drawbacks that this burgeoning form of technology has.
The Promise Of The Smart Kitchen
The kitchen is one room of the house where we find ourselves constantly working. Whether you’re doing something as simple as making your morning coffee or cooking up a huge feast for the family. Whenever you’re there, you’re putting in some kind of effort.
The revolution of the smart home means that we’re able to put in less effort to get the same results. In the kitchen specifically, this could be anything from a fridge that knows how to order food that’s running low or an oven that will preheat itself while you’re on the way home from work and have given the order to do so.
The smart kitchen and home couldn’t be possible without the Internet of Things. Simply put, this is the network where all of your home appliances connect to each other and are able to communicate, exchange data, and interact with each other.
Smart devices all connect on this network which enables them to not only work on their own but in conjunction with other smart setups in the home.
The Best Smart Kitchen Appliances
You might not realize it on first glance, but your kitchen is home to a whole range of appliances that you take for granted. There are things you use every day without thinking, like a refrigerator, and others that come out on special occasions, like your own personal deep fryer.
Smart kitchen appliances might still be in their early days, but there’s already a great range to choose from. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your home into a smart one, there are some cool kitchen appliances out there that can help you do it.
Smart Fridge
By far the biggest and most expensive appliance in your kitchen, the smart fridge is one for those with money to spare.
These days, a state of the art smart fridge is capable of things like being a communication center for the home, checking you have enough ice, notifying you when ingredients are running low and adding them to a shopping list, and even playing TV or music while you’re in the kitchen.
Smart Kitchen Scales
Scales are one of the most helpful gadgets we have in the kitchen, and they’ve been made even better thanks to technology. Smart scales can make conversions in weight, recommendations based on recipes, and let you know how many calories you’re eating.
In addition to weighing food, there are even drink mixer scales that show you how to create the perfect cocktail based on their weight and can help you make bar quality drinks.
Smart Home Hub
Although technically not specific to the kitchen, most people keep their hub in this popular room of the house.
A smart home hub like Amazon Echo is somewhere you can control all of your devices from the one place, but it also helps with things like reading out recipes, playing music, and ordering pizza for those days where you really don't want to cook.
Smart Oven
With the right smart oven in your kitchen, you’ll never have to worry if things are cooked to perfection again. These smart ovens can be controlled via your smartphone, you can check with a camera to see how they’re doing, and it has heat-sensing technology that means your chicken will never come out a little too pink in the middle again.
Smart ovens are some of the more expensive appliances in this market, but they’re extremely efficient at cooking.
Smart Coffee Machine
Coffee is something that most of us enjoy every morning before we start our day. Imagine taking a little bit of work out of your morning with your very own smart coffee machine that will make your favorite brew for you before you get out of bed.
Smart coffee machines can be set to timers or operated from your phone as you lay in bed, and it will know how to make yours just the way you like it.
Smart Smoker
Smoked food delivers a flavor that can’t be beaten but traditional methods take a lot of time and effort. Having a smart smoker in your kitchen means no more guessing about whether something is done and being able to control the entire process from your phone.
You’ll be notified when your meat has been smoked to perfection so you don’t even have to enter the kitchen once to check on it.
Smart Air Fryer
Appliances like air fryers now come as smart devices, with the capability of connecting to your phone. They can notify you when things are done, let you check on the cooking process, and even offer suggestions for recipes. They’re a lot more expensive than standard air fryers, but if you have money to burn you might want to give them a try.
Potential Drawbacks Of Smart Kitchens
Having a connected home and a smart kitchen might sound like the only way to go, but there are some drawbacks you need to be aware of. Consider these disadvantages if you’re thinking of making the transformation in your home and turning the kitchen into a smart hub.
It’s Expensive
Smart devices are the big thing at the moment, and like any big thing, they come with a bigger cost. Because these appliances are still new on the market, you can expect to pay top price for them for at least the next few years.
The Technology Is New
Although there are some really cool gadgets out there, and plenty that will make your life easier, smart homes are still relatively new. This means they aren’t at their full capacity yet and are still in early stages of what they’re able to achieve.
They’re Not Fully Automatic
You might think having a smart kitchen means your days of cooking are over, but we’re not quite there yet. There’s still a lot that you have to do yourself, including cleaning up when the job is done, so don’t get your hopes up that these devices are fully automatic yet.
Extra Repairs
When one of your smart gadgets goes awry, it’s not just a matter of looking up the warranty period and getting it fixed. There are other things that could be wrong with a smart kitchen like connectivity, internet, wiring, and security, so be prepared to pay for all of these extra problems.
Glitches And Errors
With most kitchen appliances, they’re pretty straightforward in what they can do. when they break you usually know what went wrong. Bringing the technology that’s involved with smart gadgets into the home means a whole new range of problems that can occur due to glitches and internal errors.
Selecting The Right Appliances To Suit Your Home
The dawn of the smart home is certainly an exciting time, and when it comes to your kitchen no other room of the house could benefit more. Although these devices are exciting and offer a fresh new way of doing things, we still need to be mindful that they’re in their early stages.
Smart devices can certainly be helpful, but unless you have a lot of money to spend there’s probably no need to go out and get them all. When transforming your regular house into a smart home, the best approach is to start small and think about the appliances that could really make a difference in your life.
As the years go on, this type of technology will become more commonplace, and when that happens, we’ll see lower prices and even better capabilities. For now, there are certainly some cool smart gadgets out there, but your regular kitchen appliances will probably serve you just as well if you can’t afford the upgrade.
