The State of the Smart Kitchen
In-oven cameras, fridges with screens, and all the other tech you may or may not need
If you've been reading my work for a while, you've probably noticed that I'm a big fan of most smart home technologies.
I've been a loyal customer of Philips Hue Smart lights for nearly a decade. There are Nest cams and August smart locks all throughout my house. I like to think that I've tried pretty much everything that's available in the world of smart homes.
And yet, I think I struggle most with trying to make sense of the smart kitchen. And this feeling was amplified even more after reading Jennifer Pattison Tuohy's recent smart kitchen profile on The Verge.
It's clear that every ordinary kitchen gadget and appliance is trying to be "smart" these days. But which of them are actually worth the initial upfront expense and ongoing potential maintenance headaches and which aren't?
The Fridge
Last year, when our refrigerator died, we were presented with so many replacement options. Did we need wifi, should there be a camera on the inside, are we stupid for not getting one that has a giant screen on the front? I think we ended up with a pretty solid compromise by getting an LG model that could connect to an app, didn't have an exterior screen, but did have the very cool "knock on" tinted glass front door.
I can say that I've checked the LG app only a handful of times since purchasing the fridge. I never wish that it had a display on the door, and I've been mostly pretty happy with the purchase.
Now we're looking to replace an aging range and dishwasher and I find myself asking these questions once again. What (if any) are the killer smart features that these appliances should have? Is it silly to purchase anything that will live in your house for more than five years that doesn't have wifi or bluetooth? Will these appliance companies actually be sending over-the-air software updates to improve performance over time or is that just a marketing gimmick?
The Range
Let's first look at some of the bells and whistles found on the latest models of electric ranges and cooktops. First, opting for an induction cooktop seems like the prudent choice from an environmental standpoint as well as techy fun perspective. Induction cooking seems to be the future if it isn't already the present. So that part is a no-brainer for me, but what other features should be baked-into the oven? (pun very much intended).
GE's Profile line is the early leader for capturing my tech-curious attention. While many of their ranges come equipped with wifi connections, others also include internal cameras for you to remotely keep an eye on your food. Now you may think that something like this isn't very useful. How far away from your kitchen do you typically go while cooking? That's a fair point. I think remote monitoring of your cookies while they bake isn't the killer application here.
But what if that camera is smart enough to detect when you're placing cookies in the oven rather than brownies or muffins? GE has already announced some new AI features that are coming via software update to their products with built-in cameras. There may certainly be some kinks to work out, but it seems pretty plausible that the AI detection in your smart oven will be accurate enough in the next few years so you never need to know the temperature or cook time of your recipes. Just place it inside and the technology will handle the rest.
And let's face it, most of us spend more time staring at our phones than we do staring at the window of the oven when cooking. Having your phone alert you before something burns may actually be more efficient than waiting for the smell to reach your nose. The other easy feature that every oven should have is the ability to preheat from another room in your house or even on the way home via an app connection. Gone are the days of sitting by idly waiting for an oven to get to the proper temperature.
So yes, I'm sold on the tech upgrades of an induction range. The new product should be almost unrecognizable from our old gas-fueled oven and burners. But what about a dishwasher?
The Dishwasher
It feels safe to say that dishwasher tech has evolved the least between the big 3 of refrigerator, range, dishwasher. They've gotten more quiet and faster while using less water and energy. That's all great, but does it really change the day-to-day feelings of using the machine?
Yep, you can get a dishwasher that connects to wifi if you'd like, but those options aren't as widespread as they are with the other appliances. Aside from diagnosing issues, there isn't a whole lot you can do when connecting to a smart dishwasher via wifi. In most instances, you can't really start the dishwasher remotely unless it's one of the few models that keeps stocked reservoir of cleaning agent so you can start cleaning without needing to physically be in the room.
Conclusion
What does the future hold for the smart kitchen? I echo the sentiment from the Verge piece mentioned earlier. All of these disparate systems need to come together somehow. I shouldn't need to open three different apps to control my fridge, oven, and dishwasher. Most of these manufacturers use their own app that may or may not be a joy to use. And as great as it would be to just purchase all of our appliances from the same brand, that just isn't feasible or advisable really. We love our LG fridge but have read lukewarm reviews on LG's dishwashers. Bosch is known to make some of the best dishwashers, but their induction ranges don't include cameras or other smart tech that GE and Samsung are including.
It leaves us at a point of introspection when it comes to upgrading our kitchens. The smart kitchen is clearly more advanced than it was even three years ago. Appliances are becoming less expensive, easier to use, and hopefully more reliable. But these purchases should really be made no more than once per decade, we want these appliances to last a long time.
It's a slippery slope if we start to get on appliance upgrade cycles like our phones or even computers. Like most tech purchases, you just need to jump in and hope for the best. A new shiny computer, phone, camera and even refrigerator will always be coming just around the bend. Let's just embrace the current imperfection of the smart kitchen and enjoy the tech journey.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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