Do you want to go smarter with your kitchen? We have some good news! Forget about tearing down your walls or calling in a contractor or kitchen designer. In many cases you do not even have to change the electrical or plumbing systems.
For many the easiest way to get smart in the kitchen is buying smart appliances. Not only is it affordable, but it will have you set up with a smart kitchen in no time.
Ready? Let’s start with the basics. Here is a simpler primer to creating a smarter kitchen:
What is a smart kitchen?
Smart homes are all about connectivity. With a mobile app or even voice control, you can control the connected devices. Connections can be via Bluetooth, WIFI, or even IoT technology. Smart kitchens pretty much work like this. They allow you to exercise control over particular kitchen items with the tap of a button or voice commands.
Are smart kitchens all that? Yes! After all, they make your kitchen safer (very important) and your efforts more efficient. If precision and speed matter in your kitchen, you cannot go wrong with technology. It has everything down to a T.
How to go smarter
You almost always have the option to overhaul your entire kitchen and install top-of-the-range smart appliances and fixtures from floor to ceiling. A fully integrated kitchen gives you control over every gadget in the room. You can turn on faucets, control the heat in the oven, turn on the lights, etc., all without barely lifting a finger. Of course, all those costs would add up quickly and take months to set up. An easier way may be buying one smart appliance at a time. Some excellent smart devices include:
Smart Speakers or Displays
When you think about it, kitchen activities revolve around measurements. Suppose you want to bake a vanilla cake and are using a recipe. If a step requires you to wait five minutes before moving on to the next, you will want to track the time. Similarly, if the recipe measures flour by cups and you want to convert this to grams, you will need to measure.
Today’s smart speakers and displays enable you to cut back on conversion time. You can easily ask the speaker, “how many grams make one cup of flour?” get a clear answer and avoid using too little or too much of an ingredient. See? Easy!
Speakers and displays do much more than help you with your conversions. Some even allow you to use them as intercoms, and you can speak to people in other rooms in the house. Others play music or help you draft your grocery lists for your upcoming shopping days. You can even get one that answers the door for you, helping you avoid the to and fro in the middle of cooking!
Place a speaker under your kitchen cabinet, play your favorite music and enjoy having a little helper in the kitchen.
Smart Lights
Whether they come on with a dramatic clap or a voice command, smart lights are a sight to behold. You have two options in this case. You can go with a smart switch, which allows you to control several lights from a central point. Alternatively, you can work with smart bulbs, which are easy to use but can eat into your budget depending on how many you plan on needing. But if you desire the control and the dramatic effect of, why not? Smart lights are dimmable and allow you to move from one brightness level to another to suit the task at hand.
LED strip lights are another great option. They fit under kitchen cabinets and work great for night lighting. If you use your kitchen as a dining area, the dimmable light cast by the strip lights should create a relaxing ambiance. LED lights add to the efficiency of the smart kitchen by lowering your utility bills without compromising the light output.
Smart Coffee Makers
Most people start their day with a steaming cup of coffee. It is a global morning routine that countless t-shirts and coffee mugs pay homage to. So, imagine how great your morning can be with the perfect cup of coffee from your Smart coffee maker waiting and ready for you by the time you wake up. Can you smell it? All you do is waltz into the kitchen, grab the steaming brew, shut your eyes, and enjoy your morning.
Of course, you have to put in some work. The machine cannot change the filters or fill the water tank. But once you have done this small part, the coffee maker will reward you with a brew that will have you ditching any morning coffee run.
Smart Ovens
Have you ever wanted to cook without having to understand the temperature and timing? Haven’t we all! Smart ovens can help you do this. These devices come equipped with technology that can not only examine ingredients but also determine cooking time. Once you place the food inside the oven, an AI camera looks over the food, picking up one ingredient after the other. Some calculations ensue after you select the dish, and the device outlines the steps it will follow. It also shows you how long the food preparation will take.
You can walk away from the kitchen, knowing that the food will be ready in time and will be as perfect as it looks on the recipe. However, if you want to keep an eye on the food, you can stream the process on your phone. For people who struggle with overcooking or undercooking food, smart ovens can be a real meal saver.
Smart Microwaves
Do you often dry out your microwavable food? Then this is a device you will appreciate. A smart microwave, like a smart oven, can be controllable via voice or a smart device. Some even use barcodes on certain products to determine how long they should cook meals.
Smart Faucets
Contaminating kitchen appliances is very easy. For example, once you finish stuffing a chicken, you will probably head to the sink to wash your hands. What is the first thing you do? In most kitchens, you turn the faucet on by hand. But how often do we remember to clean the faucet once they wash their hands? The faucet becomes a source of contamination for everyone else using the kitchen.
Using smart faucets can help you avoid this very situation. You have probably seen these faucets already. All you do is wave your hands under the sensor, and the water comes on. You wash your hands and never have to touch the faucet - simple! Voice-controlled smart faucets allows you to control the water output by voice. Simple instructions such as “turn on” regulate the faucet, and enable you to multitask in the kitchen. More complex instructions allow you to fill your measuring cup with water.
Smart Fridges
Have you ever been out shopping but could not remember what was in your fridge? Smart fridges allow you to access them from anywhere, thanks to their built-in cameras. You can have a look around, see what is missing and add it to your shopping cart. Simple! Plus, you can adjust the internal temperatures without opening the fridge.
Another perk? – Your fridge can suggest recipes based on the items in it. No more tirefully racking your brain for ideas on what you should have for dinner.
Smart Dishwasher
What is the worst part of cooking? For some people, it is doing the dishes. If you feel the same way, you might want to invest in a smart dishwasher. While it might not load and unload the dishes, it ensures that they come out looking clean. Smart dishwashers do not leave stains on the dishes, nor do they make loud noises. It is more like a quiet purr in the background that hardly makes being in the kitchen uncomfortable.
Do you want to know the best part? You can watch as the machine cleans the dishes! Smart dishwashers have live streaming options, so if urge strikes you can peek right in on this cleaning show at any time. To make your kitchen even smarter and more organized, consider installing your dishwasher with a decorative panel that matches the rest of your kitchen cabinets. It makes the dishwasher even more subtle and creates a streamlined look.
Going smart makes it easier to manage almost any activity in the kitchen. Plus you spend less time cleaning up because it becomes harder to make messes. Now you can have technology on your side in the kitchen. What is your pick going to be?
