Want the Best in a Smart-ish Kitchen? Get Smart Appliances

Consumers aren’t exactly queuing up jump on the smart home bandwagon. In fact, there isn’t even a bandwagon to jump on. Some manufacturers  are developing smart appliances in the hope that consumers decide they want their fridge to talk to their washing machine. One possible reason for the slow uptake is that it’s all too much for consumers. It’s also too expensive.

Most consumers prefer to test the water and start small, and that’s why manufacturers are changing focus from major appliances to small smart appliances and gadgets that won’t revolutionise our lives but will make them easier.

It starts small

These days, many basic appliances, like kettles, thermometers and frying pans have smart features, including Wi-Fi and touchscreens.

Let’s take a look at smart appliances on the market.

• Kitchen scales

Connected kitchen scales don’t just ensure that your ingredients are weighed out to the correct tenth of an ounce, but they also connect to recipe apps so that you can download a recipe and then the scale will help you follow the recipe exactly.

Models currently available include Perfect Bake Pro (£40 to £50) and Drop Connected Kitchen Scale (£60 to £80).

• Frying pans

If you’re an aspiring cook or just need to pull off the occasional tasty meal to surprise your partner, then you might appreciate the assistance of a smart frying pan. They also connect to apps (via Bluetooth) which provide step-by-step instructions, while the pan itself is able to regulate its temperature and provide you with temperature feedback. It tells you when it’s times to flip your meat or stir your stew or add new ingredients as per the recipe. You’ll also get suggestions for cooking time based on thickness of meat and on type of meat (steak, salmon, chicken)

Pantelligent Smart Frying Pan is currently available for around £170.

• Coffee makers & kettles

Coffee makers are very trendy, so it makes sense that they would come with cool smart features. Many machines have apps that link them to your smartphone or tablet so that no matter where you are, you can set it to make coffee – and you can set it to your exact strength preference. The machines also tell you when you need to fill up the water and restock your capsules.

Smart kettles allow you to boil water no matter where you are in the house, and you can set it to a certain temperature so you can make speciality teas in exactly the right way.

Smart machines currently on the market include Nespresso Prodigio (£160), Smarter Coffee (£180), and Smarter Wi-Fi Kettle (£100).

• Sous vide machines

Thanks to cooking programmes and celebrity chefs, sous vide cooking is becoming very popular. Now sous vide machines come with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi so you can set them to start cooking whenever you want, and you can download recipes and get step-by-step instructions to make the perfect sous vide meal.

Mellow sous vide cooker will be available in spring with an expected price of £265. The Anova Bluetooth + Wi-Fi Precision Cooker costs between £130 and £180.

• Multicookers

Multicookers are already pretty cool machines, now they come with Wi-Fi, touchscreens and connected apps so you can find recipes and get step-by-step instructions to help you deliver maximum flavour.

The Breville Fast Slow Pro multicooker costs between £170 and £180.

For those who have everything, you can consider something a little different, like the iSommelier Smart Decanter. Now, digital settings allow your decanter to more effectively aerate your wine to soften tannins, and the digital screen on the base will tell you all you need to know about the wine, vintage and aeration process. You can also get information on different winemakers. Expect to pay around £1300.

Something with a bit more practical value is the Hero Smart Appliance which reminds you when you need to take medication, lets you know how much medication is left, and notifies you when medication has been taken, so you don’t have to second guess yourself, or worry whether dear old mom has remembered her heart medicine. Expect to pay around £700.