The Smart Kitchen Guide

If there’s one room where smart home devices really come into their element, it’s the kitchen.

Cookery gadgets abound here — from the cheap and little to the large and expensive.

Smart refrigerator, anyone?

Let’s face it, who doesn’t want a futuristic kitchen — not only do they look cool, but they might actually encourage you to start cooking and eating healthily!

We’ve compiled this list of the best smart kitchen devices of 2017 for your delectation.

Let’s see what’s on offer..

Smart Grocery Ordering

Is there anything more irritating that getting ready to cook a huge feast only to discover you’re all out of a bunch of ingredients?

Here’s where smart grocery ordering comes into play.

These devices will allow you to quickly take stock of the products you’re running low on and add them to your grocery list so you can ensure you’re all ready for your next cooking extravaganza.

Some of these will also connect to Amazon Alexa so you can automatically reorder stock from Amazon as you go.

Here’s a look at the best of them.

Hiku The Shopping Button

The Hiku Button is a great low-cost way to immediately transform your kitchen into a smart kitchen.

It’s magnetized, so is easy to place on your fridge door, as well as on the counter top.

Use it to scan barcodes of the products you’re running low on and compile shared shopping lists on your smartphone via their app. The button also recognizes your voice — great for produce that doesn’t come with a barcode!

As well as being able to take the shopping list to the grocery store with you, you can also connect the app to various online shopping services if you want to really strive for the hands-off shopping experience.

Amazon Dash Wand

The Dash Wand from Amazon is a pretty revolutionary product — although it’s only available for Prime members right at this moment.

Again, it’s very cheap for a smart device, and allows you to scan barcodes of the products you need to restock on.

It’s also got a few more cool features:

• Finds recipes
• Finds nearby restaurants
• Converts cups to ounces
• Pairs with Amazon Alexa for you to automatically buy and reorder goods
• Recognizes your voice
• Water resistant
• Magnetic — stick it on the fridge

Amazon Echo Show

The Echo Show is the brand new Amazon smart home device that we think is simply perfect for the kitchen.

Like the Amazon Echo, you’re able to fully interact with it, make shopping lists and order goods, but it goes one step further with a screen.

You can use this to watch recipes, YouTube videos, see photos, browse audiobooks — basically whatever you please. It’s the kitchen assistant you never knew you needed!

Here are its stand-out features:

• Includes Amazon Alexa as smart assistant
• Can watch security camera footage on the screen from linked devices
• Make video calls to friends and family
• Pairs with numerous other smart devices and apps, including Spotify, WeMo, Philips Hue, Ecobee and more
• Can hear you from any direction thanks to its 8 microphones
• Always getting smarter and learning new skills
• Powerful Dolby speakers for high clarity

Amazon Echo Dot

If you’re looking for something a little less flash and a bit cheaper, we think the Echo Dot is a great addition to your smart kitchen.

It’s a hands free and voice controlled Amazon product that uses Alexa to link to all your other smart devices and apps, as well as allowing you to order and reorder essentials and goods from Amazon.

The Echo Dot can connect to speakers via Bluetooth so you can music and other audio playing as you spend your time in the kitchen.

You can also control your other smart devices with it.

Like the Echo Show, it can hear you from any direction, thanks to its 7 microphones, and is always getting smarter and adding new skills.

GeniCan

OK, now for something a little different — introducing the GeniCan.

This smart grocery ordering device sits on the edge of your garbage can, allowing you to scan barcodes and add items manually with your voice to a virtual shopping list. It will order replacements for you via Amazon — super easy and convenient — or you can simply take your compiled shopping list to the store and shop manually.

The device is powered by Duracell, with the batteries lasting for up to a year. It’s super easy to install into your existing garbage can and recycling bin.

Compared to the Echo Dot, Dash Wand and Hiku Button, it’s pretty expensive — $149 — but thanks to it’s position literally on your garbage can, it’s doubtful that you’ll ever forget to use it.

Smart Cooking Appliances

With smart, connected cooking appliances, budding home chefs are able to recreate restaurant quality food from the comfort of their own home kitchen.

The best thing about many of these smart gadgets is how versatile they are — you probably won’t need to buy every single one to rejuvenate your cooking skills, just one will do!

There are countless numbers of smart cooking devices being brought onto the market via both Kickstarter and other more traditional ways. We’ve picked out some of the best for you to savor:

Anova Culinary Bluetooth Sous Vide Precision Cooker

Out of all the smart kitchen devices on the market in 2017, it’s probably this Anova sous vide precision cooker that’s causing the biggest stir.

When we think of sous vide cooking, we think of fancy restaurants and haute cuisine — not simple cooking at home.

But this small yet powerful device is changing all that, allowing you to completely evenly cook your food to a precise temperature every single time. Can you say moist and delicious?

Here’s what’s on offer:

• Just attach the device to a pot, add water and your ingredients in a sealed jar, then press start
• Bluetooth connectivity allows you to start, stop and monitor your food from your smartphone
• You can set the cooking time and temperature on your smartphone
• WiFi connectivity also available
• Never overcook your food again
• App includes 1000s of step-by-step recipes
• Guided cooking available
• Recipe sharing on the app
• Works with meats, fish, vegetables, soups and desserts

>>> Read our indepth review of the Anova Culinary Bluetooth Sous Vide Precision Cooker

Crock-Pot Wemo Smart Wifi Enabled Slow Cooker

Another cooking appliance lighting up the smart home industry is this crock pot that can be controlled via the WeMo app.

It’s WiFi enabled, and allows you to adjust the cook time and temperature on both the app and the unit itself. You can also shit the crock-pot to warm and turn it off via the app too.

Easy, healthy meals that don’t require you to be babysitting it in the kitchen all day? Sign us up.

June Intelligent Oven

It’s definitely at the pricier end of the smart kitchen device market, but the June Intelligent Oven is nonetheless very popular with home chefs.

June’s slogan is ‘everything you cook comes out precisely how you want it, every time,” which is quite a promise!

Here’s what it has on offer:

• Built-in digital scale
• High precision food thermometer
• 6 carbon fiber heating elements and dual adaptive convection fans
• Uses sensors and AI to recognize, monitor and cook perfectly
• Equipped with a HD camera
• Controlled on the 5″ touchscreen with precision dial and app
• Preheats 3x faster than most ovens
• Has over 50 cooking programs
• Fits on the counter top
• Always learning and adapting

Sous Vide Water Oven – Smart Hub By Oliso

The Smart Hub by Oliso is another sous vide appliance, but is a little more sophisticated than the Anova above — and probably more appropriate for serious home cooks.

It’s a very intelligent machine, even if you can’t control it via your smartphones like other devices. The water and the induction cooktop effectively communicate with each other to find and maintain the optimal settings for the best high precision cooking.

As well as simply sous vide cooking, the device allows you to slow cook, induction cook and even culture yoghurt!

Take a look at this video to see it in action:

Here’s what’s on offer:

• Cooktop communicates with pot for high precision cooking
• Large 10.4 liter water bath
• Versatile — can be used for a wide array of cooking purposes
• Easy to set up and clean with no attached wires
• Lid is made from tempered glass so no water can evaporate during the cooking process
• Vacuum sealer kit upgrade available

Tefal Actifry Smart XL

The Tefal Actifry Smart XL is a so-called ‘healthy fryer’ with smart capabilities.

It’s Bluetooth enabled, allowing you to control your cook from the ease of your smartphone, via the app. Also on the app are hundreds of recipes waiting to inspire you and step-by-step cooking instructions.

Aside from it being a smart kitchen gadget, people love the Actifry as it cuts down on unnecessary calories by air frying your ingredients, and is just an all-round easier and quicker way to prepare meals.

Drop Scale

The Drop Scale is one of the most popular smart kitchen devices of 2017.

It offers ‘smart scaling’ — it can scale any recipe by ingredient. The accompanying app is also incredibly sophisticated, capable of suggesting simple recipe substitutions, customizing the recipe for your needs and offering hundreds of step-by-step interactive recipes.

The scale itself has been designed with the home cook in mind — there’s an auto progress and wireless button that ensures you don’t need to touch the device with dirty fingers to power it.

GrillEye Smart Bluetooth Grilling & Smoking Thermometer

Keen home cooks will love this smart thermometer, which allows you to grill and smoke your meat like an absolute pro.

Barbecues will never be the same again…

Here’s what it’s got on offer:

• 300 foot Bluetooth range for you to remotely monitor grilling
• Easy monitoring of up to 6 different temperature probes
• Dual temperature display: of current temperature and target temperature
• FDA approved
• Anti-glare screen and adjustable stand for easy reading
• Elegant and durable design

Smart Drink Appliances

Of course, the true smart kitchen doesn’t stop at smart cooking — what about smart drinking as well?

The main niche benefiting from the smart revolution is home coffee machines, spurred by so many people’s desire to wake up to the smell of a freshly brewed batch of coffee, but wine and even juicing are moving into the smart arena as well.

Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting products…

iSommelier Pro Smart Decanter

Budding sommeliers will love this smart decanter from iFavine.

It’s a carafe that connects into a small station, aerating your wine automatically to bring out the bottle’s full potential.

This isn’t just any aeration process, however: this is highly concentrated and purified oxygen being brought into even contact with the full body of the wine, reducing the time of the usually arduous decanting process.

The iSommelier Pro doesn’t just stop at efficient aeration, however, it connects to the iFavine app and network which can help you understand more about the wine you’re drinking, wirelessly control the machine and access recommendations from experts on everything from wineries to individual decanting times.

Smarter Coffee Machine

The Smarter Coffee Machine is one of the flagship devices that advertize waking up to the smell of freshly ground coffee.

Essentially, you can control a remote brew from the comfort of your bed using the Smarter app. The device can also be connected to Amazon Alexa, so you’ll be able to tell your Echo Dot to make you a coffee!

The app’s sophistication allows you to set exactly what you want from your cup of morning Joe — you can make choices on the strength of brew, whether you want freshly ground or filtered and how many cups you need. It’ll also show you how much water the machine is holding and so how big a brew you can make.

Sign us up.

Mr Coffee Smart Wifi Enabled WeMo OPtimal Brew Coffeemaker

Mr Coffee is another favorite in the smart coffee maker industry, boasting of its ability to allow you to brew coffee from anywhere. Now that’s an offer we can’t refuse.

Here are its best features:

• Can be controlled via the WeMo app
• 10 cups
• Can set brew schedules, monitor and modify brew selections and receive notifications about the state of your brew
• Promises artisanal style coffee
• Brews 20% faster than competitive products

Behmor Connected Temperature Control Coffee Maker

Yes, it’s another coffee maker!

The Behmor allows you to customize and control the temperature of the coffeemaker via the Behmor phone app. Here’s what the app has in store for you:

• Allows you to create a preferred brewing profile
• You can set brewing temperatures and pre-soak times
• Temperature calibration also available, including elevation above sea level
• You can also select settings from the wide library available
• Option for delayed brew allows you to heat the water before making the brew
• Connects via WiFi

It’s also known for making truly delicious coffee, thanks to its unique pulsed water flow which ensures the grounds are fully saturated, leading to a fuller flavor and richness.

Juicero Home Cold Press Juicer

A post shared by Juicero (@juicero) on Jul 21, 2017 at 1:02pm PDT

You’ve likely already heard about the Juicero — the so-called $700 smoothie maker. While it’s not something we’d necessarily feel comfortable buying, it would be remiss of us not to include it on our list.

This cold press produces juices using ‘packs’ of ingredients carefully picked by the Juicero team. That’s right — you can’t be throwing in whatever’s lurking at the bottom of your fridge.

Cheap it ain’t.

The juicer is connected to the internet, providing you with real time updates on the state of your juice. The accompanying app will also provide you with recommended pressing profiles for the particular ‘pack’ you’re using to create your juice, in order to guarantee optimal freshness.

At the moment, Juicero has just launched in California although is threatening planning to expand throughout the US soon.

Smart Fridges

Smart refrigerators are one of the newest markets in the smart home industry and are still fairly limited and minimal at this point in 2017.

The industry leader is undoubtedly the Samsung Family Hub, although there are a few other interesting products making their way as well.

Let’s take a look at the best of them…

Samsung Family Hub Smart Refrigerator

When you think of smart fridges (and who doesn’t?!), the first product that comes to mind is probably the Samsung Family Hub.

It’s known for it’s huge touchscreen on the left side door, which is essentially like a large smartphone in its own right. From here you can write shopping lists, order food, play music, mark your calendar and much more.

If you’ve got a Samsung TV, you’ll actually be able to mirror it right onto the front of the fridge for maximum kitchen entertainment.

This is definitely the model of smart refrigerator that everyone else is hoping to emulate. While it’s expensive, we think it’s worth it.

GE Cafe Series French Door Refrigerator 

Another interesting product that could be classified as a smart fridge is the GE Cafe Series French Door Refrigerator.

While it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the Samsung above, it does offer something completely unique: a Keurig K-Cup Brewing System.

That’s right: Keurig coffee straight from your fridge!

Here are it’s other features:

• Hot water dispenser
• Hot water scheduling through the GE Kitchen app
• Precise fill setting
• Full width electronic temperature controlled drawer
• TwinChill evaporators
• Showcase LED lighting
• Connects with Amazon Alexa

Summit Ingenious Refrigerator

Almost emulating the Family Hub on the Samsung smart fridge is the digital control panel on the Summit Ingenious.

This allows you to adjust the temperature, power cool the fridge, and select settings to activate the open door alarm and holiday function.

It’s also got a great little Smart Station that allows you to keep items on hand in a cooled compartment without having to access them via the fridge every time — great for cutting down on energy consumption and bills.

While it’s not ‘smart’ enough to connect to an app, it’s a good low-cost fridge that allows you some extra control over your appliance.

Smart Weight Loss

One of the most important benefits of kitting out a smart kitchen is creating an environment for you to make and eat healthy food.

Let’s face it, being overweight and obese is a reality for many Americans. And even for people of a normal weight, it’s important to monitor our daily intake and make sure that we’re staying healthy.

Thankfully, there are a handful of smart kitchen devices that are tailored towards people interested in losing weight and monitoring their food intake. These could be the tools you need to jumpstart your healthy life and become more in touch with what your body actually needs.

Let’s take a look…

SmartPlate

The SmartPlate TopView is a pretty revolutionary product and a real game changer for the diet and weight loss industry, in our opinion.

Essentially, it’s a combination of a smart plate and an app which let you track what you eat.

Here’s how it works:

It uses advanced photo recognition and AI technology to identify, analyze and track up to three different foods on the plate, logging them into a journal on the app.

This app — described as the world’s first intelligent nutrition platform — analyzes your diet and can advise you on how to achieve your custom health goals and follow various doctor approved diet programs.

And it’s not just for weight loss, SmartPlate can help people looking to manage and achieve the following:

• Strength and power
• Energy and endurance
• Hydration
• Portion control
• Weight management
• Blood glucose and carbs

It’s available to buy now on IndieGoGo.

HAPILABS HAPIFork Bluetooth Enabled Smart Fork

Our final product is the incredible HAPIFork from HAPILABS, which has been designed to coach you into slower and more mindful eating.

As the manufacturer says, eating too fast inevitably leads to poor digestion and weight control, as well as conditions like gastric reflux. This smart fork was originally developed for clinical and medical use, before being marketed to the wider public.

So, how does it work?

The HAPIfork will alert you that you’re eating too fast with gentle vibrations and indicator lights, to encourage you to slow down. And, of course, there’s an app to help you analyze your forking habits that’s connected via either USB or Bluetooth.

The app measures the following:

• How long it takes you to eat a meal
• Number of ‘fork servings’ per minute
• Number and length of intervals between fork servings

And you can also set workout objectives, track your progress and even score points in a HAPI challenge on the app too.

Phew — there you have it, the best smart kitchen devices of 2017!

What’s your favorite smart kitchen gadget?

Featured photo by Piotr Miazga on Unsplash