How to Build a Smart Kitchen?
- October 9, 2023
Understanding how to set up a smart kitchen might not be the first thing you think you’d need. It might not be the first place you think of when creating a smart home, but if you like cooking or tech, you should think about the benefits of a smart kitchen.
Imagine a place where your oven makes your dinner hot when you come home, where you can make coffee from your desk using an app, or your fridge tells you when food will expire and suggests recipes based on its contents. All of this is possible today if you can afford it.
When setting up a smart kitchen, there are some things to think about first. Here are some tips on creating a smart kitchen.
What is a Smart Kitchen?
An automated home is about using technology to control parts of your house or apartment with apps, either when you’re inside or outside. It’s like having lights, locks, and temperature controls that connect to the internet. You can run them using your phone or tablet without having to go and touch them.
A smart kitchen is a special part of this idea, and it’s all about the cooking and cleaning stuff. Even though you can put smart lights or security cameras in the kitchen, this time we’re only talking about techy tools you usually see in the kitchen.
What Can Smart Kitchens Do?
Make Cooking Efficient
Cooking and preparing food often takes a lot of time in the kitchen. Smart tools make this quicker by doing many steps for you. Some smart ovens can give you recipe ideas and decide how long to cook, even adding a time to keep it warm. Some even have cameras so you can see your dish cooking without opening the oven, or discuss a certain food item. Small kitchen gadgets are also very techy.
Whether it’s a great cup of espresso or a well-cared-for indoor herb garden, smart tech makes being in the kitchen fun and simple.
Store Food in a Smarter Way
Smart refrigerators can do everything from streaming music to helping you look up a recipe. A refrigerator stores perishables and can be the cause of a lot of food waste. Unlike a regular fridge, smart models can maintain the best temperature for food, saving you money. Others can help with figuring out what to do with leftovers.
Some smart refrigerators have built-in cameras and Wi-Fi so you can check the fridge while you shop.
Be Beautifully Efficient
Kitchen lights make it easier to prep food, find ingredients and enjoy a good meal. Unlike other parts of the home, kitchen lights are used almost constantly all day. It’s easy to reap the benefits of a smart upgrade with just a few small changes.
Switch to smart light bulbs in pendants, task lights and other fixtures to save energy and reduce costs. Choose longer lasting LED bulbs to save energy and reduce the amount of time changing and replacing bulbs. Add programmed outlet switches and plugs to turn on and off lights on schedule.
Use Water Smartly
Having a touchless faucet in the kitchen is super convenient. It’s like having another set of hands to help when you’re cooking or cleaning. These faucets use sensors to start or stop the water. This way, you can wash your hands without making a mess.
Some faucets can even understand voice commands using your home’s smart system. You can ask them to do things like filling a container or giving just one cup of warm water.
Save Energy & Effort
Motion sensor lights work when they sense movement close by. This means you get light right when and where you need it without manually switching it on or off. No more forgetting to switch off lights!
They’re perfect under cabinets for tasks. When placed under bottom cabinets, they light up kitchens at night, making it safer. In storage areas like pantries, these lights help you spot items faster. Using motion sensor lights is a clever method to save both energy and effort.
Have Greater Control
Run your smart kitchen more effectively with a main control center that smoothly handles all your devices, lights, and touch-free features. Set up almost everything in your kitchen, from dawn till dusk. Just use your voice or touch a screen to start your morning coffee, find a recipe, cook a meal, or adjust the lighting. Start the dishwasher, clean the floor, and switch off the lights, all without much effort.
Most smart assistants are easy on the wallet and can be set up the way you like.
Clean Faster & Easier
Smart tools help you save power and cut down cleaning time. Control your washing machine or dryer using your phone. Some even send you a message if you’re low on soap or need to clean the lint trap.
Smart dishwashers let you set them to run from any place. Some modern ones even open up after washing to let dishes dry naturally. Smart robot cleaners pick up crumbs and dirt after eating. Some can even handle sweeping and washing floors like wood, tile, and other types.
What Are the Limits of Smart Kitchens?
It might seem clear, but a big downside of smart kitchen tools right now is that they still need a lot of human help.
This means even if you can turn on a smart oven from far away to cook dinner, it’s no use if you didn’t put your meal in it before going out. And many need a button pressed to start from a distance, which is for safety. So in this way, it might need more thinking ahead than a regular oven!
Also, while a smart coffee maker can make a great coffee while you’re upstairs, you still need to go get it yourself. That won’t change anytime soon. Even if companies like Amazon are trying out home robots, it’ll be a while before we have robot cooks or servers.
How to Build a Smart Kitchen?
Tip 1: Set Up Your Smart Speaker or Screen
While not absolutely needed, having a smart speaker or screen in your kitchen is a good idea. A lot of smart kitchen tools work with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. This is great because if you’re cooking and your hands are dirty, you can still use voice commands. Also, setting multiple timers is useful when cooking different dishes.
For your smart kitchen, consider getting a smart screen instead of just a speaker. This way, you can watch some TV while cooking, and you can view recipes on the screen just by asking, without dirtying your recipe books.
The choice of voice assistant is up to you. Just make sure it matches the smart kitchen items you want. Some work with both Google and Alexa, but some only work with one.
Tip 2: Consider Being Loyal to One Brand
Even though a smart hub can help manage multiple apps, it’s a good idea to choose one main brand for your smart kitchen tools and stay with it.
Big names like Samsung, LG, and GE offer different smart kitchen items, from fridges to dishwashers. Sticking to one brand might mean less apps to juggle and easier voice commands for your chosen assistant. Plus, their devices might work better together.
Of course, you can’t always stick to one brand, especially for unique items like smart popcorn machines or meat thermometers. But for key kitchen tools you use daily, being loyal to one brand can be beneficial.
Tip 3: Make Sure Your Wi-Fi Is Strong
Your smart kitchen needs good Wi-Fi to work well. If your internet isn’t stable, it can cause issues. While basic functions will still work (like a smart fridge will still keep things cold even if it loses internet), the special features that make it “smart” might not. For instance, you won’t be able to control devices from afar.
Some things about your internet might be out of your control, and if it’s not reliable, you might want to rethink having a smart kitchen. Or, you could check if there’s a better internet provider in your area.
If your kitchen just happens to be far from your router, leading to weak signals, there’s a solution. Think about getting a good Wi-Fi extender. It can help boost the signal in your kitchen without breaking the bank.
Tip 4: Choose Wisely Which Appliances Should Be Smart
Just because you can have a smart version of a kitchen tool doesn’t mean you should. While it’s clear why a pre-heating oven can be beneficial, the benefits of a smart toaster or kettle might be less obvious. Since smart features often increase the price due to added tech like screens and wireless components, you should think about whether the extra cost is worth it.
However, there are some smart kitchen tools that, even if pricey, offer great features that make them worth the investment.
Tip 5: Look into Creating Routines
When you’ve got some smart kitchen devices in place, consider how they can work together and be part of broader smart home actions.
With smart speakers, you can create simple actions. For instance, saying “Alexa, good morning” could turn on the kitchen light, lift the smart blinds, play a news update, and start your coffee machine. For more advanced actions, apps like IFTTT (“If This Then That”) or Stringify can help you design detailed smart home actions.
While it might be a bit tricky to design specific routines for the kitchen since meals vary, if you can think of an action, you can likely set it up.
Tip 6: Keep It Simpler
Setting up your smart home to your exact preferences can become a complex task. But if the time you invest in perfecting everything outweighs the convenience of your smart kitchen tools, then it’s not being done right.
Remember, smart technology’s purpose is to simplify your daily tasks, not add more complexity.
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