Need to save energy and money with efficient use of electricity? Want to have a device that adapts to your lifestyle? Want your appliance to diagnose its own faults? Then it sounds like you might need a ‘smart’ kitchen appliance, which merges the power of the internet with the devices you use every day. In this blog we look at whether these are just a gimmick or whether they can really make your daily life easier. Plus, we’ll look at some newly released example smart appliances.
Consumers live with the internet at their disposal 24/7; it has dramatically improved the way in which we live and work. Just over a decade ago manufacturers started launching devices with remote controls and calling them ‘smart devices’. This was almost certainly a gimmick and just a way to sell more products. Now we are seeing devices launched which offer features far beyond just being able to operate your fridge from another room.
We are now seeing devices that connect to your smartphone or tablet in a more meaningful (and useful) way, enabling greater interaction and an increased flexibility, all of which promises to make your life easier. If you love technology, then you’ll love the possibilities of the ‘smart kitchen’. Most smart appliances use Wi-Fi to connect to the internet and offer an app to control them, meaning that you can now interact with your home from anywhere.
From a single app, you can now make your favourite drink on a connected coffee machine ready for when you get through the door; upload some tasty recipes to your oven or look inside your fridge to make sure you have enough milk whilst you’re out (and check that no one has eaten your favourite dessert!). Your appliances can last longer too: they can now diagnose faults; advise you on maintenance and even access technical support if anything goes seriously wrong.
These devices are not yet perfect though. The fridges cannot yet analyse your fridge contents and order replacement items for you, or discuss with your oven about what you should make for dinner. These advances are a few years away, but the benefits that smart appliances can bring to your life have gone beyond just a gimmick. The technology has now gotten to a useful level of practicality and consumer’s lives are genuinely being improved and made easier by these devices. That is why more and more manufacturers are investing heavily in developing this technology.
The current smart kitchen appliances can certainly save you a lot of time and make your life easier. Today, manufacturers are focusing far more on giving their smart devices useful features which can enrich your life, rather than simply using it as a way to simply sell more products. We are in little doubt that these devices are only going to become smarter and people will get more used to interacting with them. Whether a smart kitchen appliance is right for you is something that only you can judge, but they’re no longer gimmicks and it is definitely worth considering.
Siemens and Bosch Home Connect products
OK, so now that we have talked a little bit about whether or not these appliances are actually useful or not, let’s look at some example products. Siemens and Bosch have both recently unveiled their Home Connect Wi-Fi enabled appliances. Their Home Connect dishwasher, oven, fridge freezer and coffee machine all connect through the Home Connect app (available on Android and IOS). The products are aimed at simplifying your household chores and putting you in full control of your kitchen. With both manufacturers connecting through just one app meaning that you have a greater choice of products without needing multiple apps.
Dishwasher
Washing dishes is not the most exciting thing in the world, but you can make it easier with this Home Connect appliance by setting your dishwasher going from wherever you are.
Oven
The Home Connect App features a delicious choice of easy to cook recipes that you can browse through. Once you’ve chosen your favourite, your oven will remotely start heating and set itself up with the perfect settings for that recipe.
Fridge Freezer
Every time you close your fridge it takes a picture and automatically uploads it to the Home Connect App, meaning you can take a look inside your fridge wherever you are.
Coffee Machine
Choose the coffee that you fancy and send your request via the Home Connect App to the coffee machine. Revel in the knowledge that your coffee can make itself before you’ve even gotten up.
There are also Home Connect washing machines and tumble dryers; more information on these can be found HERE.
Now, for all of you that have heard the scaremongering about your devices being hacked or contracting viruses, you can relax. The Home Connect app is TÜV Trust IT checked and the system meets the highest security standards. Plus, all data between your device and the Home Connect app is encrypted, and your app is only accessible using a password.
If you are interested in peeking into your fridge while you are out or having your oven programme the perfect setting, then you’ll love the new range of appliances being launched in 2016! Call us for more information.
