Smart home technology has made its way into the kitchen industry, evident in smart ovens that you can preheat using your voice, refrigerators that you can display recipes on, and even dishwashers that can scan and check the progress of cleaning dishes throughout a cycle.
But if you don’t have the time or money to completely redesign your kitchen to make it smart, you can still purchase smart appliances and gadgets to make the time you spend in your kitchen more efficient.
Also: Everything you need to get started building a smart home
As someone who recently bought his first home and is outfitting his kitchen, I’ve researched and gathered everything you need to outfit your kitchen with smart home technology. From appliances to gadgets, these products will upgrade your regular kitchen into a smart one.
smart phones
You can add smart appliances to your home kitchen without replacing larger appliances like a stove or refrigerator. Countertop appliances with built-in technology make cooking easier and customizable. Here are some of our top picks.
This smart air fryer is enabled with voice control by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also use the VeSync app to control the appliance remotely and get cooking status notifications. It comes with 10 cooking presets such as vegetables, French fries, frozen food, chicken, and more.
also: Best air fryers
Plus, it’s dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
You may not think you need a smart toaster, but this device will prove you wrong. The Revolution R180 toaster has more than 60 different smart settings, which automatically adapt to toast everything from English muffins to Pop-Tarts to Panini mode. Plus, you can choose the color of your toast to get the perfect slice of toast.
also: The best toasters
Also worth noting is the premium touchscreen display with built-in countdown clock and chime notification that sounds when your food is ready.
The Instant Pot is a staple in every modern kitchen, but this one takes it to the next level. The device can perform the typical role of a pressure cooker or slow cooker, but there are also exclusive functions such as sous vide, yogurt maker and more. You can use your phone to control the unit and use Wi-Fi to connect to the Instant Brands Connect app.
also: Best Instant Pots
The app has over 2,000 smart recipes that you can click on, and the Instant Pot will start heating to the right temperature and setting.
Sometimes, the last thing you want to do in the morning is use the coffee machine before you’ve actually had any coffee. This coffee machine does the hard work for you, as you can use your voice or the SmartHQ app to start the brewing process.
also: The best coffee makers
You can also customize and have the barista remember your preferred coffee temperature, number of cups, and even the strength of the brew.
Bakers will love this smart mixer with features like a built-in smart scale, voice control, guided recipes, and a front-facing digital display. But one of its best features is its auto-sensing technology that monitors changes in the texture and viscosity of your ingredients to improve mixing performance.
GE’s Profile Connect+ provides software updates that will allow new features for the blender upon release, so it will get smarter over time.
Smart gadgets
Sometimes, big things come in small packages, and that’s the case with smart kitchen gadgets. Small enough to fit in your cabinets or drawers, they are the best smart kitchen gadgets to help prepare, cook and clean up without adding clutter to your space.
Tea lovers will appreciate this smart kettle for brewing the perfect cup of tea. The smart kettle can handle temperatures ranging from 104 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit and can heat up to 0.8 liters of water in less than five minutes. You’ll never have to worry about a cold cup of tea since it has a warm control feature that maintains the temperature warm for up to 2 hours.
You can schedule a specific time to start the brewing process, or if you prefer to sleep in, you can reschedule it in the app. It is also compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
This smart scale is perfect if you’re trying to be more aware of how much fat, carbs, or calories you eat because it analyzes the food on the scale to provide a detailed report on its macros. The scale uses the Renpho Health app, which can sync with Apple Health or the Gennec app.
You can also easily convert units of measurement from grams to ounces or ml to fluid ounces without doing the mental gymnastics.
There’s nothing like a sous vide steak, and this gadget takes it to the next level with the Anova app for setting the time and temperature of your device. Its technology circulates water at a precise temperature to cook meat exactly the way you want it – whether medium rare or medium rare.
It has a power of 100W and a flow rate of 8 liters per minute, which makes it heat water faster so you can eat your dinner more quickly.
Cooking meat can be difficult, and everyone has their own preference, but this smart meat thermometer allows you to monitor the meat you’re cooking to make sure it’s not overcooked or undercooked. You can monitor the internal temperature and external temperature at the same time to prevent burning.
Set up custom alerts and notifications through the Meater app, and a smart algorithm can estimate the ideal cooking and resting times for your food to help you plan your meal. You can use it in the smoker, on the grill, in the oven, or even in the air fryer.
Take touch technology to your kitchen sink with the Moen Smart Faucet. You can control this faucet using the app, simple hand movements, or operate it manually. But what sets this faucet apart is its customizations: It can dispense precisely the right amount of water you need, whether it’s a tablespoon or a gallon. You can also set the desired temperature up to 120 degrees.
There’s even the ability to create custom voice-enabled presets for everyday tasks, like “Alexa/Hey Google, tell Moen to fill the baby bottle.”
Smart screen
Sure, you can use a regular recipe book while cooking, but smart displays allow you to access cooking videos, make video calls, set reminders and timers, and much more. The best smart displays are compatible with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant and can also control some of the devices/gadgets mentioned above.
New to this generation of Echo Show is Visual ID, which lets the Echo Show 8 detect when a person is approaching the device. When a registered member approaches the Echo Show 8, it will display personalized content, such as sticky notes someone else left for that person, calendars, and their favorite recipes.
Review: I tested the Amazon Echo Show 8 for a week. These are its best features (and bugs)
The camera is also now set to center, which means you’ll be front and center when you video call your mom about her secret chocolate chip cake recipe.
The Google Nest Hub has built-in apps like YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and more, so you can access recipe videos or listen to music while you cook. If you have other Nest speakers in your home, you can broadcast messages like telling the family when dinner is ready.
Review: Google Nest Hub Max: The value of assistants just makes sense
It also acts as a hub for your smart home and also connects to Samsung Smart Things if you have any Samsung smart home products. While you’re cooking, you can see who’s at the door, turn on the lights in the dining room, or reply to messages.
If you want something larger, this Echo Show has a 10.1-inch screen with an added bonus: it follows you everywhere. You can move around the kitchen, and the screen will follow you; Plus, the speakers provide directional sound, so you’ll always hear clearly, even if the kitchen is loud.
Review: Echo Show 10 with Motion: How it feels to follow
You can also get personalized daily recipes, set cooking timers, and even add them to your weekly grocery list.
You may also need…
There are a few other gadgets and gadgets that might be useful to add to your kitchen to make it smarter. Here are some recommendations.
When it comes to certain kitchen gadgets and gadgets, smart ones aren’t always better. Although it depends on your preferences, the tried-and-true are always best for tools like blenders and food processors. It’s important not to get too distracted by high-tech features and pay attention to the main purpose of the gadget, and whether it serves that purpose well.
There are many different kitchen tools on the market, but not everyone needs them. First and foremost, you should always invest in a good set of knives and a knife sharpener. A cast iron skillet also goes a long way in cooking, and a food scale will make things like baking much easier with accurate food measurements.
From my personal experience, I also recommend investing in a high-quality wooden cutting board as it will not dull your knives as quickly. Additionally, it can be used as a charcuterie board.