Connected Kitchens

Kitchens in most homes serve as the family hub, so it makes sense to base your Smart Home hub in this gathering area. In addition to voice-assist systems, today's kitchen appliances are where you'll find some of the most advanced Smart Home technology. Here are some high-tech devices to help you create your own connected kitchen!

The Hub of the Home

Your smart kitchen begins with a voice-assist speaker hub that controls devices and appliances linked in a Smart Home network. These voice-activated digital assistants - such as Google Home, Amazon Echo and Apple HomePod - use cloud-based intelligence to answer your questions, prompt you with calendar reminders, read out recipes, play your favorite music, and much more.

Cool and Smart

A Samsung smart hub is built right into the Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator, which includes a 21.5-inch "Connected Touch" computer screen installed in its door. The touch screen can display interactive calendars to keep track of shopping lists, food deliveries, expiration dates and nutritional information, as well as display recipes for meal preparation. It also lets you monitor the status of the air filter and ice maker, and notifies you if a door is left open. You can also view and adjust internal temperatures and even switch between freezer and refrigeration options in different compartments. With a tap of your finger, the screen clears to display the interior of the refrigerator so you can see what's inside without opening the door.

The Family Hub Refrigerator gives you hands-free voice control to manage your Smart Home through its Bixby digital assistant. Bixby performs the same command tasks as other smart assistants. Add a Samsung SmartThings hub, and Bixby can operate small appliances such as fans, lamps, space heaters and more.

Other Connected Kitchen Appliances

Samsung makes other Wi-Fi-enabled kitchen appliances, including wall ovens and cooktops. Functionality includes on/off, oven preheat, and the ability to monitor and adjust cooking temperatures from anywhere. Another line of smart kitchen appliances available at P.C. Richard & Son includes the LG EasyClean electric and gas ranges, and LG Signature dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers. Built-in Wi-Fi connections offer remote start and stop, status checks and troubleshooting.

Connected Clean

Another benefit of Smart Home technology is its ability to work with robotic vacuums. Some Robotic Vacuums can respond to voice commands through your home's Wi-Fi network via Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, or wirelessly through an app on your smartphone or tablet. This compact self-operating robot uses visionary mapping to scan the layout of your home and create its own optimal cleaning path. It automatically determines the amount of suction needed to clean all types of surfaces, from carpet to wood flooring.

The Roomba 960 Vacuuming Robot can be controlled through the iRobot HOME App and all Wi-Fi connected Roomba vacuuming robots are compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can use voice command to start, stop or dock Roomba, schedule it to perform its duties, customize how it cleans, and view Clean Map reports to see which areas its covered. Roomba's iAdapt Navigation with Visual Localization helps it navigate an entire level of your home and keep track of its location. Its high-efficiency filter captures up to 99 percent of all allergens, pollen, and particles as small as 10 microns.

Where There's Smoke, There's Smart Detectors

Because kitchen areas are where heat, open flames and smoke are common, a smart smoke detector is a must-have for your smart kitchen. The Nest Protect Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector is a smart device that can gauge air quality and alert you to danger. When linked to a smart Nest Thermostat, Nest Protect can automatically shut off a home's furnace and blower fan to prevent any hazard from spreading throughout the home.

Need a Simple Way to Make Any Kitchen Smarter?

Creating a smart kitchen is easier and more affordable than you think! There are many traditional kitchen appliances that can easily be integrated into a Smart Home system by means of a smart plug. Inexpensive smart plugs like the Belkin WeMo plug into ordinary household electrical outlets to allow countertop appliances, fans and lighting to be controlled using a voice-assist hub or a smartphone app.

Maybe you're a talented home chef, or perhaps your specialty is ordering food online. Either way, a connected kitchen filled with convenient and cost-saving Smart Home technology makes smart sense. To learn more about connected kitchens, talk to the Smart Home experts at P.C. Richard & Son today!