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We live in a highly-connected technical world with all types of devices to make our lives more efficient, smarter, or simply more interesting. That can be true with our kitchens, too. We’ve all seen ads for fancy refrigerators with smart screens and apps, but it doesn’t stop there. Many companies have released intuitive smart kitchen gadgets, with bluetooth and/ or wifi integration, to help you cut prep times, reduce steps, or cook to perfection.
12 Essentials to Transform Your Kitchen
Is your kitchen fully stocked if you don’t have a milk frother?Here are some of the best smart gadgets, all available on Amazon and most on sale for Black Friday, that are worth adding (or gifting) to every kitchen.
While this product is not a kitchen device, per se, an Echo (or Google Nest) is required to activate or enhance the automated features of most of the smart kitchen gadgets. In addition, an Echo Show 8 is a great companion device with intuitive features. Simply prompt Alexa to set a timer when baking, or add ingredients to your shopping list. Any Alexa-enabled speaker can help, but the high-definition screen from the Echo Show 8 is especially useful when asking for recipes or how-to videos. The same features are available in Google Nest displays. Choosing between an Echo or a Nest depends on your preference and the ecosystem already set up in your home.
Kitchen mishaps happen all too often. When it comes to making soup, sauce, or gravy, the mistake is usually forgetting to occasionally or consistently stir. Finally, there’s an easy-to-use device that will literally stir the pot or pan for you automatically. The Uutensil Stirr Plus is hands-free, self-rotating, and can handle up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Simply set the timer and desired speed, place the appliance in your pot, then focus your attention elsewhere. The Uutensil Stirr Plus is rechargeable with a USB stand, though there is a slightly more affordable option that takes AA batteries instead.
It often feels like you either have a green thumb or you don’t; and trying to develop one is no easy feat. If growing your own herbs or vegetables is something you always wanted to do, but can’t seem to master, an iDOO WiFi 12 Pods Hydroponics Growing System can get you the results without the effort. This indoor garden does all of the work for you requiring no sunlight and no soil. Monitor and control the wifi-enabled garden with your smartphone to adjust how much light and water your herbs, vegetables, fruit, or flowers receive. This iDOO garden has room for 12 seeded pods at one time. Some customers who love their iDOO garden have said their seeds began to sprout within a week.
Cooking your meat at the exact temperature is not just a matter of preference, but also a matter of health. You can take the guessing game out of preparing your poultry, fish, or steak dish with the KitchenAid Yummly Smart Meat Thermometer. It is wireless — no annoying cables dangling in or out of your pot or oven — and has bluetooth connectivity so you can control and monitor your cooking progress with your smartphone. With a 150-to-165-foot range, you can focus on other tasks while the thermometer will alert you when your meat is cooked to perfection. The battery-operated device has various programmable presets based on meat types and cuts.
Coffee preferences are so far and wide. It almost seems like no two people like their cup of joe the same. However, one thing is for certain: we like our hot coffee, well, hot. If you get busy or distracted, your piping hot java will soon become lukewarm and undesirable. Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug is the ultimate solution to the coffee drinker who likes to take their time. The mug keeps your coffee as hot as you want it for as long as you need it. Simply set your desired temperature in the app — or don’t use the app and the mug will intelligently set the temperature to your last selection.
If you have room for only one multi-cooker in your home, it should be the Instant Pot. This cult-favorite kitchen appliance is a pressure cooker at heart, but also wears the hats of a slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sous vide, and others. There are many variations of the Instant Pot, the Pro Plus wifi Smart 10-in-1 takes the cake with its added app benefits. It allows you to wirelessly program and operate your multi-cooker; monitor progress; and alert you when your cooking is completed. The app also gives your access to hundreds of recipes to take full advantage of your kitchen appliance.
There are many multi-cookers on the market, but none quite like the Gourmate Smart All-in-1, which has preset cooking options to steam, saute, and even knead. But its smart technology is where it really shines. A built-in smart scale means you don’t need to measure everything — it does the calculations for you. The app, which connects to the cooker via Bluetooth, has guided recipes, lets you set cooking times, and even shows you cooking progress of your dish. Most kitchen appliances are bulky, but the Gourmate replaces the need for additional food processors, bread machines or blenders. One downside is the size-the Gourmate is 2.3 quarts, which might be too small for most families.
Dieting isn’t always easy, especially if you’re actively counting the nutrients that you put into your body. Any food scale can help you track those calories, but the Etekcity smart scale will allow you to do so much more with its companion Vesync app. It allows you to track your intake of up to 19 nutrients (such as protein, sugar and far) and create periodic nutrition reports. It even connects with Apple Health and Fitbit for a more complete picture of your health progress. The smart scale has a database of over a million food items, but you can add more manually or by scanning the barcode.
“If there’s nothing wrong with a traditional kettle to heat water, then why fix it?,” you may ask. And Govee Smart Electric Kettle definitely has the answer. It does all that you expect from a kettle: heats water from 104 degrees to 212 and has a keep warm feature. But what’s impressive is how it can make your life a little more efficient with its Bluetooth and wifi connectivity. With Alexa or the Govee app, you can prompt your kettle to start or stop at any temperature from anywhere. You can even schedule the kettle to start at a specific time during your morning routine. With the Govee, you are able to save a few minutes that would normally be spent waiting for water to boil.
The pros and cons of owning a microwave are well-known. If you’re on the fence about getting one, the smart features of the TOSHIBA Smart Countertop Microwave may be that deciding factor that gets you to pull the trigger. The benefits of microwaves are their convenience. The TOSHIBA smart microwave adds even more convenience with its Alexa integration. Simply preload the mic with your dish, and when you’re finally ready to heat, tell Alexa to start the appliance. You can also control the microwave with its companion app. The single best feature of this microwave is its humidity sensor, which automatically adjusts the cooking to heat your dish perfectly.
A sous vide appliance allows you to achieve restaurant-quality cooking in your own home without needing a culinary background. These precision cookers evenly heat water in a pot, and you simply add your steak, fish, chicken, or other foods into a sealed bag then into the water. The sous vide does that rest, cooking your meal at the desired temperature for as long as you need. The Anova Culinary smart sous vide takes it one step further with its user-friendly companion app. With the app you can set your desired temperature and time, or simply tell the app what you’re cooking and how well you want it done, and it will recommend the ideal time and temperature.
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