With every passing year, we are getting closer to the lifestyle of the Jetsons. Technology continues getting smarter, making this once unbelievable reality a possibility. Many devices have been on the market for years to help with entertainment setups and security. Now smart devices are coming into the kitchen. With so much smart tech on the market, it can be difficult to decide which devices best suit your needs. Having upgraded many kitchens with smart home technology, here are a few of the best smart tech devices we at Automated Environments suggest you start using in your kitchen today.
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Josh AI
The typical voice assistant allows you to check the weather, shop, play music and control different smart devices throughout your home. Josh AI takes smart assistant features to a whole new level.
An intuitive, privacy focused smart assistant, Josh AI is professionally built for smart homes. This new smart tech enables the user to control aspects of the home through natural communication. Unlike Alexa and Google devices which make you say lengthy phrases like, “Alexa, turn on the overhead lights in the kitchen,” Josh AI simplifies the process. The Josh control system recognizes which area of the home you are in through contextual awareness and reacts accordingly. So, if you are in the kitchen and want the light above the sink turned on say, “Josh, turn on sink light.” If you want the temperature turned down say, “Josh, set the temperature to 68 degrees.” It’s that easy.
The Josh AI system is always learning. Thanks to its ability to infer meaning, Josh understands many different accents, dialects and can process millions of varied commands. The more you interact with Josh, the more it understands and tailors to your needs. Once Josh starts understanding your voice it will allow you to control your entire home.
Smart appliances
If you love cooking and technology, connected appliances are ideal gadgets for your kitchen. These devices can automate the cooking process, make sure you are following the recipe and update you on the progress of your food.
Smart kitchen devices are as varied as any other smart device for your home. From coffee makers and toasters to refrigerators and ovens, almost every appliance in the kitchen includes some form of smart feature.
A popular smart appliance on the market right now is the Revolution InstaGLO R180 Toaster. This toaster is unlike any you ever seen. Instead of pressing down on the traditional lever, everything happens through a built-in touchscreen. You choose what you’d like to toast, whether a Pop-Tart, bagel, or bread, and to what degree you want it toasted. The toaster automatically lowers the food into the heating element and the screen shows the length of the toasting process. While this toaster has a high price tag, smart tech enthusiasts will love this new way to make their avocado toast in the morning.
Smart refrigerators have been around for a while, but they only continue to get better. One of the best on the market right now is the GE Profile Smart Refrigerator. This refrigerator has traditional features like Energy Star Certification, and fingerprint resistant stainless steel. It also has built-in Wi-Fi and compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The built-in Wi-Fi will send an alert to your phone whenever the temperature rises above the desired setting and the integration of voice assistants allow you to simply tell the refrigerator to raise or lower the temperature. You can also tell the refrigerator to check the status of the water filter, turn the icemaker on or off and even make hot water. Smart tech aficionados will love this refrigerator and all its features.
Air fryers grew in popularity during the pandemic as more people stayed home and wanted an easy way to cook meals. Now countertop devices are coming out that have many features. Air frying, grilling, roasting, slow cooks, and baking features are now found in multiple all-in-one devices. The June Oven is at the top of the list when it comes to these multipurpose countertop devices. The June Oven features smart connectivity allowing you to control the device with either your voice or an application on your phone. It also features a slick new touchscreen interface that looks great and is easy to use. Again, this device is pricey, but June offers a variety of different styles at lower prices.
Smart lighting
Smart lights are popular because of the ease of use the many different things you can do with them. Smart lights connect to your phone or tablet and have many different settings for you to choose from. Within the application you can change the color temperature to have a bright room or a softer more intimate feel. You can also change the colors of the lights when you are entertaining to set the mood of the evening. Many different brands of smart lights exist but if you want the best on the market consider Philips Hue lights.
Hue lights come in a variety of styles from regular screw in light bulbs to light strips and lamps. Screw in bulbs are great to control the overall lighting of the kitchen. With many settings you can program the lights for different themes like sunset, sunrise, tropical, and romantic to name a few. Light strips are great to place in areas you want to highlight. Have an amazing bar in your kitchen? Attach Hue light strips to this area and highlight your collection of bourbon and bar ware. Lamps are great accent pieces to draw the eye and provide lighting to dimly lit areas of the kitchen like underneath the overhead cabinets. Hue lights offer the most variety when it comes to options of smart lights on the market, and they are a great investment as they last for years.
Using smart technology in the kitchen isn’t just the way of the future. It is happening now. These are a few ways you can begin implementing smart technology into your home and as you get comfortable can add more. Remember you get what you pay for when it comes to this technology, so it is beneficial to pay a little more now than have to replace the devices every couple of years.
Author: Jason Fischbeck is the President and owner of Automated Environments, a smart home technology installer and provider located in Mesa, Arizona.
