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by Lauren Busser The House Designers’ Editorial Director
As smartphones and tablet sales rise, several companies are starting to develop products that work with your favorite electronics to deliver superior control. In 2013, the Smart Kitchen finally arrived and now new products and services are being introduced to the market to make it a reality. Whether it's a smart oven that lets you program a special cooking process or an intelligent dishwasher, now is the time to find out just how a smart kitchen is able to enhance your life.
Companies like Wolf® and Sub-Zero® are already imagining the ideal smart kitchen and products like the the Dacor® Discovery IQ™ Dual-Fuel Range are being introduced to the market.
Apps and Technology
Bringing together all of these appliances is home automation and technology. Whether it is an iPhone® and iPad® or an Android® tablet these appliances are controlled through Wi-Fi and the apps on these devices. Whether you are looking for complete home automation or just to control a single appliance, all you need is a smartphone or tablet and a Wi-Fi connection to get started.
Oven
The Wolf® E-Series Double Oven lets you know preheat status, or when the roast has met its optimal temperature whether you are home or not. You can receive alerts when your oven is turned on as an added safety feature and even connect your oven to your home’s thermostat to reduce heating when the oven is in use.
In the event that your oven requires service, this clever appliance allows you to notify a Wolf® factory service location with ease. Additionally, once the specific need is identified all the relevant data can be forwarded electronically for faster service.
Refrigerator
You want a great refrigerator by your side when you are constructing your smart kitchen, and this LG® Smart ThinQ™ Super-Capacity 3-Door French Door Refrigerator with 8” Wi-fi LCD Screen is a great solution. Not only does it give you 31 cubic feet of food storage but it also offers advanced energy savings with the top ENERGY STAR® rating, slim insulation technology, and interior LED lighting.
The Smart ThinQ™ Refrigerator even lets you know what’s on inside and outside. The LCD screen lets you see what is inside the fridge, what food is about to expire, and even the ingredients you have to buy to create your favorite main course. What makes this even better is that all the info can be accessed through a smart phone app, so you can create your shopping list on-the-go. This means less wasted food, and less time spent chasing last minute items.
Range
If you want a truly smart kitchen, then you will also need a smart range. Dacor® has been advancing the smart kitchen left and right since last year when it launched its Discovery™ iQ line. The debut model in the line incorporated a fully-integrated Android® tablet into a double wall oven and this year the company has demonstrated its commitment to the smart kitchen by updating its Android app and adding the Discovery™ iQ Dual-Fuel Range to its line of smart appliances. This range is essentially a professional-grade cooking product. At 48 inches wide, with 14 inch brass burners and two side-by-side oven compartments it is the largest range in Dacor’s® entire product portfolio.
Extra features make this range worth it. With ten cooking modes in the convection ovens, slow-closing doors, pivoting control panel, and burners designed to hold a very low simmer this hi-tech appliance oozes pure luxury and function.
Dishwasher
Of course after doing all that cooking and enjoying all that good food, you want something that will help you tackle the mess. To this end Whirlpool® introduces 6th Sense Live™ technology. Part of their line is a Smart Dishwasher that lets you monitor the process even when you are away from home. You can activate certain options, and keep all product information in the palm of your hand while you are on the go. Imagine being able to monitor your dishes while they are being washed and being able to change cycles from anywhere.
Whirlpool’s® 6th Sense Live™ line is an improvement on everything you expect. In addition to the resource-efficient wash system, auto soil sensor, and the AnyWare™ Plus silverware basket you will also get features like Smart Energy so you can track how much energy your appliance is using, and take pleasure in knowing that it is running smoothing at home with Smart Nudges and Alerts. The affresh® Cycle Assistant also keeps your appliance in great working order by letting you know when it is time to replace a useful accessory. Smart Stats also lets you view all of your machine's important statistics including Start Date, Days Online, and Cycle Progress, from your favorite smartphone or tablet.
These large appliances are examples of how smart technology can improve your kitchen but don’t forget that a smart home automation system can also help you manage climate control, lighting, and other important aspects of that space. Take a look at companies like Crestron® and SAVANT® to help you tie your high tech kitchen together.
