5 ways to integrate smart technology into your kitchen

These days just about anything in your home can be controlled via your smart phone or a smart panel on your wall. And if it makes your life easier, why not? 

The same goes for your kitchen renovation – integrating smart tech into your space is easy as making a few intelligent decisions and getting some help from the experts. To get you started here are five tips to help you integrate smart tech into your kitchen. 

1. Smart appliances

Almost every appliance in your kitchen is available with smart technology, including:

• Coffee machines: can be set to automatically brew when you wake up or remotely so your cuppa is ready when you get home. 

• Slow cookers and ovens: change settings, extend timers or turn down temperature remotely. Some even come with a camera that you can connect to via your smartphone to check on food. 

• Fridges: come with external screens for making your shopping list, and an internal camera that can be accessed remotely to check the contents of your fridge from the supermarket (or anywhere). 

• Dishwashers: schedule cycles remotely, receive notifications when the wash is done and monitor progress. These can also automatically adjust water usage and wash intensity based on the load. 
• Microwaves: set times and power through voice control via apps like Alex. 

There are of course dozens of other smart appliances available, but these ones are a great place to start. 

2. Adjustable lighting, windows, ventilation and blinds

Almost everything in your kitchen can be automated and made smart. For example, smart lighting can really transform your kitchen. It can be set to come on at a certain time when you’re usually cooking dinner, dim when you usually finish or be controlled remotely. 

Blinds can be raised or shut with the tap of a smartphone, and heating, ventilation and cooling can be controlled or automated too. 

3. Voice assistants 

A smart voice assistant can be set to integrate with and control most smart kitchen appliances. For example, if you had a smart oven you could shout from the couch while reading a book for the oven to heat up to 180 degrees fan bake. 

The three most popular voice assistants are:

1. Google Assistant
2. Siri
3. Alexa

All three are great and integrate well with most smart speakers. For smart kitchens we think the best options are Siri or Google as these have more usable smart phone apps and tend to integrate better with appliances. 

4. Smart plugs and energy monitors

If you’re not looking to buy all new appliances, fixtures and fittings one way to make your kitchen smart is with smart plugs and energy monitors. With a smart plug you can turn your appliances on and off remotely, which can be extremely handy for stuff like your oven or hob (especially after leaving the house). 

Energy monitors can also tell you how much electricity certain appliances are using to help you understand their energy usage and use them smarter. 

A word of caution

Security should be a priority when setting up a smart home. Try to only buy appliances with clear privacy policies that use data encryption and provide the bare minimum of information when signing up. Disable any app access that isn’t necessary, and make sure you’ve got regularly updated passwords on all devices. Always keep device software up to date and turn off the ability for others on your home network to control your devices via WiFi if possible. 

Get the basics right

It can be easy to get carried away with a smart kitchen and forget about getting the basics right with your renovation. To avoid that get help from an expert and browse one of Australia’s largest ranges of quality kitchen fittings and fixtures at your nearest Abey Showroom.