We have not yet reached the future promised by Star Trek where we can simply ask the computer to make whatever we desire in a Food Replicator — that's still a ways off. But there are a growing number of cool gadgets designed specifically for the kitchen, or simply products that make a ton of sense to set up in your kitchen. Not all of these are "smart home" products in the traditional sense, but they are smart in the ways they let you easily cook delicious meals while spending less time in the kitchen.
The most versatile cooking gadget
Instant Pot Programmable Pressure Cooker
Staff pick
Speaking as an owner, the Instant Pot is a truly remarkable kitchen gadget that you can use for so many recipe ideas. It's an all-in-one pressure cooker, slow cooker, sauté/searing, steamer, sanitizer and pre-programmed settings for cooking soups, stews, rice — even yogurt. The best part is that you can set it to cook your food, walk away, and it will be hot and ready whenever you are.
Great for following along with recipes
Google Home Hub
The Google Home Hub is perfect you rely on your phone for following recipes in the kitchen. Keep your dirty phone off the counter and follow along with your videos and recipes using a bigger screen that can find a new home on your kitchen counter. It's also perfect for checking your Google calendars, using Google Assistant for smart home controls, or just listening to music while you cook.
A great alternative to Google's display
Lenovo Smart Display
The Google Home Hub is currently only available in the United States, but fortunately there are other smart displays available that offer similar functionality for the same price. We'll recommend the Lenovo Smart Display for anyone outside the US who's interested in the functionality of having Google Assistant on your kitchen counter. The specs are very similar but
No more overcooked meals
ChefSteps Joule Sous Vide
Sous vide is a method of immersion cooking that requires you to keep water heated to specific temperatures for very long times. The results are typically perfectly cooked food that just needs a quick sauté or broil for finishing. The ChefSteps immersion circulator is about the sleekest you'll find with 1100 watts of power makes it one of the fastest for getting up to temperature, and you can control everything by connecting it to your phone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Leading sous vide brand
Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker
Anova is an easy recommendation because of its bright LED display, easy to use controls, and the added value of the Anova app which includes crowdsourced recipes and cooking guide along with wireless temperature controls. I use the Wi-Fi Anova in my home and I recommend it to everyone I know. it's got an adjustable clip for attaching to the side of a pot, but we've ended up just setting up a dedicated container for sous vide cooking.
Best kit for getting started
SousVideArt Sous Vide Starter Kit
One of the things I didn't touch on much with the other two sous vide machines on this list that you'll also need to seal your food before tossing it into the bath. SousVideArt offers a great starter kit that includes 15 reusable vacuum bags, a hand pump for sealing, clips, and a cookbook to help you get started. Because it includes everything you need to start cooking (outside of a cooking pot) this kit makes a pretty great housewarming gift.
Great for food prep
Gourmia Cutting Board and Digital Scale
Every kitchen needs a quality cutting board food prep, so why not get one that's made of bamboo with an integrated food scale that slides right out the side? The best way to use the scale with a bowl because you'll only be able to wash the scale by hand and you'll want to avoid getting the LCD screen wet. I'd also recommend the larger of the two sizes because it's always better to have a larger prep space for chopping and dicing ingredients.
A classy way to brew
Goat Story GINA Smart Coffe Brewing Instrument
We love our coffee around these parts, and there's always debate about which brewing method makes the best cup. With this scientific-looking brewing instrument, you'll be able to choose how you brew: pour over, cold drip, or french press immersion. You get a grinder with a built-in scale that connects to your phone to let you finely tune the flavor strength in every cup.
"Alexa, make some popcorn"
AmazonBasics Microwave
I'm never not going to recommend this Alexa-powered microwave because I would be all over this if I was still in college or living in my first bachelor pad. Once again, AmazonBasics has delivered an affordable product that goes above and beyond what you'd expect. You get quick-cook voice presets that you can use with Alexa through an Echo speaker in your home, or you can press the Alexa button and speak your cook time. Also comes with a popcorn re-ordering discount via Amazon Dash.
What makes a great smart home kitchen gadget?
There are literally thousands of kitchen gadgets and cooking tools that always claim to "make life easier", but not when they're only for very limited uses. The best kitchen tools are as versatile as a knife and universally useful for all types of cooking methods and cuisine styes. This excludes the Google Home Hub and Lenovo Smart Display which are more like adding a personal sous chef, smart timer, cooking instructor, and DJ all in one and all on your kitchen counter.
But when it comes to gadgets that let me cook more while spending less time in the kitchen, my top pick is the Instant Pot. I love that I can set it to start cooking and come back hours later to a perfectly cooked rack of ribs, a delicious stew or chilli, or do some meal planning for the week and cook my meat and veggies in the same pot. It still manages to surprise me with its performance and versatility two years on.
The other life-changing kitchen technology I've adopted is sous vide, and we've rounded up three great options. I personally own the Anova Culinary Sous Vide Cooker so that's what I'll recommend, but you really cam't go wrong as long as your immersion machine can hold temperature reliably.
0 Response to "You Can See More: Best Smart Home Gadgets for the Kitchen in 2019"
Post a Comment