With the rapid growth of smart home devices, it makes sense that the kitchen is getting in on the action. Most importantly, refrigerators are evolving. This major appliance is used every single day, night, and holiday, and every moment in between, so it’s only fitting that refrigerators have started incorporating smart technology.
Homeowners, particularly the person who handles the majority of the cooking, can benefit from having a smart refrigerator, in more ways than one. In this article, we’ll take a look at six major features of smart refrigerators to see if the benefits outweigh the cost. Here are the features we’ll zero in on:
Technology has come a long way since the first refrigerator was made over 100 years ago. Smart refrigerators are simply the next step in an already impressive evolution. We live in a day and age where convenience is king, and smart refrigerators are the wave of the future.
Whether you’re designing a new kitchen and want the latest and greatest model, or replacing a unit that has run its course, a smart refrigerator may be a good investment for your family.
A smart refrigerator is a refrigerator that is connected to the internet and can be controlled remotely. It has all the functionality of a normal fridge, but it can also be connected to other devices in your home, such as your smartphone or your home security system. Let’s dive into smart refrigerators’ major features to see if they’re worth all the hype.
Smart refrigerators typically have a tablet-sized touch screen built into the door that acts as your gateway to their contents and as the maintenance hub. They are integrated with an app that allows you to connect your smartphone and other devices so you can control settings and monitor supplies with ease.
A built-in browser acts like the refrigerator’s very own computer. This lets your family use the screen just like they use their phones or other touchscreen devices to browse the internet. This comes in handy if you’re in the kitchen getting ready to prepare a meal and need to know how to make something, or need a video to help walk you through a difficult preparation step.
Smart refrigerator owners love the convenience of connecting their phones to their fridges. If you accidentally leave the door open, not only will the fridge beep at you, but your phone will ping as well. In some models, if you’ve connected your fridge to the television, it too will let you know that your door is ajar. No matter what, if you happen to forget to close a fridge door, you will be notified one way or another.
A major benefit of having a Wi-fi enabled fridge is that it gives the cook a hand when they don’t have a free hand to use. If you’re elbow-deep in dough or your hands are covered in sauce and you can’t recall the next step, you can shout out to the Alexa or Google connected to the fridge and ask for directions. Anyone with their hands full or juggling multiple plates at once will love that feature.
Everyone likes their privacy, but luckily our food isn’t so bashful. One of the fun features a smart refrigerator has is the ability to keep tabs on your food and drink inventory through its internal camera. Not every smart fridge has this feature, but it is a nifty one.
This fun feature helps reduce food waste by enabling you to take a peek into your fridge while you’re out, so you don’t double-buy, which is a major benefit. Not only does wasting food feel like a shame on a personal level, but it also hurts your wallet.
Did you know that according to a study through Waste360, the average American ends up throwing out over $2,500 worth of food every year? That’s a lot of money—and if you can recoup some of that by getting to glance in your fridge while you’re out and about, that may just make investing in a smart refrigerator worth it.
Another handy feature that ties into the interior camera function is the ability to tag various items with an expiry date so you can be notified when the expiration date is nearing. Both of these functions help you maximize your efficiency when it comes to keeping track of your food items, so you know what you have, what’s about to expire, and whether you need to add anything else to your shopping list.
Speaking of shopping lists—in an ideal world, you’ll remember your shopping list before going to the grocery store. In an even better world, you’ll remember to make a list in the first place!
The shopping list feature of a smart refrigerator is a super helpful tool that is also quite convenient. As soon as you notice you’re missing something or need to restock an item soon, you can either type it into your shopping list on your fridge or voice command the item to your list. Since your smart fridge is synched with your phone, you can easily access your shopping list while you’re out (as long as you have your phone with you).
This ties back into saving and wasting less—both food and money. Some of the high-end models even take inventory of what you have and only allow you to add things that are not already in your refrigerator when using the recipe function.
Some smart refrigerators have a built-in database of recipes for you to browse and get creative with. Others use the internet connection to allow you to skim the internet and save your favorite recipes.
The highly rated Samsung Bespoke comes with a Family Hub function that connects with the Smart Recipes app. It has an endless supply of delicious recipes that could be tough to keep track of if it weren’t for the saving feature. This app works well with other helpful apps like Meal Planner and Shopping List, so you can plan for your next meals.
If you are wishing for more help in the kitchen, then using Cook Mode is the next best thing. It will read your recipe’s instructions and even set timers for you! If your model doesn’t have Samsung’s Family Hub features that connect with Cook Mode, you can always access YouTube and watch cooking tutorials from your fridge just as easily.
You can either enter your recipes manually or scan your book with your phone, depending on your unit. Downloading e-books and tapping into them whenever you want is another great option, since they typically can be read aloud to you also.
Not only is it convenient to have all your recipes in one place, but it’s one less thing taking up valuable real estate on your kitchen counter as you work around the kitchen. The voice control is another win, for those times when your hands are full and you need to start or stop your video. Having a central hub for all your recipes reduces clutter and stress, which puts another ‘yes’ vote in the jar for smart refrigerators.
Whiteboards are great, but they take up a lot of space and no one can ever find a marker when they need one. The digital whiteboard on your smart fridge is a perfect solution that always comes in handy. Family members can all use it to leave notes for one another, jot down a fleeting thought, and edit on the fly.
The calendar feature is another valuable tool that can be used daily by everyone in the family. You can pull it up in the morning to see everyone’s schedule for the day, and see what’s planned for meals.
A little organization can go a long way. When everyone is up to date with each other’s schedules and notes, it helps keep everyone on the same page.
Let’s face it: we all spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Aside from cooking and cleaning, it tends to be a gathering place for friends and family who share stories while refilling drinks and grabbing snacks.
Smart refrigerators do a good job of making life easier, and can even enhance the atmosphere by playing music or videos. On the touch screen, you can look through music or videos to play while you’re entertaining or cooking. Instead of breaking out another device, you can simply listen to the radio or stream your favorite tunes straight from the fridge.
If you’re on chore duty in the kitchen, having your favorite show playing on the screen of your smart fridge makes for a far more enjoyable experience. When you’re getting ready to leave for work or school in the morning, you can switch on a light-hearted show or fun music to get everyone pumped for the day ahead.
While this feature may not be the deciding factor in purchasing a smart refrigerator, it’s a nice touch.
A smart fridge is a great option for people who are always on the go and want to be in control of their kitchen appliances—even when they’re not at home. They are a bit of an investment up front, with costs ranging from $2,000 to $5,000, but they have the potential to save you money in the long run.
Most models are Energy Star efficient, using tech that preserves your food longer and wastes less power, so you’ll save some money on your energy bill and waste less food. It boils down to how much control you want to have over keeping your inventory in check. Depending on the type of cooking you do, how often you cook, and your spending habits, a smart fridge could be a worthy investment for you.
If you need any help deciding if a smart refrigerator is the right choice for you, please feel free to contact us at Atherton Appliance & Kitchens anytime. We’re happy to help you out in any way we can.