Smart Kitchen Gadgets for Cooking (2024)

Constant-Security525 · 2 years ago

dosequismachina · 2 years ago

ganymede62 · 2 years ago

jjuuggaa · 2 years ago

NobodysSlogan · 2 years ago

AllUrDogeRBelong2Us · 2 years ago

catlord78 · 2 years ago

clipghost · 2 years ago

SuperLuks_ · OP · 2 years ago

Here are some ideas based on my setup:

- Smart light: Obvious reasons!

- Old tablet: TV and recipes (I am self-hosting with Mealie)

- Smart Speaker (Amazon Echo or Google Home): Music and timers

- Smart dishwasher, washing machine, Fridge, etc: Notification on finished cycles.

- Power consumption outlets (Zigbee, Sonoff, Shelly, etc): Know the price for each cycle, fridge consumption, etc. It can also be used to know when a cycle ends and send notifications.

- Gas, fire and flood sensors (zigbee, z-wave, etc): No explanation needed :)

- Windows/door sensor (zigbee, z-wave, etc): Notification about the fridge door.

- Occupation sensor (zigbee, z-wave, etc): Turn lights off after XX seconds if there's no occupation.

​

Also, with all this information, you can create scenarios.

SuperLuks_ · OP · 2 years ago

Stock_Hurry_2257 · 5 months ago

Bugsandgrubs · 5 months ago

GrimCityGirl · 5 months ago

Mega_Dragonzord · 5 months ago

My hobs packed in, never even thought of looking for something portable instead of replacing it! (Rented flat, never use the oven either because I have 4 different Ninjas 😂)

Think I'm gonna get a board made for over the hob and get one of those, or something less smart because I only use it for boiling rice, pasta or gnocchi.

First off, congrats on the (belated) wedding!

Given there are already plenty of solid recommendations, here's a rec that's a bit out of left field: a smart speaker. I've had one in my kitchen for the last year or so and it's made cooking so much more enjoyable. On the cooking side of things it's a lifesaver to be able to hands free set timers, ask a quick cooking search, or even call my mom to ask her for some guidance. Not strictly cooking related but I also love being able to easily listen to music while I cook now (also hands free like the other mentioned functions).

Given this is for a wedding registry it's entirely up to you if you want go for a more basic one or if you want to try to ask for one of the nicer ones complete with a display. Personally I just have a fairly no frills Google Nest Mini that I'm happy with, not really sure how often I'd make use out of a display in the kitchen.

Verivus · 3 years ago

wdh662 · 3 years ago

Some things that come to mind:

Thermapen mk4 $99 seems like a lot for a thermometer, but it is by far the most accurate, reliable and user friendly thermometer I have ever used. I don’t have one personally, but my roommate does. I would love one of my own.

A good quality clad stainless steel pan. Great for many uses and will last a lifetime if cared for properly. All Clad is a good brand, but my Tramontina 12inch serves me well. Clad stainless saucepan and stockpot are good too.

Good kitchen scale- I have an ozeri model that is very user friendly. If you get more into baking, a scale will really prove to be useful.

If you’re into making homemade pasta, a good quality pasta roller is great- I once bought a $30 model on Amazon but the rollers weren’t exactly parallel and created a huge headache. A nice model will likely cost around $100.

Mortar and pestle - I have a heavy granite version.

Microplane zester- a small and inexpensive tool, but it’s great for zesting citrus, cheeses and more.

High quality hardwood cutting board. Not a plastic or bamboo board, but one made from maple or walnut.

If you already have an immersion blender and might be getting a stand mixer, I really see no need at all for a hand mixer. The only thing I use my hand mixer for is mashed potatoes. I barely even do that anymore because I find a hand masher does a better job for my taste.

I’m sure others will have other ideas, but these are all things I love to use often.

wijsguy · 3 years ago

Great:

• Breville Smart Oven Air - much more convenient and quic than using the full oven when you only need to make a few portions or a quick task. Also has toaster, air frying, proofing, and dehydrating functions so saves a lot of counter/cupboard space by only needing one device. Also on low it makes an excellent plate warmer. Maybe my most used device.

• Kitchenaid - If you bake it's a must. The pasta roller attachment is also incredible.

• Vitamix - duh. Also get an Ascent model since they support the blending cups and bowls, which let it double as a very effective spice grinder (bowls) and personal smoothie machine (cups). The cups also make for a good salad dressing container with the lid design.

• Slicing blades for food processor - saves a ton of time when you need a ton of thinly sliced stuff, like potatoes for gratin, etc. Don't use them often but when each time I do, I save at least an hour of work. Way safer than a mandolin!

• Sodastream - Pays for itself if you're a carbonated water / lacroix / etc junkie like I am.

• Ice maker - I don't have AC so this is a life saver during heat waves. Most people probably don't need it.

• Zojirushi rice cooker - Mandatory if rice is a part of your regular diet.

Meh:

• Vacuum sealer - I like the idea of it, but I almost never end up using it since it requires so much more effort than a ziploc freezer bag.

• Mandolin - The food processor slicing blades do the same job without trying to take your fingertips as sacrifice.

ehunke · 3 years ago

TheGoingVertical · 3 years ago

omg_pwnies · 3 years ago

hippocratical · 3 years ago

I don't have a single smart appliance. I don't see a reason to start a dishwasher from across town or have to futz with my phone to set the oven to 325 degrees instead of simply turning the knob. Don't want to pay extra for the capability, don't want them begging for wi-fi, don't want them to have the capability of phoning home, don't want them bricked by a firmware update.

I remember using chromecast on my TV and thinking that my phone made for a supremely awkward remote control, and that plugging an HDMI cable into an old laptop was far better. I don't want to have to do that in my kitchen.

Funkyokra · 5 months ago

Not in the least. All my appliances are stupid. The arrangement of my kitchen is stupid. I'm stupid.

The most high tech thing in my kitchen are the digital thermometers and the scale. If I want a recipe from the internet I'll print it off, and if it works, it goes in THE BINDER.

anaestaaqui · 5 months ago

LtSorrel · 5 months ago

IngoPixelSkin · 5 months ago

Technically my scale has a Bluetooth app so I can read weights and tare if I have too big of a bowl on it.

I guess I need bigger bowls.

2Loves2loves · 10 months ago

[deleted] · 10 months ago

Watch some YouTube videos by appliance repair guys/gals.

For fridges stay away from Samsung and LG and most fridges suck. Avoid one’s w ice boxes in the fridge. Better to have ice coming from the freezer. And having ones w a water line suck too but most do.

LG is actually decent for washing machines and dryers (dryers are usually just get the matching one)

Bosch for dishwashers.

Bosch dishwasher has been great for over 10 years. I got the Kenmore washer (front loading) and dryer maybe 15 years ago, also very good. My fridge is 20 years old Jenair, which is a high end Whirlpool.

The problem with all of these recommendations is we are telling you what you should have bought 20 years ago. These brands might be crap today.

You need to look at https://www.consumerreports.org you will have to join and pay something but it will be worth it (they do not accept advertising at all)

> I just wish he explained what this thing actually does better.

It's a food processor with a built-in heating element. You can chop sh*t up and cook it all in one go.

mldkfa · 3 years ago

tomtom792 · 3 years ago

[deleted] · 10 months ago

[deleted] · 2 years ago

Today is the first gadget video I've enjoyed in a while (and there's been a lot of them).

They felt affordable, things everyone could use, things that could make some everyday things a little more interesting etc.

Although they butchered how to use the aeropress but I guess you wouldn't know that without being part of the community ;)

I think a lot of it is because she has a very strong personality, that is definitely designed for tiktok - short vids so everything needs to be done big. That grates on some people.

And also the loud and repeated calls to have her replace James annoy a lot of people and cause some backlash.

It's well known in the aeropress community that the instructions are garbage.

Either you need to insert the plunger after stirring to stop coffee dripping out early or use the inverted method.

I think it's a lot of fun when she visits the kitchen. She's smart and knowledgeable and clearly great at what she does, but she's got a completely different dynamic and personality than the chefs the guys are used to working with onscreen.

Considering she's joining a bunch of guys that have been friends for most of their lives, I think she's slotted in pretty naturally the times she's been around. I don't think she needs to be the fifth host or anything because she's got her own thing going, but I'd love to see her visit regularly, and she's a solid fill-in for when Ebbers is out of town.

d4nm3d · 2 years ago

I don’t like overcrowding the kitchen with electronics.

In my own there is a smart display and some smart plugs on appliances so I can set up notifications by monitoring power consumption.

Well and a few hidden NFC tags to track chores because I would just forget to put the trash out in time otherwise :)

moosehead71 · 2 years ago

I have a Samsung smart fridge and honestly it's just a novelty. I never use the smart functions. It shows power usage in HA and I can see if the doors open but aside from that it's just a regular fridge. You can save a ton by putting door sensors and a smart plug on a regular fridge like I've done in the garage. IMO buy a quality fridge that will last and skip the flashy screen.

I'd do WLED under the cabinets and a smart display.

Coffeinated · 2 years ago

My GE Profile oven (this one) integrates OK with HA using SmartHQ integration. There are several brands that support the same platform, GE, GE Profile and Cafe all being GE brands, but some others too. I can control my oven, and get the status of the stovetop.

For the fridge/freezer, I have an LG (this one), using the ThinQ integration. It's OK, I find my Aqara contact sensors quicker to report open/close state than the ThinQ integration, but I can review/control the temps and turn on the extra ice feature. I have ThinQ washer/dryer too that integrate OK, but my LG microwave (this one) isn't ThinQ compatible (why would it be, TBH) but it's garbage and I mostly mention it just to say I would not recommend it as a matching appliance.

For dishwasher, I have a Fisher & Paykel, drawer-style dishwasher (this one). Seriously a game changer. They are launching SmartHQ compatible washers soon apparently. I would still buy this every time even if it weren't smart.

grahamthegoldfish · 2 years ago

I feel like I just read something about this recently. I remember the advice was using that appliance for 10 days straight. You'll either master it, and use it regularly, or you'll realize a couple days in that you dread using it.

You could also start with getting rid of the redundant appliances. Get rid of anything that another appliance does just as well. For example, I had a blender, but my food processor also has a blade attachment that effectively did the same thing as a blender. So, I got rid of the blender since the food processor can do more like shred cheese and chop veggies. I'm fairly certain that Instant Pots have a slow cooker setting, so you could get rid of that Crock Pot and just use the Instant Pot when it calls for a slow cooker. This could also have the effect of clearing up space and making your appliances more easily accessible, making you more likely to use them regularly.

My last piece of advice would just be to practice your cooking skills. Especially knife skills. You eliminate the need for single-purpose kitchen gadgets when you can prep food yourself just as fast.

Vertigote · 3 years ago

• will the eventual use of the item justify the stress of keeping it? In your case, if you make a margarita with the blender next month will it suddenly make the months of keeping it around worth it?
• If you got rid of it and regretted it at some point in the future, would it be easy to replace?
• what's stopping you from using these items? Will that change in the short term? If there's no sign of circ*mstances changing, then you know you won't use it soon.

PoweredByCoffee1998 · 3 years ago

Pick one gadget to use each week then reassess at that point whether you think you'll use it again. Don't put too much pressure on yourself about it, just pick a recipe that you think you can easily make, use the thing then decide.

For me, I took out the George Foreman grill I had and made a grilled cheese in it. It was okay but making a grilled cheese on the stove tasted better and was easier to clean so out it went. However, my belgian waffle maker (which I tried once when I got it then put it on a shelf for literally years) was actually just that I didn't really know how to use it but after making waffles a couple times, it's great.

tarheelnurse · 3 years ago

We did this with a Nutribullet I bought, mainly to make banana ice-cream. Only it was absolutely bloody useless for that, it didn't work at all. Stuff just got stuck and it would jam the lid for ages.

I was going to get rid of it but I suggested my partner try it for smoothies/protein shakes, which he had been making just in a regular cup. Now he buys pre-frozen fruit and makes amazing smoothies. He uses it nearly daily. So that one was worth it.

I do find that I don't use my larger Le Creuset pots that often, but they're something I feel is worth keeping. Eg I'll go through phases of using one multiple times weekly to make No Knead bread or it will be winter and I'll go on a tagine kick, and then it's in the cupboard for months. But I don't consider them clutter. It doesn't stress me out that they're quietly sitting in the cupboard.

Whereas some crappy older pans did stress me out, so I got rid of them.

The same with round fluted flan tins. They always stressed me out because I hate the fact that pre-made pastry in Australia is always square and never fits. (In France you can buy wonderful pre-rolled round pastry). Then I figured the square pastry is the perfect size for my brownie tin, and what's wrong with a square quiche? So now I use that instead and the flan tins are gone.

My Pinterest self is making all the things. Amigurumi, homemade baked goods, refinishing furniture...all that. And she has nice hair, a coordinated wardrobe, and her nails done, and she works out.

Me on the other hand, I work a demanding job and have a big family. I cook from scratch a couple times a week. Once in a blue moon I'll start a craft project when I'm in the mood. My workout is chasing the kids, my hair gets washed semi-regularly, which I'm proud of, I never wear makeup, I live in leggings and t-shirts I've owned for years, and again, I make sure underneath my fingernails is clean and paint my toenails when I have time.

I do have some clutter from Pinterest me but I've been trying to be a realist about it.