The 'Internet of Things' is connecting our lives in ways that, a few years ago, we’d never have thought possible. From turning on your home heating on before you've left the office to changing the colour of your lightbulbs at the touch of a button, the future is now! And with that in mind, here's our selection of must-have gadgets for any high-tech kitchen.
These last few years, I’ve wanted to be more aware of what's in my food, and so I've become something of a culinary wizard, choosing to cook more than I ever have – in a rather traditional, non-connected way.
That being said, if I had a few kitchen gadgets to make my time in there quicker, simpler and more connected, I'd relish the chance – and these are my five must-have dream gadgets for a smarter kitchen experience!
Drop Kitchen Scales
Believe it or not, I have three different sets of scales in my kitchen – but these smart scales from Drop would allow me to get rid of them all and just use this one!
The scale itself connects via Bluetooth to an iOS app. Then, you simply choose what you want to make from the plethora of recipes it has available to you (LINK) then add your ingredients – the app shows you when you’ve added enough ingredient to the bowl.
But the smart features go way beyonf that: the app can also show you which substitutions you can use if you have special dietary requirements – lactose intolerenace, for example. It also offers “smart scaling” – which will essentially will reduce or increase the quantities in the recipe you’ve chosen based on how many people you want to cook for.
All told, it's a highly practical and helpful kitchen gadget. The app is free to download, and the scale is available from Amazon for about £55.
SmartPlate
The forthcoming SmartPlate is "is the world's first intelligent plate that instantly analyzes everything you eat".
The plate features advanced object recognition and weight sensorts – and in conjuction with its own app, can tell if you’re adding too much to your plate for your diet and fitness goals, and will notify you accordingly.
SmartPlate will also pair with your Fitbit fitness tracker and the MyFitnessPal app, so you can track your food intake accurately without having to input the data yourself – it does it for you! If you're one of the many people who use those services, this could save you a ton of time.
The plate itself comes with a lid and is divided into sections, with a counter in the middle that shows how many calories are in your meal. Somewhat surprisingly for a plate packed with electronics, it’s dishwasher and microwave safe – and also comes in a range of colours.
SmartPlate is available to pre-order now from the manufacturer's website, and the app is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
Smarter Coffee
As I discovered last year, there’s already a smart kettle that will boil water for you as soon as you wake up– but you’d still have to make your coffee yourself.
Not any more! With this exclusive beauty from the same manufacturer, you can grind and brew your coffee remotely – and it even allows you to edit the strength of your daily brew.
The 'smart home' is all about integration and automation – and here, the Smarter machine delivers in spades. If you're a fan of the automation app If This, Then That (IFTTT), you can arrange it so that if your Fitbit records a poor night's sleep, your Smarter coffee machine makes you a super-strong wakeup coffee!
You can also set it to brew up to 12 cups at a time – so if you suddenly find out your out-of-town friends will be arriving at your house, you can make sure there's freshly brewed coffee waiting for them.
The Smarter coffee machine also comes with three differently coloured front panels, so it'll match most kitchen decor. The machine costs £179.99 and is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
iGrill Kitchen Thermometer
Weber, maker of all things grill and BBQ, have brought us a wireless smart thermometer as part of their iGrill range. The original iGrill is a smart thermometer for outdoor use – but this new one has its sights firmly set on your kitchen.
The kitchen thermometer has a magnetic mount, so it can always stay close by your oven, and the dual probes will pass the temperature to a special app on your mobile or tablet. This way, you can ensure that whatever you’re preparing is always cooked through to perfection – even if you're nowhere near the kitchen!
iGrill devices are compatible with both Android and iOS, and the kitchen thermometer will set you back around £49.99.
iSommelier Smart Decanter
Fine wine gets better with age – and generally speaking, the older a bottle is, the nicer it is on the palate. But what if you don’t have a wine cellar – or perhaps you don’t want to wait a few years for the bottle you've just bought to age? Cue the iSommelier smart decanter from Bordeaux-based iFAVINE.
This nifty little device aerates your wine using highly concentrated oxygen, so there is no need to leave your wine sitting in a cellar for years. The decanter itself comes with a smart base, featuring a digital display that shows you progress of the aeration, along with the name of the wine and its vintage.
As with all of the smart devices mentioned in this article, the decanter comes with an app that allows you to control the device. Primarily, this allows you to adjust the aeration programme – but it can also help you to learn more about winemakers, should the need take you!
iSommelier is available via iFAVINE for a thirst-inducing £1,299 and is compatible with both Android & iOS.
That's it for our picks – but there are many more smart and connected kitchen appliances available, including smart fridges, ovens, frying pans and memo boards! What do you think of our essential list, and what would you include? Let us know in the comments!