2021 Smart Tech for Your Kitchen

Each year, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), companies and manufacturers showcase their latest technological advances in areas from 3D printing to quantum computing to smart homes and appliances. This year the event was virtual, but that didn’t stop several smart tech companies from highlighting some great items for the kitchen. You may be surprised at how easy it is to cook in a smart kitchen!

LG InstaView Range

This futuristic-looking range has several notable new features. The LG range may be controlled with the ThinQ® app for Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. These integrations allow users to access recipe ideas, send instructions to the oven to start the appropriate mode and temperature, control the oven with voice commands, or scan to cook prepackaged meals. The range comes with Air Fry Mode for fast, crispy dishes with no oil as well as convection cooking.

The most notable new feature of the LG range is Air Sous Vide. This cooking method usually includes vacuum bags and water baths. With Air Sous Vide mode, the range cooks foods in vacuum-sealed bags at low temperatures with controlled airflow. This method of cooking seals in flavors without having to use another countertop appliance.

Want to see what’s cooking? Knock twice on the InstaView oven window to turn on the light and view your meal without opening the oven door. And the EasyClean technology allows cooks to clean the oven in just 10 minutes.

Pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

ColdSnap by Sigma Phase

Craving ice cream but the freezer is empty? ColdSnap uses pod technology to create frozen confections in 60-90 seconds. The aluminum pods are shelf-stable and contain treats like ice cream, protein shakes, smoothies, or even frozen cocktails. Simply insert the pod, close the door and within 90 seconds, your treat is dispensed.

If you want fast-frozen treats and have room on your counter, ColdSnap may be worth the hefty price tag that looks to be between $500-1000 (with pods costing $2-3 each) when it beta launches later this year.

LG InstaView Refrigerator

When you upgrade your refrigerator, LG has added some very nice new features to its InstaView line. Like the range, the InstaView fridge shows you what’s inside when you knock on it. With the pandemic in mind, the new version of the fridge will have a door that opens with voice command and a dispenser that uses UV light to sanitize the water. Hands-free opening and germ-killing light? Sign me up!

Samsung Bespoke Refrigerators

Samsung’s Bespoke line is all about aesthetics. Each of the fridge’s four doors can be customized with your choice of finish, material, and color. They can all match or mix and match any of the following colors: navy steel, champagne steel, black matte, white glass, gray glass, beige glass, pink glass, sky blue glass, burgundy glass, and navy glass.

The top two doors serve as the refrigerator. Of the bottom two, one’s temp can be adjusted to serve as refrigerator or freezer space as needed. The newer features include a new UV filter to deodorize the air inside the fridge and an ice maker that can switch from standard cubes to “ice bites” for those that enjoy chewing their ice.

Samsung’s Bots

Every year at CES, Samsung previews its robot technology. This year, it showed off three new Bots. Bot Handy helps pick up items around the house and Bot Care acts as a personal assistant. These robots are in the concept stage.

The Jet Bot AI Plus, which will be available in the US in the first half of this year, is a smart vacuum that doubles as a security camera. Not strictly for kitchens, but very, very cool.