Kitchen appliances are among the most dominant in a household. Therefore, it seems normal that purchasing a refrigerator should be a thorough process. Since they serve for keeping perishable food fresh and cold, we need them to perform their best while being highly efficient. With the innovation of technology on a rise, many solutions to making our lives easier are emerging. Something new for the appliance industry is the introduction of smart appliances. This certainly does not mean that it is not developed fully or doesn’t function properly, but on the contrary, these appliances ease our daily tasks and allow us to run them on-the-go. So, whether you're thinking of a freestanding or a built in kitchen refrigerator, make sure to consider this "smart" innovation first. Let’s check a few details and features of smart refrigerators.
Features
Smart refrigerators connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, and most of them include a touchscreen interface, as well as support systems like Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
Some other features that can be found in smart refrigerators are internal cameras, flexible user-controlled settings, and the ability to interact with your fridge from your smartphone or other smart devices. The more advanced models can even communicate with other devices in a household such as microwaves, TVs, and even speakers.
Features of smart refrigerators can vary from model to model, however, they all serve the same purpose. Here are some of the things you can do with your smart refrigerator controls:
- Create grocery lists and sync them with your smartphone.
- Upload images to be displayed on your screen.
- Create individual profiles for members of the household. You can use this feature to make to-do lists and send personal notes to their smartphones.
- Leave messages for the other members of your family.
- Look inside the fridge without opening the door.
- Search for recipes and have the refrigerator read them while you’re cooking.
- Even playing your favorite show on the refrigerator screen while cooking, when connected to your smart TV.
Some other features come in handy, without using your touchscreen:
- Take a look from your smartphone at the inside of your fridge from the inside camera to see which groceries you need to purchase.
- Turn the ice maker on or off.
- Set up alerts for water filter replacement.
- Customize temperature in different compartments.
This really sounds great, doesn’t it?
Check Before Purchase
While the reviews and ratings from users say smart refrigerators are a top-notch solution to running daily tasks, the new buyers have some concerns. Here are a few things customers mostly consider, along with their detailed explanation to follow:
- Prices of smart refrigerators – Prices have definitely gone down. The first smart refrigerators were expensive at the time when these appliances were newly introduced, but now with various brands and models, you can easily find an option within your budget.
- Outdating issue – 15 years, which is the average longevity of any refrigerator, is a long time when we speak of the evolution of technology. Anyway, as with every other device and industry, the manufacturers manage to update software and keep your appliance up to date.
- Repair costs – This is the least of your worries. Servicing a smart refrigerator costs just the same as fixing a standard one. Extra costs may apply just in case the smart features break.
