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Whirlpool's smart thermometer ensures your food is cooked properly
Whirlpool wants to be sure you never serve an undercooked roast again. Its Yummly subsidiary is introducing a Smart Thermometer that uses sensors to check the temperatures of both the oven and your food, letting you know through a mobile app when they reach the right temperature. You won't have to periodically check your turkey to know when it's ready to eat.
KitchenAid’s $3,199 SmartOven+ connects to Google Home and Alexa
KitchenAid's water- and sauce-resistant Smart Display got most of the attention at CES 2019, but the company also announced a smart oven, which it promised would come with powered grilling, steaming and baking stone attachments. Now, the SmartOven+ is ready. You can purchase the single configuration for $3,199 or the double for $4,799; a combo set-up will arrive later this year. As for the attachments, the powered grill add-on ships with the oven, but you'll have to order the others separately.
Whirlpool's smart oven identifies your food and cooks it perfectly
Whirlpool has already made a slew of announcements here at CES, but it's not quite done yet. Today, the appliance giant is unveiling its first-ever smart countertop oven, courtesy of W Labs, its innovation incubator. Something of a June competitor, the Whirlpool Smart Countertop Oven is able to identify foods and then choose the appropriate temperatures and algorithms to cook them to perfection. There's a camera inside so you can monitor what's going on with a companion app, a smart food thermometer, and of course cooking status notifications as well. It even has a scan-to-cook tech that will be incorporated into select frozen foods. Last but not least, it also has voice activation courtesy of Google Assistant or Amazon's Alexa, so you can just command it to set the timer or change the temperature. Along with this new oven, Whirlpool is also officially announcing Yummly Pro, a more premium level of its existing Yummly cooking platform. The pro version essentially provides step-by-step video instructions from celebrity chefs, such as Carla Hall, Richard Blais and Jet Tila. It's not clear yet, however, how much more the Pro-level access will cost. The aforementioned countertop oven will have access to the Yummly app as well. Right now, it's available with an MSRP of $799, which is about $200 more than the June. We're not quite sure it measures up to its price, but if you want to try it out yourself, it will be available for preorder in limited quantities soon. Update: Whirlpool tells us the oven is limited-edition, and W Labs only created 2,000 of them. You can preorder one here.
Whirlpool's new oven concept uses augmented reality to help you cook
These days, Whirlpool is more than just ovens and dishwashers. Over the years at CES, the appliance giant has proved it has some pretty serious tech chops as well. Earlier in the week, the company already announced that you can now control some appliances with a Wear OS device. Now, it's getting ready to unleash a slew of new and improved gadgets for the home. One of the most intriguing by far is a connected hub wall oven concept that apparently uses augmented reality to help you out in the kitchen.
Whirlpool will let you control appliances with your Wear OS watch
At CES last year, Whirlpool announced Alexa and Google Assistant support for its smart appliances, and noted it was working on an Apple Watch app. This time around, the company has revealed plans for more ways to control its smart home products with Wear OS support, which will arrive later this year.
The best microwave
By Michael Sullivan, Tim Heffernan, Ganda Suthivarakom and Jessie Kissinger This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full microwave guide here. After more than 100 hours of research and testing—"baking" potatoes, cooking frozen mac and cheese, popping popcorn, and reheating beverages—we think that the Toshiba EM925A5A-BS is the best microwave for most kitchen counters. It's easy to operate, has a number of express cooking options that heat food quickly and evenly, and even has a mute button so you can cook in silence. The affordable Toshiba EM925A5A-BS microwave is simple to use, with a plainly labeled keypad and intuitive controls. It cooked popcorn, baked potatoes, and frozen mac and cheese perfectly every time, and its mute button—a rare feature that lets you stealthily reheat midnight snacks without waking your housemates. We also appreciated the express cooking option, which immediately starts the microwave with a press of one of the numbered buttons (from 1 to 6 minutes). A dedicated plus-30-seconds button helps further fine-tune cook times. The compact 0.9-cubic-foot Toshiba model is large enough to fit an 11-inch dinner plate or a 9-inch square casserole dish. It's also available in a stainless steel or black stainless steel exterior. The Toshiba EM131A5C-BS is best for anyone seeking out a slightly bigger, more powerful 1,100-watt microwave. It looks very similar to our main pick, the Toshiba EM925A5A-BS, but offers a few more express controls for specific tasks like cooking bacon, defrosting frozen muffins, and making oatmeal. It also has a Soften/Melt button for butter, chocolate, cheese, and marshmallows. However, we found these additional controls less intuitive to operate than what our other picks offer, and we don't think they'll get used often. This Toshiba also boasts a cooking sensor that's supposed to automatically determine when your pizza or potato is hot enough, but it didn't perform any better than the 0.9-cubic-foot Toshiba, which lacks this feature. The 1.2-cubic-foot Toshiba has a larger 12-inch turntable, so it will fit most dinner plates and a 9-inch square casserole dish. Like our main pick, this model is available in a stainless steel or black stainless steel exterior. For those looking to save space and money, we recommend the GE JES1072SHSS. This tiny 0.7-cubic-foot unit is about the size of a small toaster oven, but its turntable is only ¼ inch smaller in diameter than the 0.9-cubic-foot Toshiba microwave. That means it hogs less counter space but can still fit a 10¾-inch dinner plate or 9-inch square casserole dish. Like the small Toshiba, it has a user-friendly interface, express cooking controls from 1 to 6 minutes, and a mute button. It also has express cooking functions for popcorn, beverages, and potatoes, but not for other things like vegetables and pizza (functions our other picks include). At 700 watts, it doesn't heat as quickly as our other picks, but it's the best microwave we've tested in this size category.
Whirlpool and Yummly will stop you from wasting food
Back in 2017, appliance giant Whirlpool bought Yummly, the smart recipe network that hosts over 2 million recipes. Now, the pair is showing off what the future of the partnership will look like by the second half of 2018, as both try to reverse the trend of everyone getting takeout for dinner.
Whirlpool plugs Alexa and Google Assistant into its appliances
Whirlpool's smart appliances have already had some voice assistant control, but they're about become particularly AI-savvy. The company has unveiled a 2018 lineup where many appliances support both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, letting you control most of your home using the smart speaker (or mobile app) you prefer. You can check the time left on the washing machine, start the dishwasher or change the temperature of your fridge without lifting a finger.
Amazon Alexa now controls your microwave
Alexa's smart home skills aren't just for turning on the lights or locking your door these days -- now, they can help fulfill your culinary ambitions. Amazon has added cooking abilities to its Smart Home Skill framework, letting you control microwaves (and eventually conventional ovens) with your voice. Instead of pressing umpteen buttons, you can simply ask Alexa to "defrost 3lbs of chicken." Suffice it to say this could be helpful if you don't want to start cooking right away, or if you just hate your microwave's interface.
Engadget Podcast Ep 21: Ooh Las Vegas
Associate editor Billy Steele, senior editor Nicole Lee and deputy managing editor James Trew join host Terrence O'Brien to talk about the early trends emerging from CES. It's only the first day of the show, but there's already been plenty of announcements, press conferences and lots of lost sleep. One of the most immediate things you'll notice on the show floor is that everything has voice control this year, even garbage cans. And tons of companies are rushing to integrate Alexa into cars, washing machines and refrigerators. The panel will also talk about the best and worst things they've seen so far.
Whirlpool's Zera Food Recycler turns food scraps into fertilizer
Though several municipalities like San Francisco, New York and Portland have citywide composting services, not everyone can enjoy this luxury. Most people still have to compost their unwanted food the old-fashioned way: by putting it in a stinky composter and going through the labor-intensive process of adding manure, keeping it moist and turning it every so often so that it doesn't rot. Otherwise, all those orange peels and rotten carrots will just end up in the trash. Whirlpool's new Zera Food Recycler, however, could be the solution to that. It's a new kitchen appliance that will turn your food scraps into rich fertilizer with hardly any work on your part at all.
Whirlpool brings Alexa to its next generation of appliances
Alexa can already order a pizza and fire up your TV as you lazily bark commands at it, but appliances giant Whirlpool is about to put Amazon's personal assistant to work with some extra chores around the house. The two companies announced they've teamed up to connect Alexa with Whirlpool's next line of smart home appliances. The future where you can ask your fridge to set the temperature in the veggie drawer has finally arrived.
Whirlpool washer and dryer can order refills with Amazon Dash
If you hate having to swing by the store to get washing detergent and dryer sheets, Whirlpool has you covered. The appliance maker's Smart Top Load Washer and Dryer can now use the Amazon Dash Replenishment Service to automatically re-order supplies. Once you've synced your Amazon account, you don't have to lift a finger -- the machines will estimate when you're running low and ship accordingly. This is just one part of a smarter design (they already talk to your smartphone and Nest thermostat), but it could make the biggest difference.
Whirlpool is putting Innit's smart recipes on its WiFi ovens (updated)
Getting recipes and other cooking tips directly on a connected appliance is increasingly becoming the norm, and Whirlpool is one of the next in line. The company announced that it's Jenn-Air line of WiFi-equipped ovens will soon feature Innit recipes. While Innit aims to tackle the entire kitchen, including food storage and more, personalized recipes work with the connected oven and your tablet or phone. The appliance adjusts cooking to the weight and type of food to help ensure the results are what they should be.
Whirlpool's Vessi is a homebrew fermenter that pours a pint
There's no denying the popularity of homebrewing beer among DIYers, and we've seen a number of devices that aim to make that process easier. The latest small appliance comes from a familiar name: Whirlpool. With the Vessi fermenter and tap system, the company says it is reducing the time it takes to make beer from a month down to seven days. Of course, that fermentation time depends on what style you're brewing, but for a 3.3% "light blonde ale," Whirlpool says that 7-day turnaround is possible.
Whirlpool integrates Amazon's Dash into its smart appliances
Whirlpool has come out swinging at this year's CES with a slew of connected kitchen appliances and an app that will be integrated with Amazon's Dash Replenishment Service. It's actually one of many appliance brands to have the integration this year, and it's doing so with its brand new Smart Kitchen Suite. Simply hook up your Amazon account to the Whirlpool app, and you can reorder a new batch of, say, detergent whenever your supply is low.
Engadget Daily: Facebook Save, Apollo 11's voyage to the moon and more!
Today, we archive posts with Facebook Save, remember Apollo 11's voyage to the moon, take a look at a Chromecast hack and ponder Whirlpool's new machine called Swash. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Whirlpool's new machine freshens your clothes in 10 minutes flat
Odds are that you're used to ironing some of your clothes to keep them wrinkle-free, or taking them to the dry cleaners when you can't (or just won't) put them through a washing machine. No great shakes, right? Well, Procter & Gamble and Whirlpool apparently believe that these are terrible burdens -- the two have unveiled Swash, an appliance that freshens your clothing one piece at a time. The device uses the combination of heat and a special solution (held in "Swash pods") to eliminate wrinkles and smells in your apparel without either damaging it or requiring time-consuming care; your duds should be (almost) as good as new in roughly 10 minutes. It doesn't require water, and it can handle delicate materials like cashmere and lace. At first blush, it looks like a good way to save a favorite coat or sweater from the ravages of time.
Nest devices start talking to Google, washing machines and your car
Nest's Learning Thermostat and Protect smoke detector are now part of a much, much larger universe. The company has just launched a developer program that lets third-party apps and devices talk to Nest hardware, making it do things that aren't possible through official software. The initiative is kicking off with a whole host of partnerships in place, in many cases with feature updates either available now or due in the near future. Chamberlain's garage doors can now tell your Nest thermostat when you're home, while Mercedes-Benz lets you check the temperature on the road; Logitech's Harmony Ultimate remote can lower the heat in mid-movie, and Jawbone's Up24 fitness tracker can tell Nest when you wake up.
Ford teams up with Eaton, Whirlpool and SunPower to create MyEnergi Lifestyle, hopes to reduce everyone's CO2 footprint
Trying to lower your utility bill? Maybe it's time you talked to a motor company -- Ford is on the warpath to reduce energy consumption. In a collaborative effort with SunPower Eaton and Whirlpool Ford is trying to show the world how it can drastically lower its electricity bills through the use of technology. The effort is called MyEnergi Lifestyle, and according to a model cooked up by the Georgia Institute of Technology, its energy-saving tricks could reduce the energy costs of an average single family home by as much as 60-percent. If every home in the U.S. got with the program, Ford explains, it would be like taking every home in California, New York and Texas off the grid. The team's ideas incorporate a wide range of technology -- though much of it works around using utilities during off-peak hours. Dishwashers and water heaters that are programmed to do most of their high energy tasks at night, for instance, or Ford's Value charging system, which leverages a cloud database to charge electric vehicles when utility rates are at their lowest. Solar power and other renewable energy sources can augment off-peak use too, further reducing energy costs. For now, it's a lot of talk and computer models -- but the companies involved are ready to put their money where their mouths are. In order to create a real-world model, MyEnergi Lifestyle is planning to launch a contest awarding one lucky family an energy efficient home makeover. Details on the promotion haven't been announced yet, but winners would presumably be outfit with enough technology to recreate the Georgia Institute of Technology's model on a real power bill. The team plans to showcase some of its ideas at CES throughout the week, but you can get the gist of it now by skimming the press release after the break.
