A smart home deserves a smart kitchen. Long gone are the days when cooking appliances needed your presence to switch on, adjust settings and set timers. Now, all you need is a few taps on the phone.
Imagine putting the kettle on at the temperature of your choice, while your little one snoozes and waits for their next feed. Think of pre-heating your air fryer from an app as you entertain guests in the living room or make your way home from work. For the tech-savvy cook, these Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled kitchen appliances maximise the numerous wireless possibilities available to us, saving time and effort.
Not only can you cook remotely (granted the ingredients must be prepped and ready to go beforehand), but you can also tell Alexa to get started on dinner. Some of these gadgets work with voice assistants for truly hands-free control. If you have an Echo Show or Echo Dot device at home, getting a piece of smart kitchen equipment from our list should be a no-brainer.
We've picked out appliances from the smart ranges of well-known manufacturers, like Instant Pot and Tovala, so you'll be sure of their workings. Our selection is based on user reviews and supported by anecdotes to help you decide the best smart machine for your kitchen and needs.
Shop with Prime to get free, fast delivery on some of these. While you're here, check out Amazon's appliance sale for discounted items.
1. Best Smart Air Fryer: Proscenic T22 Air Fryer
Pros
- App and Alexa control for remote cooking
- Cooks for up to four people
- 11 cooking presets including fries, chicken and steak
- Use up to three functions in combination to save time
- Preheats and keeps warm
Cons
- Connects with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band only
At no premium value, you can snap up your very own smart air fryer, one that allows for easy app control and Alexa assistance. But make no mistake - the Proscenic T22 five-litre air fryer works as well as its advanced connectivity functions. It boasts 11 preset programmes, cooking your standard foods like chicken, fries, vegetables and steak, and lets you combine them with one or two functions for more flexibility. For instance, you can press preheat, 'chicken' and keep warm together to save yourself from walking into the kitchen again. Reviewers are endlessly impressed by their gadget, noting how quietly it operates and that the preset times and temperatures always result in perfectly cooked food. According to users, you can ask Alexa to turn on or turn off the air fryer, and then use the Proscenic app to control the cooking remotely. Many leave ingredients inside the basket before work and start the cooking process remotely so that they're just in time for a warm meal.
Warranty: Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh23 and two years for Dh33.
2. Best Smart Kettle: WeeKett Smart Kettle
Pros
- Control kettle and temperature remotely via Alexa, Siri, Google Home and the app
- Choose any temperature between 40 to 100 degrees Celsius
- Baby bottle programme for keeping water warm
- Helps new parents, senior users and people with mobility issues
- Food-grade stainless steel construction
Cons
- Needs 2.4GHz frequency on the router
- App doesn't detect water level
A Wi-Fi-enabled kettle may sound excessive at first, but for busy parents, it's easily their favourite kit in the house. The 1.7-litre Smart Kettle by WeeKett lets you boil water no matter where you are, via Alexa, Google Home or its mobile app. Set any temperature between 40 to 100 degrees Celsius on the app, where helpful icons tell you which number is perfect for hot drinks, green tea, black tea, coffee and more. Parents get a special built-in baby bottle programme on the app. Here, the water heats to 100 degrees Celsius and keeps warm for up to one hour after naturally cooling to 70 degrees Celsius. Several five-star reviews mention using the kettle primarily with Alexa, and love that senior members of their family have an easier time with making tea. Mums say it helps a great deal when you have a little one at home since they can just holler at Alexa to warm up the water for baby formula.
Warranty: The manufacturer offers two years of warranty. Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh29 and two years for Dh41.
3. Best Smart Blender: Xiaomi Smart Blender
Pros
- Control remotely from Xiaomi's app
- Blends cold and hot, hard and soft ingredients
- Set a blending schedule for up to 12 hours
- Pick from a catalogue of presets and recipes on the app, including jam, soup and more
- Keeps drinks warm for up to four hours
Cons
- Glass jug is heavy
- Only recipes of hot drinks can be scheduled in advance
With Xiaomi's smart blender, your protein shakes are a press-and-play affair while you hit the last rep in the gym. Prepare healthy smoothies, fresh juices and even hot blends in the 1.6-litre borosilicate glass jar. As long as you've left your chopped greens and fruit inside the blender, the Mi Home app will trigger the device right on schedule per the recipe you've picked from the app. If you've poured in hot water and beans for a cup of fresh soy milk in the morning, the insulated blender keeps the beverage hot for up to four hours. It chops with eight serrated stainless steel blades that are strong enough to crush ice and nuts, so pick from nine levels of speed, worry-free. Everything you need to know is shown on a sleek OLED knob that also functions as a display. Remote operation is smooth from the smartphone, say reviewers, who add that the blender can also prepare sauces, soups and jams. Because the jug is insulated for cold and hot blends, they note that it's heavier than standard blenders.
Warranty: Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh18 and two years for Dh25.
4. Best Smart Multi-Cooker: Instant Pot Duo Crisp
Pros
- Control and monitor cooking from phone
- Adjust time, temperature and recipe programme on the app
- 13 on-body cooking programmes, from baking to sous vide
- Uses the same lid to air fry
Cons
- Big and heavy for small kitchens
- Imported fees make the gadget pricier than the original value
For hearty meals, look no further than the Instant Pot electric cooker with Wi-Fi. This is the six-litre Duo Crisp gadget that comes with one Ultimate Lid for 13 different cooking functions, including air frying, so you don't have to switch the top every time. Cook remotely from start to finish when you download the app or pair the cooker with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri for hands-free operation. There are a variety of programmes to pick from, whether you're looking to saute, steam, slow cook, roast, use sous vide, dehydrate or bake. Find out how to make the most of your Instant Pot with tips from an expert here. Reviewers buy it for the sole purpose of cooking remotely while they're at work. You can select more recipes from the app, edit them to your liking and save them for use in the future. Despite its medium-sized capacity, the pot needs a lot of storage space and is heavy to shuffle around, add buyers.
Bonus: Buy with 0% instalments and pay Dh168.97 for 12 months with select banks.
Warranty: Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh142 and two years for Dh202.
5. Best Smart Sous Vide Machine: Inkbird Culinary Sous Vide Wi-Fi Precision Cooker
Pros
- Control, set up and schedule immersion cooking via app
- Integrates with Google Home, according to reviews
- Heats water quickly up to 90 degree Celsius
- Shuts down automatically when water is low
- Long timer of 99 hours
Cons
- Must be connected to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band
Speaking of sous vide, if you employ the immersion technique often for juicy steaks or tender ribs, then you'll benefit from a smart immersion circulator. The Inkbird gadget comes with a remote feature on its app that lets you set up and control the sous vide machine on your phone, wherever you are. The circulator heats water quickly to the desired temperature, up to 90 degrees Celsius, and maintains it for an extended period of time, so that you can get the doneness you want. If the water level is lower than the minimum amount, the device will automatically sound an alarm and switch off. Users report connecting it to their Google Home ecosystem so that they can command operations by voice or schedule the immersion cooker. Steak enthusiasts say they can never have their meat cooked in any other way.
Warranty: Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh23 and two years for Dh33.
6. Best Smart Meat Thermometer: Meater Plus Meat Thermometer
Pros
- Wireless, rechargeable meat thermometer
- Monitor meat temperature and time via app
- Alexa and Apple Watch compatible
- Dual sensors read internal and ambient temperatures
- App suggests cooking instructions for every stage
Cons
- Expensive
Barbecue meats to perfection with a wireless thermometer that sends alerts and updates straight to your phone. The Meater Plus smart gadget lets you kick back and relax at gatherings, away from the grill and with your loved ones, as it comes with a Bluetooth range of over 330 metres in the open air and 50 metres within a home. There are dual sensors on this rechargeable thermometer to inform cooks of the internal meat temperature as well as the ambient temperature. The app comes in handy when you want to set up custom alerts every time the thermometer reads a certain temperature or reaches a timestamp. You can also select your protein from the app and let it set the exact cooking settings for you. Whether you're operating a gas grill, a rotisserie or a kamado, the Meater works across cookers. Reviews say they get consistent results every time, thanks to the smart thermometer and its app connectivity. Users have walked all over the house with their phone in hand and were able to stay connected with their indoor grill. The app is extremely intuitive, even suggesting a resting period for the meat once it's done cooking.
Bonus: Buy with 0% instalments and pay Dh43.03 for 12 months with select banks.
Warranty: Amazon offers a one-year extended warranty for Dh35 and two years for Dh49.
7. Best Smart Toaster Oven: Tovala Smart Oven Pro
Pros
- Air fryer toaster oven that steams and broils
- Monitor, programme multi-mode cooking and get notified when done via app
- Edit recipes in app
- Big enough to fit a 10-inch pizza
Cons
- Comes with a meal subscription plan that's only redeemable for US-based shoppers
A toaster oven bakes and broils much like a full-sized convection oven, except this countertop gadget adds air frying and healthy steaming to its list of cooking functions. Tovala's six-in-one Smart Oven Pro is seamlessly integrated with smartphone control, where you can pick multiple cooking modes and receive notifications when your meal is ready. The Tovala app is home to chef-perfected recipes, so all you have to do is follow the prep steps and press 'cook' per the suggested time and temperature. Reviewers add that the app notifies them when the food is done, and they're able to control the air fryer toaster oven from anywhere. You can also customise recipes by adding or removing certain cooking stages.
Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission, as we are part of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
