The integration of the kitchen in the home connected is a fact. Today we find appliances that go on to offer permanent connection thanks to the WiFi home network, which allows both its remote management and use beyond the functions for which they were originally planned.
And if inside the kitchen there is a dynamic element of home life that is the refrigerator. It is perhaps, the most important element since it is the most voluminous, the one that does not cease in its functioning at any time and above all, because it is the storehouse of a good part of our food. An element that has become integrated into the connected home and these five models are a good example.
Samsung Family Hub 2019
We started with one of the most recent models to reach the market. We talk about the Samsung Family Hub 2019, a refrigerator presented by Samsung at CES 2019 held in Las Vegas with which the brand is committed to the use of “Artificial Intelligence” (or at least certain algorithms) and the IoT thanks to Bixby, the virtual assistant of Samsung
The new range of connected refrigerators from Samsung allows access to more functions through its touch screen and the hardware it incorporates. Thus, it offers voice recognition technology or access to the transmission of music and radio and to take advantage of them, the use of Bixby is fundamental, which also improves the use of voice identification technology to distinguish each member of the family.
In this range, Samsung has chosen to integrate a 21.5-inch screen called Family Board, an add-on that allows the use of the screen as if it were a board for post-it. All family members can leave and share their notes with this system. In addition, the refrigerator becomes the control center with which owners can see and control the various smart and compatible home devices that can be connected to the same Wi-Fi network and do so by voice commands through Bixby or by using the screen.
Refrigerators with Bosch Home Connect
Another example may be the one offered by Bosch with the Home Connect series. They are normal refrigerators that become intelligent by means of a small accessory that we must buy separately. The brand names them on the web how Wi-Fi Ready refrigerators (prepared for WiFi).
There are several models in its catalog with similar features, although we are left with this refrigerator of the 6 series. It is a large No Frost combi model with a VitaFresh zone with a classic design. Externally it does not differ from a conventional refrigerators, at least if we do not consider its integration in the connected home.
It integrates a series of interior cameras that allow us to monitor remotely what happens inside and that both the refrigerator and the freezer are always at the right temperature. Without a large front screen, it is the additional accessory that allows you to integrate the fridge in the Home Connect system and control it via app. It is called Home Connect Connectivity Kit and can be purchased from the manufacturer’s website at a price of 40 dollars.
Home Connect is an app that allows you to connect compatible devices from different brands and is available for both iOS in the App Store, and Android, in Google Play. The model we have listed has a price of 1,565 dollars to which we must add the 40 dollars of the Home Connect Connectivity Kit.
LG Signature with InstaView
LG is another of the brands present in the war to integrate the kitchen in the connected home. And it does so through its range of Signature appliances, high-flying models that offer more than curious details.
A good example can be the LG Signature LSR100 refrigerator with Door in Door Instaview. It stands out for having a glass door that makes the light come on and we can see what’s inside before opening the fridge, so we save energy since it does not lose cold. It also lets us open the small glass door to access the outer compartment to store those things that we usually use.
In addition to this detail, if our hands are occupied, it is enough to bring the foot to the bottom and the door will open automatically. The automation works by detecting a person, causing a light to be projected on the floor indicating “open door” and thus allowing it to open automatically. How could it be otherwise, this model has the possibility of voice control through Google Assistant to, for example, ask you to lower the temperature to cool some food.
A provision that has a price, because if we want to do with this model we will have to pay the 7,999 dollars it costs in shops.
Liebherr Monolith
Another option is the Liebherr Monolith range, a modular recessed system that we can organize as best suits us, side by side fridge, fridge and freezer or two freezers. They are models that allow remote control thanks to the WiFi connection and the use of the Liebherr SmartDevice app that can be found on iOS and Android. We can control different functions as well as receive nutritional advice or recognize the contents of the fridge by taking a picture.
Liebherr adds to these models its cooling technology PowerCooling that directs the cold throughout the interior, including the door that is where it usually reaches you. It also integrates the Super Cool and SuperFrost systems, two quick cooling modes for both the fridge and the freezer and which we can control from the brand’s app. And for face-to-face control, they integrate a touch screen on top with which to configure the device.
They have improved the conservation of food by adding special drawers for vegetables and meat, which Liebherr calls BioFresh-Plus. With them, it is sought to independently control both temperature and humidity. The new Liebherr Monolith range will reach the markets at prices ranging between 7,000 and 10,000 dollars.
Siemens IQ700
The last example comes from the hand of Siemens, which offers a system of connected refrigerators. We have selected for this list the iQ700, an American refrigerator noFrost of large dimensions that can be integrated into the smart home thanks to the Home Connect system. A utility that can be found in the App Store and Google Play.
Thanks to the Wi-Fi connectivity, we can control from the tablet or the phone some of the most common functions of the refrigerator. In addition, it integrates a series of interior cameras that allow you to check the contents of the fridge from anywhere and at any time. The system is also compatible with Amazon’s Alexa, so if we have a speaker from the Echo range, we can use voice control.
With a classic design of two doors, highlights the glass that covers the entire outer surface and the special interior drawers for salads. On the outside it mounts a screen that allows to configure the temperature and some basic functions. As a reference, this model can be purchased in the market at a price of about 4,000 dollars.
