The kitchen is frequently referred to as the heart of the home. It is where families gather to prepare and eat their food. One of the most important things in the kitchen is the refrigerator. This appliance stores the family’s food and drinks. Aside from that, the fridge has been the long home of sticky notes. It is where family members leave messages, to-do lists, schedules, and reminders.
Years past, the idea of a fridge that could connect to the internet seemed crazy and too far-fetched. But that’s not the case now in the era of home automation. Almost every device and appliance can now connect to the internet and provide homeowners with convenience. Refrigerators are no exception. In fact, smart refrigerators keep appearing in most tech events.
But what exactly do smart refrigerators do? And how to select the best one for you? This article will help you answer those questions.
Introduction to Smart Refrigerators
Smart refrigerators cover two main bases. It allows homeowners to monitor the content of the refrigerator. So, they don’t need to guess what items they should buy when they are in the supermarket. The smart fridge will tell them if they are short of eggs, milk, etc. It can also let them view what’s inside using their smartphones; smart fridges have built-in cameras.
As stated above, families also use refrigerators as noticeboards. That’s the other base smart fridges cover. Smart refrigerators have screens. Users can display messages on that, so they don’t need to use sticky notes. You can also edit what’s displayed on the refrigerator screen while you are away.
Other than your smartphone, you can use other compatible devices to control your smart fridge. Also, many of them have voice assistant integration. They are compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Samsung Bixby.
What Are The Features That Are Essential to You?
Like smartphones or computers, different brands and models of smart refrigerators offer different features. So, the first thing you should think about is what are the features you want your smart fridge to have. Consider listing what’s essential to you and what you’d want to be included, but you can live without. It will help you decide which smart fridge to get.
Here are some of the features you may find a smart fridge offers:
The touchscreen display on the smart refrigerator allows it to offer a variety of functions. For example, it can show you steps on a recipe while you are cooking. And as mentioned above, you can use it to post schedules and reminders for each family member. Others also allow you to create a profile for every family member. Aside from those, other smart fridges also allow you to upload and display photos.
Some models of smart fridges can also let you customize the temperature by drawer and compartment. That’s incredibly handy when storing food or drinks that require different temperatures.
Smart refrigerators also track the expiry date of their contents using RFID. So, most refrigerators will give you notifications to use food while they are still fresh.
Some models of smart refrigerators can also alert you when you need to change the water filter.
Many smart refrigerators also come with ice makers. Some would let you turn that on or off using a smartphone, tablet, or other capable devices.
These are just a few examples of what smart fridges can offer you. Again, list what features you want yours to have and buy a fridge based on that.
Brand Quality
Smart fridges are not as simple and cheap as smart lights or door and window sensors. So, it’s imperative that you ensure you are buying high-quality ones. You would not want to spend a lot on a fridge that would get broken in just a year.
Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you buy smart fridges only from reputable and trusted brands. You can guarantee that you are spending money on something that lasts long and actually improves your quality of life by doing so.
So, what are these brands? Samsung and LG are the best ones. But you can also look at products from Bosch, GE, or Siemens.
What makes these good is they update their software. Since smart refrigerators are connected to Wi-Fi, they need that. Hackers can leverage vulnerabilities in old or obsolete software. That’s the last thing you’d want to happen when living in a smart home.
Integration Capability
The reason you are automating your home is to maximize comfort and convenience. To achieve that, you have to connect your devices to each other. Unfortunately, some devices are not automatically compatible. Therefore, you have to buy another device that would link them together.
So, when buying a smart fridge, see if it works with the smart devices you already have at home. What voice assistant integrations does it have? Does it work with Alexa or Google Assistant or with both? Also, can it link to the smart TV so you can watch your favorite show while in the kitchen? And can you use its touchscreen display to control your other devices?
Look for the smart fridge model’s manual. It will tell you what other smart devices it can easily integrate with.
Design
As with regular refrigerators, smart fridges have different designs and sizes. Some models feature door-on-door configuration, allowing you to access some of the fridges’ contents without heaving open the entire door. LG refrigerators also have InstaView panels that let users see what’s inside by knocking twice on the glass. That prevents warm air from rushing into the refrigerator.
Different smart fridges also vary in the number of shelves.
Also, don’t forget to consider the size and shape of the fridge. You have to make sure it fits in your house. Otherwise, it will cause you inconvenience, which is the opposite of what you want to get in a smart home.
That’s it! Take note of these, and you should find the perfect smart fridge for your smart home.