Remote control appliances that sync directly to your mobile phones and tablets are not a new concept — we’ve seen it in cars, televisions, lighting, and most recently, in air conditioning units. But is remote control a stove taking it a little too far?
AGA iTotal Control cooker is a stove and oven unit that is powered by a SIM card and GSM remote antenna to receive commands through text messages, mobile apps, or web interface. If you choose to operate the machine over text, you will receive a confirmation text to ensure the command went through. The web and app interface is simple: the layout of the appliance shows all the functionalities of each slot. Tapping or clicking an area turns that section green, meaning the power is officially on.
This technology allows you to turn on the stove while you’re away from home so a meal is readymade the minute you walk in the door (assuming you prepared everything and left it in the machine before leaving). Theoretically, this might also be helpful if you have kids in the house you want to keep an eye over when it comes to playing with dangerous appliances. By being able to monitor oven and stove activities from your tablets, PC, or phone, you can ensure nothing is turned on while you’re away.
On the other hand, the product also makes us a little nervous. Cooking is all about timing, so unless you can be there to keep watch over the readiness of each food item you’re cooking, making meals remotely may prove to be challenging. You might also risk burning things without being there to put out the fire. Since the AGA iTotal Control cooker is one of the first of its kind, pricing also isn’t cheap. In addition to the £10,090 (approximately $15,623 USD) price tag, users will have to pay a $9 monthly fee to keep the SIM card running. The product also requires a 12-month contract of the SIM card rental so if you don’t love the product, you’re kind of stuck with it.
Perhaps we’re over judging the usefulness of the AGA iTotal Control. It sure would be nice to come home and not worry about cooking after a day’s work. If slow cookers don’t cut it for you, you can always contact the United Kingdom-based company to see when the item will arrive to the United States.
Watch the video below to see how one would operate the AGA iTotal Control cooker in daily life.
I can see the benefit… However, I also cook a lot so whatever prep you’re doing to put the dish in the stove will have to be done before you go to work – and that cuts into my coffee time.. =) Or it’ll have to be done the night before and put in the fridge for the next day only to be taken out in the morning and stuck in a stove all day at room temp. So forget a lot of meat dishes.
Cool to have anything with remote access, but not always necessary.
I do see the problem with having to leave stuff at room temperature, and it does seem like a bit of overkill. I mean, people leave stuff in slow cookers, right… isn’t that enough? Although it would be an awesome way to freak your roommates out. Having said that the price is way high and I don’t want to sign a contract for my appliances. “Kids, we’re having delivery tonight, the oven doesn’t have reception!” would be kind of a weird thing to say. Also, what if there is some kind mistext/butt-dial while nobody is home that makes it set itself on fire?
First of all, the video is nominated for the Most Gay Presentation of All Times Award.
Second, and more important, wouldn’t it be easier to have the stove connected to an existing home control system? You’re already able to control lighting, air condition, heat etc remotely; all you need to do to accomplish the same with a stove is to get it to jive with any current smart home provider.
And last, how smart is it to power up any kind of kitchen appliance remotely? Really?
having had a control board go south and a broiler element in a normal stove go nuclear.. no thanks. I’m not about to have a stove running when I’m not in the house. I get leery of leaving the crockpot on all day.
Definitely not taking it too far :)
I look forward to the day when I can cook something while sitting on my couch :P