We may have turned up our noses at the thought of televisions in our kitchens not so long ago — who, after all, has the nerve to watch football during family dinner — but now, GE is hoping to put another type of screen in one of the most central rooms of our homes. Called the Kitchen Hub, this new 27-inch smart screen is far more interactive than any television set, featuring voice and gesture commands to help make your time in front of the stove more productive (and fun). Stationed over your GE range, the Kitchen Hub lives at what GE calls “a comfortable viewing level … above the one appliance family and friends gather around while making dinner and conversation at the end of the day.”
Making its debut at CES 2018, the smart Kitchen Hub is powered by the Haier U + Smart Life Platform, and will allow you to engage in live video chats with multiple camera angles, thanks to a forward-facing lens; access recipes that can be displayed directly on the screen so you’re not constantly looking between a book and the stove; and access calendars and schedules so you can see what else you need to prepare (in addition to dinner).
Moreover, the Kitchen Hub can be connected to your smart video doorbell, so if your dinner guests arrive early, you can see their eager faces at your doorstep from your range (and tell someone else to let them in). It’s not just video doorbells that are Kitchen Hub compatible, of course — the 27-inch screen will also be able to communicate with GE connected appliances like washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, wall ovens, and of course, ranges.
“The kitchen is the heart of the home, and the range is the heart of the kitchen,” said Shawn Stover, vice president of GE Appliances’ SmartHome Solutions team. “The original concept was conceived by FirstBuild, GE Appliances’ co-creation community. With the vision of a lot of creative, smart people, we now have the Kitchen Hub, over the range so owners have the convenience to enjoy the many smart features we have to offer now and in the future.”
The Kitchen Hub is slated to make its official debut on the market in the second half of 2018. Pricing information has not yet been made available, but we’ll keep you updated as more information comes our way.