KitchenAid is a company best known to consumers for blenders, mixers and other kitchen appliances but with the debut of a new smart oven at CES and the breaking news that it’s making a state-of-the-art smart display with Google Assistant, it’s pretty obvious that the company is doubling down on its move toward smart home technology.
At the show, KitchenAid is previewing the KitchenAid Smart Display, a multi-functional smart home device with a 10-inch display that will offer home chefs a variety of tools and applications including step-by-step recipe instructions, shopping lists and smart home control via a central hub with Google Assistant already onboard. Using voice commands, users can research for recipe inspirations, watch instructional videos or enjoy live music or TV.
The development of the display is a natural progression for Whirlpool-owned KitchenAid, which will also be equipped with one of Whirlpool’s latest acquisitions, the Yummly digital platform for personalized recipes, visual meal planning and guided cooking functionality. KitchenAid also debuted a new platform at CES 2019 called Yummly Pro, which offers step-by-step recipe instruction from influential chefs like Carla Hall, Richard Blais, Jet Tila, and Daniel Holzman.
“We want makers to have freedom in the kitchen,” Christy Hoskins, KitchenAid senior brand manager, said in a release. “They should be able to find new recipes and experiment with new ingredients, flavors, and textures — all without worrying about how to clean off messy fingerprints.”
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The KitchenAid Smart Display has been designed to be compatible with more than 10,000 smart home devices that work with Google Assistant, adding smart home hub to the many applications the device can serve. For chefs who are particularly creative (read: messy) the smart display is also rated IPX-5 for resistance to faucet water, meaning home cooks can also wash flour or tomato paste off of the smart display. No final word on price yet, but it’s been reported the smart display will cost between $200 and $300 and will ship in the latter half of 2019.
“Our main aim was to evolve the multi-modal connected display category and create a product that truly makes sense in the kitchen,” Ryan Craig, senior manager for Internet of Things Global Strategy and Partnerships for KitchenAid, said in the release. “The KitchenAid Smart Display will do just that, merging hands-free, interactive capabilities with unique access to Yummly recipe content and a sleek design for seamless integration in the kitchen.”
Whirlpool dedicated itself to going all-in on smart appliances for more than two years now, splitting its appliances evenly between Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home Integration.
