The new iKettle wakes you up and brews your tea earlier when traffic is bad

By Jenny McGrath September 3, 2015

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One of the dreams of the smart home is being able to automatically brew coffee from bed — or better yet, just have the coffee maker do it for you, no questions asked. Of course, you still have to refill the water and stock it with grounds or beans, which can be easy to forget. That’s where the Smarter Coffee Machine wants to come in.

The Wi-Fi-enabled machine debuted at IFA 2015, and it has some interesting features. Controlled by the Android or iOS app, the Smarter Coffee Machine will grind and brew, adjusting the coarseness of the grounds and making one to 12 cups of java. And there are lots of options for getting your caffeine fix when you want, from setting it to start right when you wake up to using the Home Mode to make coffee when you arrive back to the house.

A sensor can tell how much water you have left and send an alert when you need a refill, and the machine won’t starting brewing if it’s bone dry. If you’re the forgetful type, a notification telling you the coffee machine needs more water might be more useful than irritating. The price for the device, which should be available in the U.K. in October on Firebox.com, is $275 (£180).

Smarter also unveiled the iKettle 2.0, the latest version of its connected kettle. The updates include a more streamlined interface, downsizing to a single button. Everything else happens on the app, which controls the water temperature to between 68 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 100 degrees Celsius). Similar to the Coffee Machine, the iKettle can be scheduled around your daily routine.

One impressive new feature is the Early Bird Mode: the iKettle 2.0 monitors traffic conditions and starts heating water earlier when conditions are bad. It also tells you to get out of bed, so you’re not late to work.

The iKettle 2.0 is available for presale now on Firebox.com for $151 (£99). That’s definitely pretty “steep.”

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