The Workbench Life: Baby Blogs
By Ron Geraci for The Workbench Life
Since the 1950s, Americans have anticipated the day when our refrigerator, oven and washer would perform feats of magic while we sat around in foil bodysuits. How close have smart appliances brought us to that day? That depends on your love of tech — and how much you value raw utility versus tickling add-ons.
Companies use the term “smart appliances” loosely, but hallmarks are an LCD screen and WiFi connectivity — and a price that’s often $1,000 more than un-smart models that perform the primary job just as well. Herein lies the biggest gripe about smart appliances: for all their witchy tricks, most still can’t wash clothes, cook dinner, clean dishes, store food or de-wrinkle your shirt significantly better than their cheaper, “dumber” counterparts.
That said, some “smart” features can be useful if they suit your lifestyle, and others can save headaches or yield “green” benefits. Below are common perks these cool kitchen gadgets offer.
Remote access. You can control your washer and dryer, dishwasher or oven via your smartphone. Sadly, you still have to load your washer and put the turkey in the oven, which cuts the “wow” factor here. But you’ll never again have to wonder if you shut off the stove.
Grocery apps and Internet browsers. Use your refrigerator screen to compile grocery lists, find recipes or peruse Facebook.
Lots of additional settings. A smart washer, for example, can have dozens of wash cycle options (rather than the usual eight or 10), to target specific types of laundry (like bedding, gym clothes) or stains (grease, food, etc.), plus the ability to save custom cycles.
Email alerts. Your oven will email you when the cookies are done, and your washer will shoot you a note if it’s unbalanced.
Detailed usage reports. To find out, say, how much power your fridge used last month.
Diagnostic technology and alerts. Your washer will tell you what kind of servicing it needs, and a support rep will log into your dryer to fix glitches that don’t need a repair visit.
Technology keeps advancing. Soon, you’ll see home
products that learn about you. For example, if you typically shower at 7 a.m.
on weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends, your smart water heater will catch on. Be
on the lookout for ever-smarter robot mops, microwave
ovens, keyless deadbolts
and other household items.
RON GERACI is a writer living in New York. In 2006, he built his own workbench, which doubles as a writing desk. It has six legs and can theoretically support 1320 pounds, though he’s only personally tested it for about half of that load. From that desk, Ron has penned several books and contributed to many publications including Men’s Health, WeightWatchers.com and AARP.
