Alexa-powered ovens and microwaves are going to become a thing in 2018.
Amazon has added the kitchen companions to the list of gadgets that can conceivably be controlled by the Alexa personal assistant.
On Thursday, the company announced ‘cooking capabilities’ are now part of its Smart Home Skill API. That means manufacturers can begin building the commands into their products.
Related: Best Microwaves
Amazon says customers will be able to use commands like “Alexa, defrost three pounds of chicken” or “Alexa, microwave for 50 seconds on high,” saving lots of button pushes in the process.
Whirlpool is already working on this functionality and will announce support soon, Amazon says in a post on its developer pages.
“Whirlpool has created an Alexa skill leveraging these new cooking capabilities in the Smart Home Skill API for its connected microwaves, and expects to launch it soon,” it writes.
“The skill enables customers to easily configure, start, and operate their connected Whirlpool microwaves. Customers can ask Alexa to set microwave cook times, modes, power levels, and more instead of using the traditional and often confusing microwave experience.”
The chances are we’ll see the Whirlpool product at CES 2018. GE Appliances, Kenmore, LG, and Samsung will be next, Amazon says.
Given you have to be in immediate proximity to a cooker or microwave in order to insert the food, Alexa won’t save that much labour.
However, this type of skill could be really useful if folks want to consult the web for recommended cooking times, or to be notified when the food itself reaches a certain temperature via a connected thermometer.
Is there any limit to Alexa’s reach? Is the omnipresence really a good thing? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
