10 of the Most Exciting Smart Home Appliances in 2017

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In today’s Smart Home, more appliances are adopting the features of easy app control. Consumer demand is embracing both voice control and smart-device integration.

Smart appliances allow people to make their homes and lifestyles more enjoyable and more efficient.

What makes integration easy is the fact that these appliances can be controlled by an App on a smartphone.

Smart Home Appliance Highlights for 2017

1. Smart Refrigerator

The world has waited for this one! There’s no debating that the kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the house, because it is used at all hours, day and night. The Samsung 4-door flex Refrigerator is the top choice by most consumers. If you forget whether you need milk and eggs while at the store, simply pull up your app on your smartphone.

This fridge has “innerview” cameras that allow you to see what is inside.

Since the kitchen is the central hub for the family, this refrigerator allows you to check on the weather, family schedules, leave notes, stream music, look up a favorite recipe and show off family pictures via the LCD display on the front door.

This smart appliance encompasses a lot of cool features!

2. Smart Coffee Maker

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It’s nice to wake up to your favorite cup of joe already brewed, warm and waiting for your arrival to get your day started. While some machines have been doing this for years, the smart coffee maker actually bumps it up a few notches.

These magic machines allow the best of coffee connoisseurs to manage their love of coffee with an easy app on their smartphone. Not only can you set your daily schedule, you also have the ability to change your brewing time from early on weekdays to a later time on weekends.

These smart brewers give you a level of control rarely found in the average home coffee machine.

You can tell a smart coffee maker how fine to grind the beans, remotely adjust the temperature to keep your drink warm, and many other exciting coffee-related-features.

Some of the best smart coffee makers on the market include:

  • Nespresso Prodigio Espresso Maker with Bluetooth
  • Orenda
  • EzPro BrewGenie,
  • Mr. Coffee Smart Coffeemaker
  • Behmor Connected

3. Smart Thermostat

Smart House and internet of things horizontal banners. smartphone and tablet controls smart home like smart plug, fridge coffee maker router microwave and smart tv flat icons. vector illustrationAutomatic thermostats are a great invention! We’re positive you’ll agree.

Smart Thermostats learn the routine of people in the house and know when to raise or lower the temperature based upon your ideal settings.
  • You can change and manage the settings of your thermostat from an app.
  • Your smartphone will also receive notifications when the batteries are low.
  • Additional alerts can be integrated with carbon monoxide or smoke detector linked to the thermostat.

Find out which smart thermostats were rated about the best by CNET.

4. Smart Cooking

In the near future, we expect to see lots of new ‘smart’ cooking-related features. Many are in the works, and a few great ones have already hit the market.

The WeMo Slow Cooker is similar to the traditional Crock-Pot. But we consider it a smart home cooking device because of the following:

  • You can control the temperature
  • Set cooking time
  • Check cooking progress
  • Even notify the family when dinner is ready!
If you are running late from work, simply pull up the WeMo app to lower the cooking temperature.

This can help you avoid over-cooking dinner. You can even use the WeMo Slow Cooker to keep your food warm until you’re ready to eat.

5. Smart Light Bulbs

Smart light bulbs, such as Phillips Hue Light Bulbs, and starter smart light kits are a great addition to your home. And most are easy to set up!

  • Place the Phillips Hue bulbs into your existing light fixtures and turn on your wall light switches.
  • Next, plug in the bridge and connect it to your Wi-Fi router.
  • Using the app on your smartphone, connect the bridge and find your new smart lights.

It’s that simple! You never have to arrive home to a dark house again.

Home controlled lighting gives you the ability to manage your house lighting using your app from anywhere at anytime!

6. Smart Door Locks

Smart home with smart lock door controlled with smartphone app (3D Rendering)

Technology has come a long way when it comes to locking your door. In 2017, a traditional key is no longer a necessity. Today’s smart locks can be activated by any of the following

  • Keypads
  • Fingerprint Scans
  • Face Recognition
  • Voice Activation
  • Geo-Fencing

Geofencing allows you to use a mobile app to set up a perimeter around your house using your smartphone’s location services (which pinpoints your exact location). When you leave the perimeter, you can have the lock automatically engage behind you so you never have to wonder once you get to work if you locked your door.

Some smart door locks have an auto-lock feature that automatically engages the lock after it has been unlocked for a period of time.

Another smart lock feature is tamper and forced entry alarms that warn you of a possible break-in by sending push, text, and email notifications to your smartphone.

Smart Locks allow you to know who is coming and going from your home in real-time.

7. Smart Door Bell

Ding Dong. Who’s there? If you have a smart doorbell, you already know!

Today’s smart doorbells come with everything from:

  • Live Video Streaming
  • Wi-Fi-Enabled Apps
  • Two-Way Communication
  • Home Automation Compatibility

Find out what some of the best smart doorbells are on the market.

8. Smart Outlets

Smart outlets allow you to turn your everyday devices into ones you can control with a smart device. CNET reviews the top smart outlets and ranks Belkin WeMo Switch as as the best indoor smart plug. The Belkin WeMo Switch is compatible with any 120v wall outlet, and it’s easy to set up and use.

The WeMo App allows you to remotely control any electronic device that is plugged into it.

WeMo can be integrated with Amazon Echo which allows you to control the devices plugged into the switch using your voice. “Away Mode” is a favorite feature to use on vacation to turn your lights on and off, making it appear that someone is home.

9. Smart Home Cameras

There are many smart security cameras on the market today that feature the ability to control, monitor, and record via an app on your smartphone. Review the best cameras to see which might be best for your needs.

10. Home Automation Hubs in 2017

As smart home gadgets become more abundant — from lights and digital locks to security cameras and thermostats — it helps to have a centralized method to control them all.

Smart home hubs create this function, since they connect each of your devices to the cloud and give you one app that acts as a sort of universal remote. A hub also provides the ability to automate your gadgets.

Imagine unlocking your door, which triggers the lights to come on in your entryway and your thermostat to set to the temperature you like.

Find out some of the best hub recommendations to best suit your smart home. 

A Smarter Home is a Happier Home

In 2017, the best smart home features include options for integrating technology into your daily life. Smart appliances work to make your life more enjoyable and help your home run more efficiently.

Spend time on more important things. A smarter, more efficiently run home makes a happier home for everyone.

Do you have questions about integrating some smart appliances into your home? Contact our technicians at (804) 379-1348 or visit us online to schedule an appointment.