The last thing you want to do while your hands are dirty with food or wet from washing dishes is tap a button on your smart speaker. When entertaining, don't you find that so many parties congregate in the kitchen? Smart kitchen products are pretty standard nowadays, but most useful, in particular, are those you can control by voice. They help simplify things when you're multitasking and make for a super-cool kitchen that will be the envy of all your guests. If you set up voice assistant routines, you can even enjoy various things happening at once with different Alexa devices, like the kitchen lights turning on, music playing, and coffee brewing with a single command. Here are some of the best kitchen products with Alexa to make your life a little easier, some of which are actually the best Alexa devices, overall.
Instant Pot Smart WiFi Multicooker
The best multicooker you can get is the Instant Pot, and this smart version allows you to remotely control it from a smartphone app and by voice using Alexa and a compatible smart speaker. Control what you're cooking, receive status alerts on your phone, and access more than a thousand pre-programmed recipes.
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) Smart Display
It isn't a kitchen product, per se, but it's the perfect device to use in the kitchen for listening to music, watching videos while you cook, or even playing instructional video recipes. Use Alexa to control playback, including pausing or rewinding, so you can keep up. Since the screen has a motion sensor that follows you as you move, you can keep track of every step of the recipe as you go from chopping vegetables on the counter to throwing them into the pot on the stove, so you don't miss a beat. You can also use it to add grocery items to your list (via voice, of course) and even call friends or maybe grandma for some advice on how to get that gnocchi dough just right.
AmazonBasics Microwave
Pop popcorn for family movie night, reheat leftovers, defrost meat, or even cook items like potatoes, all by using your voice and presets with a compatible Amazon Echo device. The compact microwave has 10 levels, and new Alexa presets are being added all the time. Plus, you can automatically order popcorn when you're running low using Amazon Dash Replenishment.
COSORI Smart WiFi Air Fryer
Air fryers are all the rage these days, allowing you to indulge in favorite fried foods in a much healthier way — cooked with little to no oil. This particular fryer works with Alexa for voice control so you can monitor the cooking status. When not at home, you can also use the VeSync app on your mobile device to do the same and schedule cooks, and adjust the cooking time.
LE Smart Plugs - 4-pack
Virtually any device you plug into a smart plug like this one, whether it's a multicooker, fan, or coffee machine, becomes smart and can be controlled remotely from a smartphone app. This plug adds voice control, too. Use Alexa voice commands, no hub required, to turn the connected small appliance on and off or use the app when you're away.
Taloya Smart Ceiling Light
Get ample light to meet all your cooking needs with this smart light that sits flush with the ceiling and is connected via Wi-Fi so that you can control it by voice. Made with a fire-resistant plastic shell, it offers 20 watts of brightness, is fully dimmable, and can emit light in different colors to match the mood or occasion.
Sonos One (Gen 2) Smart Speaker
Chances are your parties always move to the kitchen, so keep the ambiance going with room-filling sound provided by this smart speaker. It comes with Alexa voice control built-in, so there's no need to connect it to an Echo device. You'll get 360-degree sound with great bass and can control streaming playlists, volume, and more just with voice commands.
Meater Smart Wireless Thermometer
Take the guesswork out of cooking meat and poultry with this smart thermometer that you insert inside the food to track the internal temperature. Set target times and even receive an estimate of how long the meat or poultry needs to cook and rest to reach the desired doneness. Use the companion app to ask Alexa for updates on the cook.
Hamilton Beach Smart Coffee Maker
Make up to 12 cups of coffee in this intelligent machine, telling it to brew, change the brew strength, or turn it off, all using your voice. Use the Alexa app to program brews for your preferred time each morning and check for new commands that might be added over time.
Smarten up your kitchen and free your hands with voice
There are several reasons to use voice control in the kitchen, and these are some of the best kitchen products with Alexa that help you do just that. The first is for convenience, and when it comes to the ultimate kitchen small appliance in that respect, the Instant Pot tops my list every time. Aside from the convenience benefits of being able to cook food in a fraction of the time with little prep, the Instant Pot Smart Wi-Fi model makes it super easy to get inspiration. You can ask Alexa for recipes or find out where you are in the cook cycle by asking for a status update.
When you're cooking, your hands are often dirty and grimy, and you don't want to transfer that to your mobile devices, light switches, and other items. For that reason, I love the idea of a smart speaker like the Sonos One that lets you control music playback, add items to your grocery list, answer calls from friends, and more without ever having to lift a finger. The Amazon Echo Show 10 makes this possible, with the added ability to show a recipe video on its screen. You can follow along as you move about the kitchen since the screen will always move with you - don't worry about missing a step and having to stop and rewind!
Finally, as someone who entertains a lot, I love the idea of simply saying, "Alexa, play party playlist in the kitchen" or "Alexa, turn on kitchen lights" to create the perfect atmosphere while I cook, wash dishes, or drink wine with friends. The Taloya Smart Ceiling Light is a cool way to control lights via voice and add some color to the kitchen.
When you think about it, you probably spend the most time at home in your kitchen, looking for snacks, making meals, cleaning up, and talking with the family. So it makes sense to add smart products to this room, and even more sense to use ones that can keep your hands free to tend to other tasks.
Christine Persaud is a freelance writer for Android Central who has been writing about tech since long before the smartphone was even a "thing." When she isn't writing, she's probably working on her latest fitness program, binging a new (or old) TV series, tinkering with tech gadgets, or spending time with her school-aged son. A self-professed TV nerd, lover of red wine, and passionate cook, she's immersed in tech in every facet of her life. Follow her at @christineTechCA.
