Smart and intelligent kitchen appliances buying guide

Bringing a smart appliance into your kitchen is about more than just modernizing—it’s about gaining the flexibility to stay present. These connected tools allow you to monitor and control your appliances right from your smartphone, giving you the freedom to step away from the stovetop and back to your guests without missing a beat.

For those who want an even more seamless experience, intelligent appliances take things a step further. Rather than just following commands, they act as an intuitive partner in your process—learning your rhythms and autonomously adjusting to help ensure your results are consistent. Imagine an oven that monitors doneness for you, so you can focus on the conversation at the table instead of the timer in the kitchen.

Keep reading to discover how the evolution from smart to intelligent technology can elevate your culinary craft and enhance every gathering.

What are smart appliances?

Smart appliances allow you to control and monitor household tasks from your phone to help enhance your cooking experience. These appliances often connect to your smartphone or other devices to remotely detect, monitor and adjust various settings.

Smart appliances frequently use Bluetooth to connect to your smart device, which then use Wi-Fi to connect to the internet. Sensors in the smart appliance can help keep track of internal temperatures, schedule cycles and adjust timing, allowing you to operate your appliance from almost anywhere.

What are intelligent kitchen appliances?

Intelligent kitchen appliances take the skills of traditional smart appliances a step further, using artificial intelligence and machine learning to understand your cooking routines. After gathering data and recognizing patterns, these appliances autonomously adjust their behavior to help optimize performance and convenience, although capabilities do vary by make and model.

In general, an intelligent appliance filters the information it sees through its sensors and interprets the data to decide the best setting or feature. For example, an intelligent wall oven may recognize certain types of food and suggest cook times and temperatures, monitoring the process for you.

Intelligent vs. smart appliances: What’s the difference?

While all intelligent appliances are smart, not all smart appliances are intelligent. There are several key differences between the two. Smart appliances focus on connectivity and remote control, while intelligent appliances leverage machine learning to actively adapt to your needs. Moving beyond simple commands, they filter and interpret data from sensors in the appliance to make proactive decisions, like automatically optimizing a wash load size or oven temperature.

Smart appliances generally will follow a set program, following your commands exclusively. These appliances report on what is happening—for example, they may send you an alert when food is ready. Intelligent appliances, however, learn from data to decide what to do next. Rather than waiting for instructions, these appliances act on your behalf, allowing you to supervise rather than command.

Types of smart and intelligent appliances to consider

Smart and intelligent appliances can often be found in the kitchen and laundry industries. Typical smart and intelligent kitchen appliances may include smart ovens, microwaves, ranges, cooktops and refrigerators. Smart and intelligent laundry appliances can include washers and dryers. 

Features to look for in smart and intelligent kitchen appliances

Adding smart and intelligent appliances to your home can help support you in your everyday tasks. They may help by automatically adjusting cook times or by guiding you through new recipes. Some of these appliances also let you preheat your oven or switch laundry cycles from your phone, helping you multitask, especially when hosting. Keep reading to learn more about specific features found on select smart and intelligent kitchen appliances.

1. Sensors, cameras and adaptive technology

Many smart and intelligent appliances offer sensors, cameras and adaptive technology to help monitor your food as it cooks. Some smart ranges and wall ovens use sensors that have cooking cameras that recognize supported food in seconds and cook to your desired doneness.

Select KitchenAid^® wall ovens offer Doneness Detection, which utilizes an Intelligent Cooking Camera to identify personal food preferences that are selected while using Food Recognition, then sends notifications when food is ready to be taken out of the oven. This way, you can keep your eyes on your creations even when you can’t watch them.¹

1. Wi-Fi & App required. Camera performance may vary based on network strength and interference. Features subject to change. For details and privacy info, visit KitchenAid.com/connect (U.S.) or KitchenAid.ca/connect (Canada).

2. App control, alerts and remote access

With a smart app, you can often remote start or preheat select appliances as well as adjust temperatures and set cook times. You may also receive notifications when food is ready or when your smart appliance needs maintenance. And you can often get updated features and cycles as they’re released.

3. Remote monitoring and cooking

Smart features may also include remote monitoring and cooking, which allow you to check on your food right from your smart device. Use the Temperature Probe on select KitchenAid^® wall ovens for internal food temperature updates on the oven screen or your connected mobile device without opening the oven door. The Temperature Probe works in tandem with Assisted Cooking Modes and Doneness Detection for an elevated cooking experience.

4. Guided cooking with easy interface

Certain smart ranges and wall ovens may offer suggested cook times and temperatures. Features like Assisted Cooking Modes on select KitchenAid^® wall ovens provide 30+ preset recipes. Once you select what you want to cook on the oven’s touchscreen, you’ll get suggested cook times and temperatures so you can ace new recipes the first time.

5. Intelligent auto-fill water dispenser

Certain refrigerators may offer an intelligent auto-fill water dispenser, which helps fill water bottles, cups and more containers hands-free. Select KitchenAid^® refrigerators with Intelligent Auto Fill use AI to sense when your cup is within the dispenser, if it's off-center, or when the cup is pulled away, ensuring an easy, "set and forget" water-filling experience.

6. Voice integration

Some smart or intelligent appliances can be controlled using just your voice. Select KitchenAid^® smart appliances allow you to control your appliance with your Google Assistant or an Alexa-enabled device. On these smart appliances, you can adjust settings or monitor your cooking without using your hands.²

2. Wi-Fi & App required. Features subject to change. Amazon Alexa capabilities available in the U.S. only. Google Assistant capabilities available globally. For details and privacy info, visit KitchenAid.com/Connect (U.S.) or KitchenAid.ca/Connect (Canada). Alexa, Google and certain other trademarks are owned by their respective companies.

Shop KitchenAid^® ranges and wall ovens

Select KitchenAid^® wall ovens let you control the oven with your Google Assistant or an Alexa-enabled device to stay hands-on or hands-off.² The KitchenAid™ App lets you conveniently preheat, proof, bake and roast, plus store your favorite recipes for easy reference.

2. Wi-Fi & App required. Features subject to change. Amazon Alexa capabilities available in U.S. only. Google Assistant capabilities available globally. For details and privacy info, visit KitchenAid.com/Connect (U.S.) or KitchenAid.ca/Connect (Canada). Alexa, Google and certain other trademarks are owned by their respective companies.

Intelligent and smart appliance FAQs

Get answers to commonly asked questions about intelligent and smart appliances to help you figure out which type of appliance may be right for your home.

What is an example of a smart appliance?

A smart oven is a primary example of smart kitchen technology. The defining feature of a smart appliance is connectivity, which allows you to interface with the device through a smartphone app or voice assistant.

For those who love to host, a smart oven offers more flexibility by providing:

• Remote Preheating: Start your oven from another room so it’s ready when you finish your prep.

• Real-Time Monitoring: Check your dish’s progress or internal temperature from your phone while you stay in the moment with your guests.

• Instant Alerts: Receive notifications when a timer ends or the oven reaches temperature, removing the need to hover near your oven.

While these features provide remote access and visibility, a smart appliance still follows your direct commands, acting as a digital extension of your manual cooking process.

What is meant by “appliance intelligence”?

Appliance intelligence refers to your appliance’s ability to understand your cooking routines and make adjustments on its own. Intelligent appliances gather data and recognize patterns to autonomously optimize settings and improve performance. While appliance intelligence may vary across different models, it typically acts as an intuitive partner that can anticipate your needs.

Do intelligent and smart appliances need Wi-Fi to work?

Generally, you should be able to manually control your appliance through its touchscreen or control panel without using Wi-Fi. However, you will need to connect your appliance to Wi-Fi in order to use specific intelligent and smart features, such as remote monitoring and guided cooking.

Do intelligent appliances learn my cooking preferences and settings?

Yes, many intelligent appliances are designed to learn and adapt to your specific habits to some extent. While a smart appliance waits for your command, an intelligent model may use machine learning to recognize your patterns, helping to ensure your favorite settings are always within reach. In addition, some intelligent ovens use sensors to monitor a dish's progress in real-time, autonomously adjusting heat or timing to help you achieve consistent results.

Do I need to create an account to connect my smart appliances to my phone?

You will generally need to create an account to connect smart appliances to your phone. Once your appliances are connected, usually through an app, you’ll be able to control them from your phone.

To connect your KitchenAid^® smart appliances, begin by downloading the KitchenAid^™ App² on your device. Then, create an account and sign in. After that, you’ll need to add and connect your appliance. Refer to the KitchenAid^™ app for more detailed instructions, or follow this guide to help get you started.

2. Wi-Fi & App required. Features subject to change. Amazon Alexa capabilities available in U.S. only. Google Assistant capabilities available globally. For details and privacy info, visit KitchenAid.com/Connect (U.S.) or KitchenAid.ca/Connect (Canada). Alexa, Google and certain other trademarks are owned by their respective companies.

Shop smart appliances from KitchenAid brand

Remotely monitor and control select KitchenAid^® smart appliances with the KitchenAid™ App.² Select KitchenAid^® smart appliances such as some ranges, allow you to use the KitchenAid™ App to preheat, proof, bake and roast, save custom cooking instructions for favorite recipes and more. Explore KitchenAid^® ranges, wall ovens, cooktops and microwaves with smart options for an elevated kitchen experience.

2. Wi-Fi & App required. Features subject to change. Amazon Alexa capabilities available in U.S. only. Google Assistant capabilities available globally. For details and privacy info, visit KitchenAid.com/Connect (U.S.) or KitchenAid.ca/Connect (Canada). Alexa, Google and certain other trademarks are owned by their respective companies.