If you’re not already reeling from the baker’s dozen of devices and breakthroughs that Amazon unleashed on Thursday, September 20, here’s one more bulletin. SideChef, the all-in-one home cooking platform, is going to help Amazon with its new expansion into the smart kitchen by integrating with Alexa to help Echo owners cook via interactive recipes.
The big news included the fact that Amazon has manufactured a completely redesigned Echo Show as well as a smart home-enabled microwave that is Alexa-friendly. Whether home cooking connoisseurs are using the Echo Spot (using audio navigation) or the new Echo Show (complete with voice guidance, photography, and video demos), users will be able to access a robust step-by-step cooking experience on all Alexa devices.
In terms of practical day-to-day benefits, Amazon Echo users will be able to ask Alexa for recipe suggestions, and the devices will display and read off options and search results. More than 7,000 SideChef recipes will be available at launch, with additional dishes added weekly. Budding and experienced cooks will be able to prompt Alexa for “next steps,” or “repeat instructions,” as well as get more clarity on ingredients, measurements, and set timers.
“By offering SideChef content through Amazon’s family of Echo devices, millions of users now have access to thousands of free interactive smart recipes,” CEO of SideChef CEO Kevin Yu said in a release. “Our smart cooking platform is paving the way for technology to seamlessly integrate with kitchens around the world, and we’re excited to be able to connect users with recipes from celebrity chefs, popular bloggers, and the ever-growing SideChef community.”
SideChef is a cooking app that specializes in offering step-by-step recipe navigation, kind of like a GPS. Using hands-free voice commands, the app guides you through the cooking process, from chopping to sauteing to broiling, complete with photos, how-to videos, and built-in timers to keep you on track. The app is free on all iOS and Android devices. In 2017, it won the Google Play Editor’s Pick of “Best Daily Helper App.”
SideChef is poised to be a major ally to Amazon in the smart home market, particularly when it comes to the kitchen. As we reported, Microsoft’s first foray into the smart kitchen was announced in the form of the AmazonBasics Microwave, an Alexa-enabled device that adds a great deal of voice control for users.
SideChef, meanwhile, already has a big partnership with Amazon via its recently acquired Whole Foods brand. SideChef and Amazon joined forces earlier this year to offer Amazon Prime users who are also AmazonFresh subscribers the ability to order groceries for more than 5,000 different recipes and have them delivered the same day.
We’ll keep an eye on these developing stories and let you know what happens. Between these developments and rumors of an additional 3,000 Amazon Go stores coming on the market, how you get your groceries in the future could change considerably.
Few things ruin a quiet evening faster than a robot vacuum roaring through the living room. Most of us end up pausing the cleaning run, which defeats the whole purpose of owning one. Matic thinks it has the answer with its new Serene robot vacuum, and the big selling point is how little noise it makes.
The Matic Serene runs at 52 decibels even when cleaning at full power. To put that in perspective, Matic compares it to the hum of your refrigerator. It is available now for $1,695, which is $200 more than the original Matic’s current price.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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