While its prototype was a fun device to tinker with at last year’s CES show in Las Vegas, GE Appliances is making its dynamic new Kitchen Hub the centerpiece of the appliance manufacturer’s presence at CES 2019 as it prepares to bring the product to the consumer market later this year. CES attendees should expect multiple interactive stations that give GE Appliances the chance for as many people to experience the hub’s capabilities as possible.

Originally, the Kitchen Hub was planned to be released in Fall of 2018 at a real cost around $600, but it looks like GE Appliances has invested some time and resources in tweaking and improving the versatile interactive smart kitchen and ventilation system designed to be installed over an oven or range. Now, the manufacturer will launch the much-anticipated smart kitchen hub in May of 2019, at a cost ranging from $1,200 to $1,400 MSRP.

It almost seems a misnomer to call the Kitchen Hub a smart kitchen appliance because it can do so much more than augment a homeowner’s cooking duties, including acting as the control station for other smart home devices like thermostats and lighting systems as well as serving as a fully-enabled entertainment and communication station.

The “hub” of the Kitchen Hub is a 27-inch smart touch screen and ventilation combo designed to easily fit above a standard range (although we’re sure GE Appliances would happily sell you one, too). It’s built on the company’s much-lauded GE Appliances U+ Connect platform and features a built-in Google Assistant as well as access to thousands of recipes through SideChef and access to entertainment options like Netflix and Spotify. Other popular functions include dinner playlists, social networking, and access to calendars and schedules to streamline household management.

“U+ Connect allows you to manage your smart home from one place,” said Shawn Stover, vice president of SmartHome Solutions for GE Appliances,” in a release. “You can preheat the oven, brew coffee, start the washer, play music, dim lights and more — all through the Hub.”

One key function that YouTubers and other streaming stars will appreciate, as well as those who like to chat with others as they cook, are the dual HD cameras with live video chat functionality. The Kitchen Hub features not only a forward-facing camera that can be used to check in with Grandma about the finer points of a family recipe, but also use the overhead camera to snap and upload their culinary masterpieces to Instagram or the social sharing site of their choice.

“The Kitchen Hub enhances a family’s ability to create great meals, connect with loved ones and manage control of their households from the most important room in the home — the kitchen,” said Stover. “At its core, the Kitchen Hub brings more efficiency and skill to the home cook. But it goes far beyond the kitchen, giving users a single, universal cooking and smart home portal that saves them time and allows them to focus on the things that matter most to them.”

CES guests can visit the GE Appliances booth (LVCC, Central Hall – 11128) at CES 2019 to experience the Kitchen Hub and other new devices that promise to change the way we experience the smart kitchen.