LG will attempt to impress with its new line of smart kitchen appliances at the CES 2018 in Las Vegas, headlined by the Alexa-enabled InstaView ThinQ refrigerator.
The smart fridge is part of LG's smart kitchen offerings that include the EasyClean Oven and QuadWash Dishwasher, all engineered to "maximize efficiency and ease and to allow more quality time at home." The plan is for LG to demonstrate how the appliances work this week, but no release date and pricing details have been provided.
"The seamless connectivity inherent in LG's smart kitchen solution will revolutionize the cooking and dining habits of consumers ... By streamlining food preparation and cleanup from start to finish, LG's use of artificial intelligence in the kitchen enhances quality of life by offering innovative solutions to everyday struggles in the kitchen," LG said in a press release.
'Talking' Kitchen Appliances
LG said the upcoming kitchen gizmos will work as a well-coordinated team — connected and talking with one another for a more efficient household operation. The company's vision is for a home kitchen that is tapped into the internet to predict consumer needs and cut down both time and cost during meal preparations.
The InstaView ThinQ fridge, for instance, has a 29-inch touchscreen transparent panel that doubles as a computer monitor and a window for a quick view of what's inside the box. The latter happens with a simple double tap on the panel, and the smart fridge will then permit an audit of the contents without opening the door.
As a computerized refrigerator, the InstaView ThinQ is able to manage kitchen tasks such as suggesting grocery list and setting expiration dates, which should be a good measure to minimize food wastes. A panoramic camera can also be found inside the unit, purportedly to allow for remote checking of what items need restocking or tossing.
The InstaView ThinQ is powered by LG's webOS and is deeply integrated with Amazon's Alexa, the backbone that links the fridge with the equally smart oven and dishwasher of the line. When connected and working as one unit, the LG smart kitchen tools will automate what needs to be done from start to finish.
LG said when instructed, Alexa will alert the EasyClean oven, which will then begin to preheat based on the suggested recipes coming from the ThinQ fridge. The QuadWash dishwasher will also be prepared to clean up, again acting on the data transmitted from the fridge and oven.
In ushering in the smart appliances, it's quite obvious that LG is gunning for consumers to go exclusive on the company's kitchen ecosystem. However, that happening will greatly depend on the machines' asking price that remains unannounced and presumably will be on the pricy level.
