How smart is your kitchen?

by Metropol | October 29, 2025 8:30 am

If there’s anything artificial intelligence can help us with, it’s the kitchen during silly season.

Picture this. Your husband is on a business trip and it’s time to cook yourself dinner – except you just bought a new oven and can’t set the right temperature. Hubby has access, though, from the comfort of his Auckland hotel room thanks to an app on his phone. That’s a true story, and an occurrence that’s becoming more and more common with the integration of AI in our homes.

At the world’s largest consumer electronics and home appliances trade show in Berlin this year, one theme was clear: AI is offering a new reality for the way we live at home – one that is smarter and more intuitive than ever before. Imagine a fridge that knows you do your weekly shop on Saturday and lowers its temperature in advance, or an air conditioner that knows which room gets the hot afternoon sun. That’s the future electronics brand LG is promising – where your home adapts to you, not the other way around – a ‘zero labour home’

So, what can these smart appliances actually do for you, and how could it make your life easier during the busiest months of the year? We break down the reported benefits of the two most common integrations of AI in the kitchen – the oven and fridge.

COOK
Aside from away-from-home access, AI ovens can automatically determine the best temperature and cooking time for specific dishes. No more burnt lasagne! Those like Breville’s smart oven air fryers use computer vision to assess the ingredients and thus modify cooking conditions. Some can even suggest alternate methods or combinations based on your personal preference – who needs a personal chef?

COOL
Intelligent refrigerators utilise algorithms to dictate temperature and maximise energy efficiency. These appliances can create personalised shopping lists and notify you if you’re running out of something, based on data like consumption patterns. Some fridges can even recommend meals based on the items inside to reduce food waste.

Source URL: https://metropol.co.nz/how-smart-is-your-kitchen/