Livestreaming your food – appliances with cameras

September 9th, 2015

Appliance News Appliance Talk Fridges & Freezers Fridges & Freezers Kitchen Ovens Ovens & Cooking

One of the many wonders of living in the information age is the pervasive influence of video on our everyday lives. It’s not too surprising, considering that many of us carry around a device our pocket that can both record and play videos with just a swipe of our thumb.

But it’s not just smartphones, computers, and some televisions that have cameras built into them now – so do some kitchen appliances.

No, really. Check out these models that were displayed at the IFA trade show in Berlin this year:

Streaming in the fridge

The new noFrost fridge from Bosch may look like a stylish, but fairly straightforward appliance on the surface. The really interesting features are found on the inside.

As well as being designed to reduce icy buildup so there’s no need to defrost, this fridge has a digital camera built into its interior that can stream live video of your food and drink straight to an app on your smartphone.

Thanks to CNET for the video!

This may not sound particularly useful – live streaming your fridge isn’t likely to build up an army of YouTube subscribers (though stranger things have happened – CHEDDARCAM) – but the fridge camera does have a practical purpose.

source: Bosch

If you’re terminally disorganised (like me), you’ll often find yourself wandering through the shops, trying to figure out what to make for dinner. But unless you’ve made a list or exactly memorised your fridge’s contents there’s a good chance you’ll end up forgetting some crucial ingredient of your recipe, or buy more than you need of something you already had.

source: Bosch

But using this fridge’s app, you can simply sneak a peek at your smartphone and immediately know exactly what’s inside your fridge. Armed with this knowledge, you can shop smart, saving time and money.

Livestreaming your oven

As seen at last year’s IFA, and making a triumphant return this year, the AEG ProCombi steam oven doesn’t just allow you to bake with electric heat or lock in the nutrients of your food with steam cooking. It also includes a built in camera to help you keep an eye on your food.

Much like the fridge example above, while you COULD potentially use this feature to stream your cooking to the web for an audience of like-minded home chefs, the primary intention of this oven’s camera is largely practical.

source: Electrolux

Essentially, it will allow you to set your dish to start cooking, and walk away to take care of other important business in your household. Rather than stopping what you’re doing to return to the oven and check on your food yourself, you can just sneak a peek at your smartphone to see how your cooking is progressing.

Would you find an appliance with built-in streaming video useful? What other appliances would you like with a built-in camera?