Alexa in the Kitchen

With the holiday season entering full swing, one might begin to plan out their gifts ahead of time. Amazon's Echo and Dot products both provide useful Alexa capabilities. Specifically, some useful tools for even the kitchen! Some people would say it is one of the best places to use one.

Keep a grocery list

Alexa can keep a list for you as you're scouring around the kitchen. "Alexa, add an item to my shopping list" is one of the few phrases you can say. It will automatically create a list for you in the Alexa paired app on both iOS and Android.

Convert Units

Alexa is capable of converting both volumetric measurements as well as weight measurements. "Alexa, how many cups are in a gallon?"

Multiple timers

You can set individual timers, each with their own name! You can keep track of a pizza, a pie, and even a roast, all at the same time. Alexa will keep track of it all.

Make Coffee

With some special gadgets, you can have Alexa make coffee for you.

Control smart cookers

With modern technology in smart appliances, Alexa can also control small appliances. You can set temperatures, ask specific cooking questions, and even statuses of cooking food.

Control large appliances

We have even reached the point where refrigerators can be controlled. GE's Geneva can let you preheat the oven or even brew coffee in a refrigerator with a built-in Keurig.

Recipe Ideas

There is a complete list of recipe options under the skills section if you search for "recipe." You can send them directly to your phone or save them for a later time. You can also ask Alexa for recipes based on certain ingredients.

Get cooking times

You can ask Alexa for how long to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving, a steak for a BBQ, and a range of other various items.

Calorie counts

Alexa may not know the exact answer to calories in your food, but it does provide a great place to start.

Listen to music or news

You can have Alexa play your favorite podcast, stream music, or even binge Netflix all from the comfort of your kitchen while cooking.

Overall, Alexa is a great tool for cooks or families in the kitchen. It provides many features that can simply your cooking as well as provide an enjoyable experience. You can pick up both an Amazon Echo or Dot from the Amazon marketplace.