Site icon Ideas by Mr Right

What is a Smart refrigerator?

Image credit: Flickr

It is safe to assume that almost everybody has at least one smart appliance in their home, besides the usual smartphone, tablets, laptops, or computers. And one smart appliance that can prove to be very beneficial to your kitchen is a smart refrigerator. Everybody has a refrigerator, but what makes a smart refrigerator so different and better is the convenience provided by it. It helps you in keeping track of the food items inside your refrigerator, saving energy, keeping things organized, etc. Smart refrigerators are one of the several types of refrigerators available in the market for you if you want to buy one for your kitchen. But, do you know what smart refrigerators are and what additional benefits they offer? Let us learn about smart refrigerators in this article before you decide on which one is best suited for you.

What is a Smart Refrigerator?

A smart refrigerator or internet refrigerator is a high-tech refrigerator that is connected to the internet that enables you to detect and manage the items stored in your refrigerator. These refrigerators require an RFID or barcode on each item to help detect the items inside the refrigerator, or you can also register the items manually. You can detect the type of item stored, expiry date, usage time, etc. on the LCD screen or other output devices, without even opening the refrigerator. Smart refrigerators can be connected to other smart devices and controlled from anywhere. 

Some smart refrigerator recommendations for you:

  1. Haier 565 L Inverter Side-by-Side Door Refrigerator
  2. LG 687 L Inverter Frost-Free Side-by-Side Refrigerator
  3. Whirlpool 240 L Frost Free Multi-Door Refrigerator
  4. Samsung 244L 3 Star Inverter Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator
  5. LG 260 L 3 Star Smart Inverter Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator
  6. Samsung 314 L 2 Star Inverter Frost-Free Double Door Refrigerator

Features of a Smart Refrigerator

Image credit: Flickr

The advanced features of smart refrigerators help in making your life easier and saving on your costs. Though these refrigerators are a bit expensive than the other types of refrigerators, their features make them beneficial for many, based on the size of a family. Following are the features of smart refrigerators that make your life easier and help you save money and energy:

  1. Save on the groceries: Smart refrigerators enable you to be sure about the groceries you need by allowing you a look inside your refrigerator right in the middle of the grocery store, through your smartphone. It prevents you from buying items that you already have stored inside your refrigerators. Some smart refrigerators come with features that inform you about the expiration date on your groceries so that you can consume them before they become outdated, thus saving you from grocery wastage. This ultimately helps you in saving food as well as money by keeping you informed about the groceries inside your refrigerator.
  2. Save energy: Smart refrigerators allow you to control the temperature inside your refrigerator easily through your smart devices and thus helps in saving energy. These refrigerators also monitor any issues related to them continuously and send notifications to your smart devices when in need of care or maintenance, helping you save increased energy usage. You can also program a smart refrigerator to run their energy-consuming during the off-peak hours and save energy. 
  3. Prevent maintenance issues: It is no secret that regular maintenance of your refrigerator helps in solving any issue before it causes bigger problems. Many smart refrigerators allow you to know about any issues with your refrigerator by sending alerts on the app on your smart devices that connect your refrigerator to the smart devices. They inform you about temperature control issues, filter change requirements, poor airflow, etc. all leading to major issues with the help of the AI technology built inside the refrigerator. 
  4. Watch recipes and make mealtime fun: Smart refrigerators come with a screen where you can watch recipes while cooking or play music and movies for the kids while preparing food, to keep them busy. 
  5. Keep your life and family organized: The smart features of the refrigerator also enable you to write notes or manage a calendar for you and your entire family and set reminders for the important tasks to be completed. Some smart refrigerators even have a whiteboard feature where you can leave notes for your family if you are going out and inform them about things like where you are going, what is for dinner, etc. This smart feature helps you in keeping your life and family organized easily. 

Concerns about Smart Refrigerator

With all the benefits, there are some concerns bound to come to your mind about smart refrigerators. Let us discuss the concerns regarding smart refrigerators to understand better if it best suited for you or not.

  1. Are smart refrigerators expensive than other refrigerators? Smart refrigerators are indeed expensive than the other types of refrigerators but the difference in the price is not too much these days. The extra amount that you have to pay for a smart refrigerator varies as per the model and brand of refrigerator you choose. Also, the additional smart features of the refrigerator compensate for the additional purchase price that you pay for them. Smart refrigerators also help in saving significant energy costs in the long run.
  2. Are smart refrigerators can be hacked? Like any other smart device, your smart refrigerator also has a small built-in computer inside it, which uses the same wifi connection as your other devices. Any device or appliance connected to the internet always has a risk of being hacked. Your smart refrigerator has numerous information about you displayed on the screen such as your daily calendar, notes, etc., and these pieces of information are also accessed on other devices using the same login details. All the manufacturers are working on mitigating this issue for your safety but in the meanwhile, you also have to take some precautionary measures. Use different passwords for different services (the passwords should always be a bit complex or unique) and always remember to configure your router or modem, with proper security.
  3. Are smart refrigerator repairs expensive than other refrigerators? The answer to this question is both yes and no. Even your smart refrigerator is just a refrigerator with all the common components such as fans, compressors, condenser coils, etc. the repair cost for which is the same as in case of the ordinary refrigerators. But if you face issues with the smart features such as the touchscreen interface, in-built coffee maker, or hands-free door opening sensors, then you might have to pay a little extra for the repair cost as compared to the ordinary refrigerators. However, the smart refrigerators come with features that inform you about any issues even they become severe and regular maintenance is always helpful in keeping your refrigerator in its perfect shape.
  4. Do smart refrigerators become obsolete after the release of a new model? No, new models do not ultimately mean that your current smart refrigerator will become obsolete. The connectivity with the internet has the advantage of software updates with every new model released in the market. Your smart refrigerator stays up-to-date with the latest technologies as they are developed and released, making your refrigerator even smarter. The software updates these refrigerators are usually sent during the night to avoid any hassles for the users and offer them a seamless experience.

Conclusion

It is always good to stay updated with the technology, especially when it comes to your home appliances and comfort. Smart refrigerators offer plenty of additional features that add to your convenience and the connection with the smart devices makes it easier to manage your refrigerator and its contents from anywhere. Make sure to consider all the beneficial features and the concerns that usually arise in the case of smart refrigerators before making a final decision about whether you want it or not. Get the refrigerator best suited for you but do consider adding a smart refrigerator in your kitchen, making your kitchen smarter.

Exit mobile version