Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. News

Alexa will soon help you make popcorn with voice-controlled microwaves

By

alexa microwave
Image used with permission by copyright holder
At last year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Alexa was showing up in all sorts of devices. Ahead of CES 2018, Amazon’s voice assistant is prepping to do more in your kitchen by adding voice control to your microwave. As part of an expanded Smart Home Skills API, developers will be able to integrate microwave-centric voice commands into devices.

Some of the examples Amazon gives in its developer blog include, “Alexa, defrost three pounds of chicken,” and “Alexa, microwave for 50 seconds on high.” If your microwave has a much-used preset, you will be able to turn it on with a voice command, too. Manufacturers such as General Electric have already made some wall ovens compatible with Alexa. While being able to ask it to set your oven to 350 degrees while your hands are messy is convenient, being able to say, “Alexa, set the microwave to 80 percent power for three minutes” means fewer buttons to press. However, this isn’t something we would necessarily want to do from the other room, because if Alexa mishears us and cooks our Bagel Bites for 30 minutes, no one is going to be happy. (Honestly, though, don’t put your Bagel Bites in the microwave. Only an oven or toaster oven will give them that desired crispiness.)

Recommended Videos

According to Amazon, Whirlpool plans to have the skill ready for its connected microwaves soon, and GE Appliances, Kenmore, LG, and Samsung are all beefing up their Alexa cooking skills as well.

Related

Meanwhile, the June Oven now works via voice control, thanks to its custom Alexa skill. The countertop and built-in versions of the smart oven uses cameras to identify what food you’re making (it can differentiate about 25 at the moment) and set the cooking parameters accordingly. For foods it can’t peg, presumably you will be able to ask Alexa to relay the information to June, and it will use its sensors and machine learning to take care of the rest. Again, we would want to ensure — even with June’s cameras — that our Echo heard “apple pie” and not “rib-eye.”

Many manufacturers start off weary of smart control for ovens, for fear that people would start preheating while away from home, forgetting they left a sweater in there. Many still require you to push a button before you can control the oven with your phone. Since running an empty microwave isn’t a great idea, we will likely see similar safeguards when voice control comes to the appliances. Amazon says it will be up to the manufacturer whether to enable remote-start functionality.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jenny McGrath
Jenny McGrath
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jenny McGrath is a senior writer at Digital Trends covering the intersection of tech and the arts and the environment. Before…
The 8 best Alexa holiday commands
Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker sitting on a table.

The holiday season might be known as the “most wonderful time of the year,” but it’s also one of the busiest. Whether you're gearing up for a road trip or hosting a family get-together, these winter days are bound to seem even shorter than usual. Thankfully, Amazon Alexa is here to streamline your agenda and provide plenty of holiday cheer. From playing games and telling jokes to curating your playlist and tracking the weather, here are eight Alexa holiday commands to make your 2022 holiday the best yet.
Alexa, show me some holiday movies

Plopping down with a warm blanket and watching a holiday movie is one of the best ways to spend your cold December nights. And if you need some help narrowing down all the options, Alexa can show you some of the best holiday movies currently available. When connected to a Fire TV, you can even have Alexa automatically load up the movie for you.
Alexa, spin the dreidel
Dreidel is a popular game to play around Hanukkah, and Alexa can both teach you the rules and serve as the central game piece. Simply ask Alexa “how do I play dreidel” to get a refresher on the rules, then ask to “spin the dreidel” to get the game started.
Alexa, ask Santa if I’m naughty or nice

Read more
How to find ghosts with Alexa (and other scary skills)
Some scary teens in The Midnight Club.

Do you wish you could use your amazing Alexa ecosystem to deliver some horrific thrills and chills to your peaceful home? Wish no more, dear scarer, for Alexa has taken a lesson or two from the formidable likes of Dracula and The Wolf Man, and the result is a nice little Pandora's box of ghoulish capabilities.

If you're interested in experiencing some life-beyond-the-grave entertainment with your favorite Alexa devices, we've put together this list of our favorite spooky Alexa skills you can try in the lead-up to Halloween. And hey, no one said you couldn't freak the family out during the Christmas season, or around the 4th of July, for that matter.
Count down the days in vile style
Have you ever seen Halloween III: Season of the Witch? Infamously, it's the only Halloween movie to not feature the elusive Michael Myers, but it is the only Halloween entry that features one heck of an ear worm tune in the form of this little jingle.

Read more
The best Alexa Routines for every lifestyle
Vont smart bulb with Alexa voice control support.

If you're unfamiliar with Alexa routines, they're a series of tasks that Alexa can do by only saying one phrase. For instance, instead of telling Alexa to turn off lights, turn on music, and turn on the TV, you can say something along the lines of "Alexa, movie time," and the assistant will perform all those tasks for you.

These routines can help you save time with daily or repetitive tasks and stay organized by using the full power of Alexa. Routines can be custom-made depending on your lifestyle or can be acquired from others. Here, we'll describe various routines that may help you out.

Read more