CES 2022 Reveals Smart Kitchen Appliances and More for the Home

15 "Smart"—or extremely clever—high tech appliances that wowed the experts

The annual CES trade show in Las Vegas was held January 5–7. It is one of the world's largest consumer technologies shows and certainly the most influential. It's where existing manufacturers, as well as startups, strut their latest stuff. Some may be concepts. Others are already on the shelf or will be rolling out this year.

We thought it would be a fun way to start the new year by looking at the latest smart kitchen appliances and other cool home appliances showcased there. Most won CES 2022 Innovation Awards in either the Home Appliances or Smart Homes categories.

1. LG InstaView line of gas ranges

LG rolled out two gas ranges that also incorporate air frying and air sous vide style cooking as well as ProBake Convection cooking. A double tap on the oven door lets you see inside. This comes in a single oven and a double oven The double also integrates with LG's ThinQ Recipe inside the ThinQ app. Both are 30-inch slide-ins.

2. Samsung's Bespoke Ovens and Smart Induction Built-in Cooktop

Samsung has many Bespoke products across several appliance types. Bespoke means that you can customize the design and finish to suit your tastes. Their Bespoke Double Wall Oven has AI cameras that recommend the right cooking mode based on what is being cooked. It also has real steam and steam cook functions—no additional appliances necessary. The Bespoke Combination Wall Oven has an LCD display, Wi-Fi, and can accept voice commands. It too has an AI camera and can also function as a microwave or steamer.

Samsung's 30 in. induction cooktop has Wi-Fi to help you prepare meals of any size by providing more precise performance. It's also the first cooktop recognized for its ability to reduce energy use and lower emissions, all without impacting performance.

3. Panasonic HomeCHEF 7-in-1 Compact Oven

From the number one microwave brand in the US, this HomeCHEF Compact Oven comes with a .7 cu. ft. interior. But it is way more than a microwave. It can air fry, convection bake, steam, steam convection, slow cook, ferment, and sanitize. It has 18 preset meal options and an easy-clean interior.

4. Moen Smart Faucet

You've seen touchless faucets that use sensors in public restrooms. Now you can take it a step further at home. The Moen Smart Faucet with Gesture Control responds to hand gestures or to voice. It can even be ordered with or without a handle. The Moen app lets you preset common commands, set exact temperatures, and even preset water measurements. 

5. Sepura Home Garbage Disposal

Composting your leftover raw fruits and veggies just got simpler. Sepura Home is the world's first eco-friendly garbage disposal. It stops food waste from going into the sewage. Instead, a patented separator diverts food waste into a collection bin under the sink. This allows it to be easily composted plus prevents bad odors and won't draw fruit flies.

6. OmO Smart Trash Can

This is the world's first smart trash can. It is self-sealing and touchless. OmO has a motion sensor and works with Alexa and Google Assistant. When full, it will seal the trash in and open the bin so you can easily grab the bag and not worry about spilling the contents. OmO will also automatically replenish the bag when the lid closes. And since it does have an app, you can easily order more replacement liners. It's also highly resistant to tipping, making it pet-friendly.

7. LG Tiiun and Tiiun Mini Indoor Gardening Appliances

Like the idea of fresh herbs but have a hard time growing them? The Tiiun and Tiiun Mini provide indoor solutions. These are freestanding gardening appliances that allow you to easily grow an indoor garden full of herbs, vegetables, and flowers all year round.

Next, let's check out some of the laundry aids that were unveiled.

8. Samsung WA7700A Top Load Washer with Auto Dispense

Auto Dispense is already a feature in Samsung front load washers. Now it comes to this top loader too. It harnesses AI to add the right amount of detergent and softener for each load. It also has an Active Waterjet to handle prewash tasks and a Super Speed function to cut laundry time in half. Like all Samsung smart appliances, it connects to the SmartThings app so you can further optimize settings.

9. HomeCera Mini Dryer Aero-Daisy

This small and light dryer can reduce drying time up to 50%. A smart mode adjusts drying time based on the state of the laundry. For example, two towels take less than 15 minutes to dry. It's also quiet, thanks to its DC gear motor. It has UV sterilization, triple dust filters, and a stainless-steel tub.

10. Tide Infinity Washing Detergent

This is not available for home use—yet. But you can find it on the International Space Station! Since washing clothes in space hasn't been practical, well, you can just imagine what those clothes are like. Tide and NASA created Infinity, an unscented, fully degradable formula that can be used in a closed-loop water system like the space station. Quite a few experiments will be conducted to test dirt removal, odor fighting, stain removal, best delivery method, and so on. Goals are two-fold: how to do laundry on deep-space missions and on other planets, and how to wash clothes on Earth in a more sustainable way. 

Let's look at bathroom appliances next.

11. Kohler PerfectFill Smart Bath Filler and Drain

PerfectFill technology is a combination of smart drain, digital/app controller, and bath filler. Start filling your bathroom to the perfect temperature and depth via voice command or the Kohler Konnect app. It does need other components to work—Kohler's digital valve, spout, and bathtub.

12. RainStick Shower

RainStick is a circular shower that's WiFi enabled. It has twice the flow rate and saves up to 80% of water and energy usage. RainStick starts with fresh grid-supplied water. Then it captures, circulates, and cleans the water using a 3-stage process, while you're showering. It does not store water in-between showering sessions. It also has a traditional shower mode that does not recirculate the water. Anticipated payback of cost vs. savings is estimated to be 5 years or less.

Next, when it comes to indoor heaters, turns out there's a new radiator in town.

13. Polygon Vertical Electric Radiator

IRSAP makes a line of smart electric radiators. Polygon hangs on the wall and is sculptural in appearance. It even has RGBW LEDs for lighting effects. It is their first with built-in Wi-Fi and works with major voice assistants. It also has an air sensor to measure air quality and CO2 levels. Their app provides a unique and easy-to-use heating experience.

Finally, what about the great outdoors?

14. OtO Lawn

There are all kinds of smart products for inside the home. So, a smart sprinkler that roams the yard and recognizes specially designated areas should come as no surprise. But with OtO, the future of lawn care—not just watering—has arrived. OtO can also apply automatic lawn and garden treatments! It is solar powered and works with an app. 

15. GAF Timberline Solar Energy Shingle

Many homeowners have been contemplating alternative fuel sources. Solar has great appeal. But concerns over appearance and how they hold up to wind and hail, among other things, are stumbling blocks. GAF Energy's solar shingle is the world's first nailable solar energy shingle. It installs as easily as a standard shingle and provides a flat, clean look. It also provides warrantied protection from the elements while generating solar energy.

The "smart platform" wars are seeking truces

One drawback of various smart home devices, including smart home appliances, is that there are many different platforms in play. Is it Alexa? Google? HomeKit? SmartThings? Something else? Most of the time, they don't communicate with each other, causing frustration among buyers who don't realize there can be a problem.

However, two announcements came out of CES 2022 indicating there may be reconciliation.

One came from the Home Connectivity Alliance—HCA for short. Their goal is to create interoperability between the products of differing platforms. Currently HCA has GE/Haier, Electrolux, American Standard, and Trane Residential on board, to name a few. The announcement was that Samsung was joining the group.

Matter, a smart home alliance from Connectivity Standards Alliance (formerly Zigbee Alliance), made the second announcement. It plans to launch this year. It's supported by Amazon, Google, Apple, and Samsung. Other members include Ikea, Huawei, and Arlo. It is an open platform with the goal of creating a common language for smart home devices.

So, if you're planning to buy a major smart home appliance soon, think ahead to other appliances you may need to buy in the next few years. Weigh the pros and cons of all the appliances from a manufacturer. Then choose what appeals most to you, and—at least for now—stick with that brand or platform. Although there are plans to reduce the platform wars, it won't happen right away.

Of course, you can still buy standard appliances that don't have Wi-Fi or work with an app. And that's okay. Smart = higher cost and higher repair bills. Just be sure you know your budget—and future earning potential—before you buy anything.

And should you need those workaday connectivity accessories like water hoses, appliance power cords, and so on, be sure to check out what Certified Appliance Accessories has to offer. Remember, even new smart kitchen appliances need to be hooked up to your water, gas, or power somehow! You can always buy them in advance for your plumber or installer to use. You can purchase Certified Appliance Accessories online at Lowe's, Walmart, Amazon, and other ecommerce sites.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only. Certified Appliance Accessories is not liable or responsible for any damages resulting from or related to your use of this information.