Retail Observer

January 2015

The Retail Observer is an industry leading magazine for INDEPENDENT RETAILERS in Major Appliances, Consumer Electronics and Home Furnishings

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RETAILOBSERVER.COM JANUARY 2015 36 F or Orthodox Jews, a Sabbath mode can be pre-scheduled. On this setting, neither the fridge nor the freezer will respond directly to user actions, per the standards of the kosher authorities at Star-K. The lights, compressors, and fans that normally are affected by door openings will now function in compliance with Sabbath rules. Other conveniences include the option to connect with a system that can communicate with external parties, in which case, the smart refrigerator can provide error code information prior to a service visit to ensure that the service tech is informed before they even enter the home. THE WOLF E-SERIES OVEN The "smart" oven is designed around the idea of cooking confidence and perfect results every time, and now taking the kitchen wherever you go. It enables the user to monitor cooking from anywhere in the home, so they can entertain or multitask worry-free. "My wife is a pediatrician and sometimes works night shifts," says Steve. "So, I'll just make a pizza, right? And I swear, this happens every time. While the oven is preheating, I'll take the dog out. Then, when I get back from the walk, I completely forget about the oven." With the smart oven in place, Steve now gets a text to his phone that the oven is done preheating. The smart oven also has alerts for when it shouldn't be on—an especially handy feature for families with small children. Other alerts include options for when the timer is almost finished and when a piece of meat has reached optimal cooking temperature. "I have a large family that is spread out and Madison, Wisconsin where I live, is the most central, so I typically host Thanksgiving," describes Steve. "As we all know, turkeys take three or four hours to cook. Well, the smart oven includes a temperature probe—it will show you the temperature in the turkey on the TV! So I can watch the Packers game and know that I'm not overcooking the turkey." MORE SMARTS, PLEASE Kirstin recalls another time her smart appliances saved the day: "I'd baked a cheesecake the day before a friend's party, but had to go out of town that night. I accidentally left the cheesecake cooling on the counter and never put it in the refrigerator. We were able to open the garage door remotely, so my sister could get in and get the cheesecake into the fridge. After she left, we were even able to double check that she'd closed the garage door!" THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT Want to pull up a recipe for apple pie? Simply use the touch screen on the countertop. Then liven things up with Brazilian pop music or NPR while you dice the apples. Meanwhile, a simple button click will let you check who's at the door when you're elbow-deep in dough. From a babysitter app that lists emergency numbers on a touch screen in the kitchen, to a reservation app that will square off your dinner plans, to a weather app that tips you off as to how warmly to dress, adds smarts to virtually every aspect of your home and kitchen. For the green-minded foodie, there are also apps that focus on energy efficiency and management. Now, you can better understand where to save. For example, some apps can help your smart appliances work with your thermostat to heat the house less as soon as the oven starts heating up. In areas where electricity prices vary throughout the day, the smart refrigerator can also save money. With a single touch, it can target the cheapest times of days for using energy. "Our appliances are designed to be very energy efficient," remarks Steve. "Any advantage we can give to the green consumer, we put in there. Whether it's features, software or intelligence, we make it as environmentally friendly as possible." So, there you have it: In addition to all the other firsts, the Control4 smart kitchen may very well be the first kitchen to earn the approval of both the Barefoot Contessa and Al Gore. For more information on Control4 and home automation solutions, go to www.control4.com. RO S U B - Z E R O I S A L L A B O U T K E E P I N G F O O D F R E S H E R L O N G E R , A N D T H I S T A K E S I T T O A N O T H E R L E V E L

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