Retrofit Kitchen Appliances
Make your kitchen smarter
Introduction
As a home automation enthusiast, I try to make as many appliances “smarter”. Not only by buying smart appliances, but also by making my existing appliances smart by adding sensors to a “dumb” appliance. With kitchen appliances, this is very easy to do.
The advantage of this approach is:
- that you can get started right away;
- Smart appliances are often connected to the cloud and come with security and privacy risks;
- The selection of models is limited, also they are usually much more expensive.
The downside is that you don’t get all the advanced smart features, only some basic ones. In most cases, this is not a reason to upgrade the appliance, and in the meanwhile, this is good enough (for me at least).
What matters most for a smart device really depends on individual preferences: is it it’s features, privacy, price, or durability?
For me, it’s privacy (running everything locally) and durability.
On this page, I describe how I’ve added basic out-of-the-box sensors to each of my “dumb” kitchen appliances to make them a bit smarter.
NOTE 1:: BE AWARE: Before using a smart socket between your appliances, make sure your device uses less power than the smart socket can handle. Appliances can also have peek current consumptions which can cause damage and possible fire when the smart socket doesn’t have a peak current security in it.
NOTE 2:: If you add ESPs inside these appliances and overrule the buttons and read the display from intern, you can make them even smarter, but that has an impact on the safety and assurance of it. This is out of scope here. If you’ve done it yourself, please let me know. I’m still very interested in it!
Table of Contents
NOTE: Links on this page can be affiliate links.
I’ll describe one by one how an appliance can be made smarter with sensors, actuators and automations.
Dishwasher
A dishwasher can be made smarter with automations that notify you when cycles finish, remind you to empty it, or track usage.
Sensors and automations
- With a smart plug with energy consumption monitoring: you can track if it (still) running.
- With a contact sensor on the door: you can check if the door is opened (and probably emptied).
- With a lux sensor next to the light underneath it: you can also check if it indicates it’s still running.
Notifications
With these automations you can make the next notifications and/or announcements when the dishwasher is …
- finished.
- not emptied yet after X time after it’s finished. You can keep sending them until the door is opened.
- not started yet today when the time is after Y.
Not possible
Automations which you can’t make this way:
- Start it at a specific moment, like when the energy price is low or just during the night. Then you need a real smart dishwasher.
Oven
An oven can be made smarter with automations that notify you when it’s on it set temperature.
Sensors and automations
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With a smart plug with energy consumption monitoring: when the power consumption drops, it reached his preset temperature.
First check the manual of your oven to see if the wattage is below the maximum of the smart socket.
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With a contact sensor on the door: you can check if the door is opened and start a timer on a dashboard.
Notifications
With these automations you can make the next notifications and/or announcements when the oven …
- reaches his preset temperature.
Dashboard additions
- When the oven is on.
- Timer when the last time was that the oven door was opened.
- The use case to link the opened door to a countdown timer isn’t always reliable, sometimes you open the door to check the food in between.
Refrigerator
A refrigerator can be made smarter with automations that notify you when it’s too hot or cold inside or when the door is too long open.
Sensors and automations
- With a temperature sensor inside the refrigerator and freezer: you can monitor the temperature.
- With a door contact sensor attached to the doors: you can monitor if the doors are opened or closed (in a certain time range).
Notifications
With these automations you can make the next notifications and/or announcements when the refrigerator …
- the door is open too long (also when it isn’t correct closed).
- The linked Aqara temperature sensor works still fine with temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius. They have a shorter battery life than under normal temperature conditions, but still they work as expected.
- the door isn’t opened in the evening to get some meat/fish from the freezer for the meal of the next day. Check my Mealie page for the implementation.
Stove
A stove can be made smarter with automations that can activate the ventilation or warn you of too much bad air.
Sensors and automations
- With a temperature sensor inside the extractor hood: you can monitor the temperature and humidity of steam from the cooked meals.
- With a smart plug with energy consumption monitoring: you can monitor if the extraction fan is activated.
- With a gas sensor: you can detect is the gas is still open while you’re not cooking anymore.
Notifications
With these automations you can make the next notifications and/or announcements when the stove …
- detects if someone is cooking.
- know that the extraction fan must be activated based on the temperature/humidity.
- detect too much gas in the air.
Actions when cooking-mode is detected ….
- turn on the automated ventilation system.
- turn on the light above the stove.
Dashboard additions
- When the stove is on.
Ventilation system
A ventilation system can be made smarter by automating a remote control, then you can control it based on other sensors. Like if someone is cooking.
Actuators and automations
- With an automated ventilation system, you can decide when to turn it on or off.
I realized this by using an ESP-board to control an extra remote of the ventilation system via MQTT and Home Assistant. Check out my dedicated page about this project.
- With a CO2 sensor you can: monitor the air quality.
You can create one yourself with a ESP board and CO2 sensor, see the project page for all info. - With a temperature and humidity sensor in the cooker hood above the stove: you can detect if someone is cooking.
It depends on where your ventilation system is used for. In my case for the stove, shower, and kitchen. I have these automations also in place:
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With a temperature and humidity sensor in the ventilation tube above the shower: you can detect if someone is showering.
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With an extra temperature and humidity sensor also somewhere else in the kitchen, you can compare if the kitchen air is too humid or high and decide to activate the ventilation system. I use this extra sensor as a reference to the humidity in the stove. The humidity in the summer can be very low, but in autumn very high for the whole day. In my experience, if you use fixed values, to control the system, it can be that it will never drop below the 60%.
Sink
A sink can be made smarter with automations like a notification when there is a leak.
Sensors and automations
- With a leak sensor (or a modified contact sensor) under the sink: you can detect leaks.
- With a automatic and handsfree soap dispenser: you can wash your hands quicker (the soap is already foam) and without touching the dispenser.
Notifications
With these automations you can make the next notifications and/or announcements when the sink …
- has a leak detected under it.
I have a dedicated page about how I created a diy leak sensor based on contact sensor.
Coffee machine
A coffee machine can be made a bit smarter and notify you when it’s time to order new beans or cups, or when it needs descaling.
Sensors and automations
- With a vibration sensor attached to the machine: you can detect when the coffee machine is used.
- With a smart plug with energy consumption monitoring: you can also detect when the coffee machine is used.
Notifications
With these automations you can make the next notifications and/or announcements when the coffee machine …
- to order new beans or cups (count the brewed coffees).
- to descale the machine after it’s used X times.
Conclusion
As you can read with just an addition of a few sensors to your current dumb kitchen appliances, you can make them must smarter!
Do you have any other cool kitchen automations running? Please let me know via the comments under my posts.
For more automation ideas around your home, check my ideas page as well.