Retrofit Kitchen Appliances

Make your kitchen smarter

Introduction

As a home automation enthusiast, I try to make as many appliances as possible smart. Not only by buying smart appliances, but also by making my existing appliances smarter by adding sensors to it.

The advantage of this approach is that I can get started right away. Smart appliances are often connected to the cloud and come with security and privacy risks. And 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.

What matters most in a smart device depends on each personal preferences: is it 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 sensors to each of my “dumb” kitchen appliances to make them a bit smarter.

If you know more automations you can apply in your kitchen, please let me know!

Note: If you add ESPs inside these appliances to 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!

Introduction
Dishwasher
Oven
Refrigerator
Stove / cooker hood
Ventilation system
Sink
Coffee machine
Lights

Dishwasher

Automations

Notification and/or announcement when the dishwasher is …

finished.
not emptied yet after X time after it’s finished.
not started yet today when the time is after X.

Sensors

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 check if it indicates it’s still running (as an alternative for the smart plug).

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

Automations

Notification and/or announcement when the oven …

reaches his preset temperature.
still on after X time.

Sensors

With a smart plug with energy consumption monitoring. The power consumption drops when he reaches his temperature.

Suggestions

With a contact sensor on the door, you can track how long something is in the oven.
- But I don’t know if this is really reliable because you can open the door in between also. You don’t know if you get your meal out of the oven or not.

Refrigerator

Automations

Notification and/or announcement when the refrigerator …

the door is opened too long. (Not closed correct)
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 this implementation.
the machine doesn’t use the normal energy consumption

Sensors

With a temperature sensor inside, you can track an open door.
With a contact sensor on the door, you can track an open door.
With a smart plug with energy consumption monitoring, you can track if it uses the expected power.