LAS VEGAS -- Modern cooks know how to use classic cooking implements to make 21st century delicacies. Not that there’s anything wrong with our stovetops and ovens, but aside from some digital readouts, not much has changed about them in decades. Now, finally, the equipment is getting a fresh injection of technology.
At CES 2016, Samsung unveiled its new line of Wi-Fi-enabled ranges, including an electric one that features, according to Samsung, the World’s First "Virtual Flame". The “flame,” which is for the new electric stove-tops only, is actually blue LEDs that reflect off the base of your pots and pans. The hotter the real heating element, the bigger and brighter the LED lights. It could be a useful, at-a-glance way, of knowing just how much heat those clean-top electric burners are pumping out.
Samsung is also adding new Wi-Fi capabilities to its range lines. Samsung’s Wi-Fi Slide-in Range with Soft Close Dual Door will connect to any standard home router and let you monitor, preheat, and adjust the oven temperature. You can also check if the stove is on from your smartphone. The preheat feature is, owing to regulations, limited to the line of ranges with electric ovens. No one wants you turning on the gas from a thousand miles away.
The appliance also features Samsung’s Flex Duo technology, which, with a divider insert, basically splits the oven into two usable compartments (2.4 cu. ft. on top and 3.3 cu. ft. on bottom).
Samsung’s app will work with iOS and Android phones. The Wi-Fi stove models start at $2999 and should start shipping later this year.