SMART APPLIANCES GALORE

A GLIMPSE INTO THE MODERN KITCHEN

BY NICOLE WILLIS

In a technology-driven world full of electric vehicles, virtual reality and artificial intelligence, it only makes sense that our homes would follow suit and ride the wave of technological advancements. Smart home devices add easy automations to our daily lives, allowing us to conveniently perform simple tasks at home from controlling the lighting to locking doors remotely, all through simple voice commands or with the use of a smartphone companion app.

With many of us living fast-paced lives, we need home appliances that are reliable, effortless and most importantly, take little time to use. When it comes to cooking dinner for the family after a long day at work or brewing the perfect cup of joe before you go, some tech-led convenience can help simplify things in the kitchen. We’ve rounded up some of the most useful and unique technology-driven kitchen appliances to simplify your kitchen and make your cooking experience all the more fun. From countertop toasters that perfectly brown your slice of toast, to an espresso machine that runs on an app from your smartphone, there’s a tech-based kitchen product or smart appliance out there for just about everyone.

The Ultimate Chef System

Ninja Smart Screen Kitchen System

The Ninja Smart Screen Kitchen System is the ultimate all-in-one kitchen device for seasoned chefs and home cooks alike. This Ultimate Chef System can process, blend, chop, extract, slice, puree and more—all in one easy-touse system. The system features three “vessels” or attachments which each perform different tasks. The 72-ounce Total Crushing Pitcher is perfect for making smoothly blended dips and smoothies and the 20-ounce Single Serve Cup is designed to create various extractions, dressings and sauces. The system’s 40-ounce Precision Processor is built for chopping and shredding tough ingredients like carrots, zucchini and squash. The system’s smart base is able to recognize which vessel is connected to the base and then lights up the available programs. These programs are preset and feature unique patterns of pulsing, pausing and speed changes. Programs include chop, puree, smoothie and more. The Ninja Smart Screen Kitchen System is available to purchase on Amazon for $199.95.

Touch-Screen Toaster

Revolution InstaGLO 2-Slice High Speed Smart Toaster

Gone are the days of burnt toast, overcooked bagels and soggy waffles. The Revolution InstaGLO Toaster toasts your favorite breakfast items exactly how you like them. The toaster’s touchscreen interface is the first of its kind and simplifies the toasting experience— all the user has to do is place their desired breakfast item in the slots and make a few selections on the screen. First you select your product, in which there are five options to choose from: bread, bagel, waffle, english muffin or toaster pastry. Next, select the state of what you are toasting with the options fresh, frozen and reheat. When we are cooking a large breakfast, sometimes the timing does not work out favorably, and items get cold. The toaster’s reheat setting allows you to reheat your bread without it getting overly crispy or burnt. Whether you want toast with a slight golden hue, a warm and gooey toaster pastry or a basically burnt bagel, this toaster can do it all with a few taps. The Revolution InstaGLO Toaster is $349.95 and can be purchased at William Sonoma or online at williamsonoma.com.

Your Personal Bartender Think Keurig for cocktails with the bev by BLACK+Decker Cocktail bev by BLACK+Decker Maker. The bev makes bar-worthy cocktails in just seconds without Cocktail Maker the hassle and excess of ingredients or mess. With bev, there’s no need to have barely used bitters and partially cut fruits– the machine’s magic comes from a capsule like a Keurig. The bev requires Bartesian cocktail capsules that contain everything necessary for the drink it is labeled as. There are more than 40 capsule options so that you can make all kinds of drinks, from an old fashioned or a whiskey sour to a margarita or a cosmopolitan. The bev automatically pulls the spirits from the necessary bottle, combines it with the juices, extracts and bitters contained within the capsule, and dispenses it into your glass. Then sit, relax and enjoy a delicious and effortless cocktail. The bev Cocktail Maker is available on Amazon.com for $321.74.

Mobile Ordering… At Home

De’Longhi Dinamica Plus Fully Automatic Coffee Maker & Espresso Machine

We are all too familiar with the mobile ordering option available at coffee chains across the country. Well, now you can have this experience at home with the De’Longhi Dinamica Plus. The Dinamica Plus takes the concept of “mobile ordering” to a whole new level with its intuitive app-based programming. This powerful machine can make everything from lattes and cappuccinos to flat whites and iced coffee. The attached thermal milk carafe allows the machine to create milk-based espresso drinks like lattes with milk of any texture. The machine has 16 set beverage options that can be brewed either simply with one touch through pre-set settings or can be customized with the app, Coffee Link. De’Longhi’s Coffee Link app allows you to adjust things like the milk and coffee quantity and allows you to create your own drink. Apart from the app, the machine also features a touch screen interface that displays your mostbrewed drinks first. The De’Longhi Dinamica Plus is a coffee lover’s dream because of its vast customization options and state-of-the-art technology. The De’Longhi Dinamica Plus Fully Automatic Coffee Maker & Espresso Machine is available to purchase for $1,699.95 at William Sonoma.

Family FUNctionality

Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator

The appeal of Samsung Family Hub Refrigerators is less related to the fridge itself, but more related to the fridge’s high-tech functionality for the whole family. The Samsung Family Hub serves as a digital bulletin board, allowing family members to post their calendars, notes, voice memos, photos and videos. The fridge is also equipped to be an entertainment center for those cooking or hanging out in the kitchen. The fridge’s built-in speakers are surprisingly good quality for... well, a fridge. There are several music, podcast and radio apps available for download on the fridge, including iHeart and Spotify. An important addition to the Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator is the Family Hub app for Android and iOS devices, which allows you to take your fridge’s hub on the go. The Family Hub app allows you to look inside your fridge while you are shopping to see if you have a certain ingredient. Can’t remember if there’s any milk left? Just open the app to get a glimpse into the refrigerator. Via the hub or the app, you can also track the food you currently have in stock including their expiration dates, add items to your shopping list, plan meals and find recipes that contain ingredients that you already have on hand. The Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator comes in various sizes and colors and can be purchased at Lowe’s or online at lowes.com.

When it comes to convenience in the kitchen, there’s a product to make just about everyone’s life a little easier. These products are just a handful of the hundreds of smart kitchen appliances on the market. From smart fridges with cameras to one touch cocktail makers, products are available to make your time in the kitchen fun and simple. No matter what you want, you can get it in today’s tech-driven world.

Marry the House,

Date the Rate

By Renee’ D Wilhoit

AVP Market Sales Leader, Loan Office, Synovus Bank

Navigating the housing market, mortgage process and current interest rates can be overwhelming and stressful. With more than 30 successful years in the real estate and mortgage business, I offer some of my insight below.

You may have heard the quote in the title before —“Marry the house, date the rate.” There are a few ways that it can be interpreted. One way to translate it is to think of the words as, “Buy the home you have fallen in love with, even if it’s over your budget.” A different translation is, “Buy the home that is within your budget, and when and if rates go down you will have the opportunity to refinance—taking advantage of lower rates, and the extra money will be gravy!”

There are no promises that rates will go down, nor is there a timeline for future rate drops, but there are other considerations when buying in the current market, because you do have options! Take the path that keeps you financially secure by purchasing a home that comfortably fits your budget. What does that mean for buyers’ options with rates increasing along with home prices? • Putting additional money down on the house can help. By lowering your mortgage amount through a larger down payment, you lower the mortgage to home value. A lower loan to home value can mean a lower interest rate.

• Consider negotiating the seller’s paying some of the closing costs as this opens up an opportunity for the buyer (you!) to pay discount points that allow for a lower interest rate. This could potentially get the interest rate closer to last year’s rates. It is much cheaper for the seller to pay the closing costs than it is to lower the sales price and it gives a bigger benefit

• Government loans (FHA, VA, USDA) offer lower rates, however, each of these loan products have additional fees which are added

to the overall mortgage cost to support the high loan to home value. Consider this as an opportunity to pay additional points with the savings from these loans, which will lower your interest rates as well.

• Adjustable rate mortgages are becoming more popular, along with the one/two buy downs being offered.

• If this is your first time buying a home, look into the many programs that are available to assist first time homebuyers. Down payment assistance, 100 percent financing and second mortgages to cover closing costs are some of the benefits offered. Take advantage of these opportunities if you can. The City of Pensacola,

Escambia County and Santa Rosa County offer programs for down payment assistance.

There are many options available to home buyers in the current market. Do your research and happy home buying!

About the Author

Renee’ D Wilhoit has provided home financing in the Panhandle for 32 years. She has been with Synovus Bank for 15 years. Renee is a member of the Women’s Council of Realtors, the Pensacola Association of Realtors and the Home Builders Association of West Florida. She also serves on the Favor House Board, the Affordable Housing Board and Women’s Council of Realtors Board. Whilhoit was also chosen as a Task Committee Member to help Affordable Housing meet their goal of 500 homes in five years.

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