Your Kitchen
What ‘Smart’ Appliances Can Do for You
Today we can control our household appliances from the palm of our hands, no matter where we are.
By Peggy Werner
I
f that 30-year-old appliance quits working and you need to replace it, and you haven’t done your homework, you’ll be surprised to learn how technological advances allow you to manage your life from your smartphone. That could improve the way you do laundry, prepare dinner, turn on the oven and more. “Everything is ‘smart’ now because we live in a ‘smart’ world where everything is connected and can be controlled from a phone held in the palm of your hand,” says Brittany Brouer, marketing director at Van’s Home Center, Auburn, Ind. For example, one of the most advanced appliances is the Samsung Family Hub refrigerator which is WI-FI enabled and allows you to send notes, sync schedules, see who’s at your front door, search recipes, get meal ideas, play music, stream movies and look inside the refrigerator as you shop, she says. Other Wi-Fi enabled appliances also allow you to start and stop equipment with your smartphone. A washing machine can hold a large amount of laundry detergent and dispense as needed. Large loads of laundry can be finished in 30 minutes and a small load left in the washer overnight will dry. “So, you can start the laundry and pre-heat the oven before you even get home. There’s quite a range of what appliances can do for you today and it’s all about what you want and need and
what you’re willing to pay for,” she says. Most people interested in the smart appliances are between 25 and 40 years old, but many others also love technology and are not afraid of it, she says. “The advances give people lots of choice to make life easier and do more in one day. It’s all about personal preference and the choices are driven by consumers who want to do more with their time than laundry,” Brouer says. Brouer suggests that people who are unsure about such technology should get online information from manufacturers about how to use appliances. YouTube, also, is a great source for learning how to do just about anything. A locally-owned, family business, Van’s Home Center opened in 1973 and has expanded from a 1,500 square-foot store to a 75,000 square-foot “one stop” showroom for the home. Along with appliances, it sells flooring, furniture, mattresses, cabinetry, countertops and more. “We’re large enough to compete with big-box stores and we price competitively.” Learn more by calling (260) 927-8267 or stop in at 106 Peckhart Ct., Auburn, Ind. ❚
Tell them you saw it in ... Smart Living Fort Wayne
February 2022 • II
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