When you think of a smart home, you start visualizing the usefulness of smart features in different parts of your home, from the living room and bedroom to the kitchen and bathroom. And while it is far too easy to make your kitchen smart with high-tech appliances, we often forget the pantry. However, smart pantries are becoming important in modern kitchens as people are shifting towards sustainability.
As a homeowner, you are always looking for innovative ways to streamline your daily kitchen tasks and a smart pantry can help make this happen. It keeps everything organized and provides a real-time inventory, making your kitchen easier to manage.
What is a Smart Pantry
A smart pantry is a combination of high-tech storage and internet-connected devices that allow you to keep track of the food inventory. You no longer have to worry about overloaded shelves or food being expired. The system can track the quantity of food items available by using sensors and cameras and even alert you to use products before they expire by monitoring their expiration dates.
Utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques, a smart pantry may gradually learn and adjust to the preferences and behaviors of the consumers. It can even automate the purchasing of food items.
Features of a Smart Pantry
Smart shelves and drawers
A smart shelf is equipped with sensors and cameras to keep track of the items placed on it. All kitchen ingredients, from baking goods and kitchen linens to spices, can be found conveniently with a smart shelf. They help monitor how much of each item you have and send alerts when they need to be restocked or when items are about to expire.
Automated inventory management
Applications for smart pantries can be handy when monitoring food inventory. These apps can keep track of stocks and send alerts when specific items are running low. They can even help you put in orders before you are out of supply.
Bar code scanning
These days, we have barcodes on every food product which can be useful in managing the inventory. By scanning the barcodes on food packages, the pantry system can automatically update your inventory.
Voice-activated systems
Since we are at the dawn of voice-assistant technology, there is much probability to use it for some advantage in the kitchen. Integrating voice assistants in the kitchen can be helpful in managing specific pantry tasks indirectly.
Smart Pantry Products
Silo smart containers
Silo containers come with one-touch vacuum technology combined with Alexa built-in to create a smart kitchen experience. With these containers, you can track the contents of your pantry, including information about what you bought and consumed. You will receive notifications when certain ingredients are about to expire, letting you use them before they spoil.
Ovie Smartware
Ovie smart tags also let you keep track of what’s inside your fridge and waste less food. These tags have particular color codes, including green, yellow, or red. These colors indicate the freshness level of each ingredient.
Smart refrigerators
Major appliance makers have launched their smart fridges, which can be a great part of the pantry. For example, Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerator comes with AI-powered cameras that automatically scan the products inside the fridge, identify them, and update the inventory. It can also recommend smart recipes based on the preset dietary preferences.
Benefits of a Smart Pantry
A connected pantry offers multiple benefits, including convenience, efficiency, and organization. Homeowners like you can have an easier time managing household food supplies. Keep reading to know more advantages:
Food waste reduction
Food waste occurs worldwide at an alarming rate while half of the population struggles with food security, making it a severe problem. Research shows that 14 percent of an estimated $400 billion worth of food globally is wasted from harvest until right before retail, and 17 percent is lost from the retail stage until consumer levels. As a homeowner, you can help reduce food waste by being mindful of your supplies. Smart pantry features, such as inventory tracking and expiration alerts, can help you reduce food waste. They notify you to use all items before they expire.
Energy efficiency and sustainability
Research shows smart homes can reduce up to 30-40 percent energy consumption by extending their reach to indoor temperature control systems. Maintaining an optimal temperature and humidity level inside can help extend the shelf life of perishables in a pantry while reducing energy usage. IoT-based food pantries are energy efficient, allowing you to optimize usage and reduce food waste.
Inventory management
Smart pantries can be really helpful in keeping track of the food items in storage. You can automatically know when stocks are running low or about to expire. By monitoring your food items’ quantities and expiration dates, you can keep food wastage low. It will also help conduct inventory management quickly and efficiently.
Convenience
Many smart pantries are controlled with mobile applications that can make food management easier. They can also generate shopping lists based on the supplies that are running low, ensuring you remember to purchase the essential items. These apps can also be integrated with other smart home devices to ensure seamless management, enabling you to control everything through a central hub r phone.
Cost savings
When you know about supplies, you avoid overbuying. Instead, you learn to take advantage of deals and only purchase in bulk when necessary. This practice lessens food waste and helps you save money in the long run.
Health and nutrition
Smart pantries can list the available ingredients and advantage by letting you be creative with recipes with available material. If running low on healthy ingredients and snacks for your diet, a smart pantry can help remind to purchase beef jerky, nuts, seeds, and other snacks fit for health-conscious individuals.
Enhanced organization
Categorizing and sorting food items becomes easy with smart pantries as they keep every record in the cloud. You can organize efficiently and find what you need quickly. They also help maximizing storage easily by suggesting effective and optimal storage solutions.
Time savings
As mentioned, smart pantries give you a clear idea of what you still have and need to restock. Shopping trips become less frequent when you understand your inventory. Additionally, knowing the pantry stock makes meal planning much easier and quicker.
So make a smart pantry upgrade in your home and live a healthy and smart lifestyle.
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