Black & Decker adds Wi-Fi to a slow cooker
You use an app on iOS or Android devices to change the settings on the six-quart slow cooker.
The Black & Decker WiFi-Enabled Slow Cooker will work with an app so you can change cook settings from your device.
Slow cookers can be the culinary savior of a busy person -- you throw in your food, let it cook all day while you're away and come home to a hot meal. Black & Decker wants to add even more convenience with the addition of Wi-Fi connectivity in its new six-quart slow cooker.
The company displayed the $70 WiFi-Enabled Slow Cooker at the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago this past weekend. You connect the cooker to your home's Wi-Fi network, and you can use Black & Decker's iOS or Android app to change the cook settings while you're away. For example, you can switch from a "high" cook setting to "warm" if you know you're going to be home a little late and don't want your food to burn.
We've seen a Wi-Fi-enabled slow cooker from rival manufacturer Crock-Pot. We found that the $130 Crock-Pot WeMo Smart Slow Cooker made the hands-off process of using a slow cooker more involved than it should be because of the Wi-Fi. Black & Decker's entry into smart slow cookers alongside the Crock-Pot WeMo shows that manufacturers want to add a level of control to slow cooking, even if the need for such interaction is still questionable.
Features
- You can share pictures of your slow cooker meal in the Black & Decker app's social sharing section, which includes integration with Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
- Three cook settings: high, low and warm
- Locking lid
- Available at Walmart
