Wi-Fi kettles and more: What really remained of the connected home
At the end of 2023, we asked ourselves why a kettle would need Wi-Fi. Two years later, it’s worth a second look: What has become of the connected home, and which devices were actually more than just a gimmick?
At the end of 2023, a Wi-Fi kettle appeared as a gift idea in an online shop, and we wondered if that was really necessary. Two years later, the answer is more intriguing than the question: The connected home has established itself, but in a completely different way than manufacturers sold it back then.
The occasion was mundane. After 14 years, the dishwasher had given up the ghost, and while shopping for a replacement, it became clear that even mid-range appliances suddenly came with an app to track the wash cycle on your smartphone. A nice side effect. However, if you typed “Wi-Fi” into the search bar of the same online shop, things appeared whose purpose wasn’t immediately obvious: a Wi-Fi kettle, a smart coffee machine, a connected toaster. Precise switching, temperature control via app-those were the promises on the product pages.
The idea wasn’t new. As early as the 50s, 60s, and 70s, the white goods industry had lured customers with features that sounded like progress, such as coffee machines with built-in timers. Anyone who tried them or listened to expert advice soon learned: coffee tastes best freshly brewed, and the water shouldn’t be from the day before. The technology solved a problem that hardly anyone had in everyday life.
- The Wi-Fi kettle from 2023 still exists as a niche for tea and filter coffee fans, not as a kitchen standard.
- It wasn’t the individual gadget that prevailed, but the system: heating, lighting, security, energy meters.
- With the Matter standard, devices from different manufacturers are finally talking to each other-that was still the big promise in 2023.
- The self-ordering refrigerator remained largely marketing; Asian brands are driving this topic today, not “Made in Germany.”
- The most honest question before buying remains the same: Does the device solve a problem I actually have?
What became of the Wi-Fi kettle
The short answer: it’s still around. Brands like Govee continue to sell Wi-Fi kettles with adjustable temperature and app control, marketed primarily for pour-over coffee and tea-brews where water temperature genuinely makes a difference. What started as a broad gift idea has narrowed to a niche for people who take their hot drinks seriously. The Wi-Fi toaster, by contrast, has largely vanished because no one could ever assign it a task the humble bread roll couldn’t handle on its own.
What’s more revealing is what happened in parallel. The kettle would have been the perfect entry-level device for a connected kitchen ecosystem. Yet kitchen appliances were precisely the category left behind by the new, cross-brand standard. While lamps, sockets, sensors and thermostats now pair effortlessly, the smart kettle still bubbles away in its own proprietary app.
What won out wasn’t the standalone gadget, but the idea behind it: devices that collaborate instead of demanding an app apiece.
From gadget to system
That’s the real shift since 2023. Households are no longer splurging on individual novelties; they’re investing in systems that deliver measurable benefits: smart thermostats and heating consumption tracking, sensors and smart locks for security, water leak detectors to prevent costly damage. The catalyst is a standard called Matter, which finally delivers on the industry’s promise from the turn of the millennium-devices from different brands speaking the same language at last.
The numbers tell the story. In 2023 only a small slice of the smart-home market supported Matter; today it’s the clear majority. Architects now routinely factor the right infrastructure into new builds. What has changed, therefore, isn’t the kettle’s internal tech, but the way we think about smart homes: fewer apps per device, more one coherent logic for the whole house.
We shouldn’t belittle the fun factor. Watching the washing cycle from afar or tracking Sunday’s roast progress while walking the dog still feels like childhood play. For many, that’s how they first dipped a toe in the water-and that’s perfectly fine. Yet that thrill doesn’t prop up an entire product segment; it’s the pleasant side effect, not the raison d’être.
The fridge that never reordered
One promise has proved especially stubborn-and especially unfulfilled: the fridge that knows its own stock and auto-replenishes when needed. The idea surfaced around the millennium from Miele, Liebherr, Siemens and Bosch, long before anyone uttered “smart home.” Today, little of that “Made in Germany” vision remains. Where networked refrigerators with inventory and expiry tracking do exist, Asian brands such as Samsung and LG are driving the category.
And the honest question from 2023 is still unanswered: do I really want my fridge to auto-order the cheese I secretly loathe or the wine I secretly despise from the back corner? Shopping isn’t always pleasant, but it’s also a tactile, olfactory ritual we’re reluctant to automate out of existence. The time we gain often ends up on the sofa rather than in the gym, turning couch potato into cloud potato.
For more on the art of conscious less-is-more living, read the portrait of an apartment that needs no proof. And if you’re curious which tech promises deliver and which are pure marketing, check out our take on skin scrubbers and ultrasonic tech.
Quick Answers
▸Do you really need a Wi-Fi kettle today?
Only if water temperature matters to you-say, for pour-over coffee or specific tea blends. For most households, the quick, silent standard kettle remains the more sensible choice. The device has its place, but as a niche, not a must-have.
▸What’s been the biggest smart-home development since 2023?
The cross-brand Matter standard has taken off. It lets devices from different makers connect effortlessly, especially lights, plugs, thermostats, and sensors. The focus has shifted from individual gadgets to whole systems.
▸Is the self-replenishing fridge a reality now?
Partly. Some models track inventory and expiry dates via apps. Yet fully automatic, reliable reordering remains rare, and whether you’d even want it is a matter of taste. The old promise has grown far more sober.
▸Does smart home tech pay off at home, or is it just gadgetry?
It depends on what you network. Heating, energy tracking, security, and damage prevention deliver real value. The connected toaster? Not so much. Rule of thumb: network what solves a genuine problem; ignore what’s merely a nice box feature.
