I mean, this makes sense, I guess. The kitchen has long been a case use manufacturers have pointed for these kinds of smart screens. So why wouldn’t KitchenAid/Whirlpool want in on a little bit of that action?
The simply-named KitchenAid Smart Display is looks like your standard smart screen — taking a few design cues from Lenovo’s product, from the look of it (albeit with some enormous bezels).
The big differentiator here, however, is Yummly, the recipe search engine it acquired two years back. That offering, coupled with Google Assistant, puts recipes and guided cooking techniques at the center of the 10-inch, water resistant display. Beyond that, it’s pretty standard smart screen fare. You can watch YouTube, create shopping lists and control smart home devices from the product.
Honestly, there’s probably not a lot of reason to purchase a KitchenAid-branded device over, say, a standard Google Home Hub — even if you plan to keep it in the kitchen. But hell, if KitchenAid positions them right (Target, Lowe’s and other home/kitchen stores) it can probably move a bunch of these.
Whirlpool is also debuting a new Pro version of Yummly at the show, which brings instructions from pro chefs like Carla Hall, Richard Blais, Jet Tila and Daniel Holzman to the platform.
