This global consumer electronics and consumer technology trade show takes place every January in Las Vegas and we’ve got the low-down on what’s coming up for kitchens…

LG

LG Electronics has revealed a new kind of refrigerator called Smart InstaView™, which features voice control and remote viewing for the ultimate in intuitive home management. The flagship door-in-door fridge has a 29-inch touch LCD display that instantly turns transparent with two knocks of the screen, allowing users to look inside without opening the door. And with webOS, you can also explore a host of wi-fi enabled features including Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service that enables you to search for recipes, check the weather, play music and even place Prime-eligible orders from Amazon. Additional benefits include a Smart Tag menu where stickers and tags can be added to the screen to indicate which foods are stored, as well as inputting the use-by date.

LG has also expanded its IoT ecosystem with a line-up of futuristic robotic products, which can chat, clean and mow the lawn. The Hub Robot takes the concept of the smart home to the next level. By connecting to other smart appliances, it uses Amazon’s Alexa voice recognition technology to complete household tasks such as turning on the air conditioner or changing a dryer cycle with simple verbal commands. It comes with an interactive display that can showcase a variety of info such as the contents of what’s inside the fridge and favourite recipes as well as step-by-step cooking instructions. It can also play music, set reminders and tell you the weather forecast. As a cute aside, it will even nod its head when answering simple questions and welcome each family member with their own personal greeting!

For those interested in a more commercial aspect, the Airport Guide Robot is an intelligent information assistant for travellers, which can answer questions in four languages – English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. With a simple scan of a passenger’s ticket, it will provide detailed information on the flight’s boarding time, gate location and even the weather in the traveller’s destination. There’s also an Airport Cleaning Robot (yes, really) and a Lawn Mowing Robot…

Samsung

Key product announcements from Samsung Electronics included the FlexWash™ and FlexDry™ laundry systems to bring flexibility to the kitchen or utility room. The washer is the largest in its class, with a 5.0 cu ft capacity with another cubic foot in a separate compartment on top for smaller, separate loads. Both can run independently or simultaneously with different settings. The dryer meanwhile can tackle large loads while gently drying a few delicate items at the same time thanks to the unique Delicate Rack zone that will adjust the heat automatically, depending on the type of fabric. It’s only available in the US at the moment though so watch this space.

Samsung also introduced its line of smart new built-in appliances, which includes a combination microwave, upgraded dishwasher and a matching collection of premium refrigerators that should be coming to the UK. There was also the announcement of the Family Hub 2.0 for the US market, the next generation of its award-winning fridge with intuitive app integration and new app partners to help users manage food and access more entertainment features on the appliance’s 21.5-inch LED touchscreen.

Whirlpool

Whilst it’s not coming to the UK – yet – Whirlpool has been busy as it announced a new collaboration with Amazon that will usher in a suite of home appliances responsive to voice control. By helping families adjust the temperature of their oven or change their wash cycle with their voice, the capabilities through Alexa devices will simplify and improve users’ busy lives.

Whirlpool has also introduced transfer-free laundry with a Smart All-In-One Care washer and dryer combo. Simply wash and dry a load in the same machine.