Vacuum, bake and water your lawn all from your cell phone? It's true— the future is here. These smart home appliances bring new meaning to “modern-day convenience.”

Around the Home

For those that are just learning about smart appliances, a smart speaker is a great place to start. Many top tech brands have them now — Amazon’s Echo, Apple’s HomePod and Google’s Google Home, to name a few — and they are easy to program. Create lists, recite recipes, play music, adjust lighting and more with a simple command.

From the living room to your bedroom, automatic blinds can be an appliance upgrade well worth it. You can schedule blinds to move with the sun throughout the day, or raise and lower with the touch of a button. It’s an easy way to control the temperature in each room of your house, creating comfort and cutting down costs.

Another way to save money, energy and time is with a smart thermostat. In fact, they are so efficient, many energy companies, like Ameren Missouri, are offering rebates for those that install them in their home.

In the Kitchen

With a built-in camera, a smart countertop oven literally watches your food cook. It even connects to Wi-Fi, so you can adjust the temperature from anywhere in the house on your phone or tablet. Don’t worry if you forget to set a timer — sensors in this smart oven won’t let your food overcook.

For our more detailed chefs, a Wi-Fi precision cooker is the perfect accessory. The device heats and circulates water in the pot, all at your set, precise temperature. Just like the smart oven, most precision cookers come with an app, which includes everything from instructions to recipes.

Forgetful friends, rejoice — a smart fridge may be just what you need. From grocery lists to expired goods, smart refrigerators do most of the thinking for you.  You can even schedule reminders to replace the water filter, or to pick up your dry cleaning, all from the touchscreen door.

Outdoors

Cross the outdoor chores off your list: smart sprinklers and robot lawn mowers have them taken care of. Not only will you have extra time, but you will have peace of mind knowing your yard is green — both in color and in energy.

In addition to increased functionality and general usefulness, many smart appliances add a layer of safety to your home. For example, security camera doorbells and smart garage cameras allow homeowners to see who’s come knocking — or lurking — in real time from your computer or mobile device.