22 Things You Could Use Amazon Echo For In The Kitchen

Published: Last Updated on
woman with alexa in kitchen

Whether you are a seasoned chef or cook simply to have something to eat, did you know that Amazon Echo can enhance your overall kitchen experience?

Many people now consider Alexa to be the ultimate personal assistant in the kitchen and, if you would like to know how she can help you, read on!

1. Alexa makes coffee.

There is nothing better than waking up to the smell of coffee brewing in the morning.

While there are programmable coffee makers on the market, if you have a smart switch on your coffee maker, you can ask Alexa to make your coffee as soon as you wake up.

Very little preparation is required: add in your ground coffee and water the night before, say the magic word, and Alexa will begin brewing your coffee.

2. Use Alexa to preheat your oven.

If you have an oven that is integrated with Alexa, you can preheat your oven with a simple voice command, even if you are in another room.

Simply say, “Alexa, preheat the oven to 400 degrees” and you can do something more productive while you wait.

3. Get inspiration for meal ideas and new recipes.

Browsing through your pantry and refrigerator and wondering what meal to make? Instead of scrolling through thousands of recipe websites, why not ask Alexa for some mealtime inspiration?

A neat trick to use is not to ask directly for a recipe as this is not exactly Alexa’s strong suit- use the Skills section within your Alexa app as you will find exactly what you need this way.

If you want to make something based on what you already have in your pantry, you can use the allrecipes.com skill in the app. For instance, if you have bacon and cream in your larder, ask Alexa what you can make with these ingredients. You’d be surprised at the amazing options she comes up with!

Many Alexa users also use the Skills section to make delicious cocktails out of booze and juice they already have, which can be a lifesaver when guests turn up unexpectedly and you need to serve them some impromptu drinks.

You would be amazed at the fantastic cocktails that Alexa can concoct for you, even with limited ingredients!

4. Listen to music or other content while cooking.

Listening to your favorite music, audiobooks or even the news just got a whole lot more sophisticated with Alexa!

Alexa can play songs from your favorite playlist or interesting podcasts and all you need to do is just say a few words- it doesn’t get easier than this!

This can make the whole cooking experience so much more enjoyable and you may end up wanting to spend more time in the kitchen thanks to Alexa!

5. Create a grocery list

Don’t you just hate it when you run out of something and forget to write it on your shopping list? Or perhaps you are one of those people who start a shopping list and then often accidentally leave it at home when you go to the store?

Luckily, with Alexa, your grocery list can always remain up to date and you will never leave it at home as it is always available in the app.

To add something to your shopping list, simply say, “Alexa, add xyz to my shopping list” and it’s done!

You can also create separate shopping lists for each store you shop at. Many Amazon Echo users have shopping lists for Target, the dollar store, their regular grocery store and more.

Related: What Is Alexa Drop In? All Your Questions Answered

Echo In The Kitchen

6. Alexa does the math for you.

Experienced bakers and cooks often struggle to convert measurements in foreign recipes or to convert milliliters to ounces.

Of course, you could always consult the internet, but this can be messy, time-consuming and frustrating, especially if you are right in the middle of mixing your ingredients together.

With an Amazon Echo in your kitchen, Alexa will do the math for you. By saying something along the lines of, “Alexa, convert 500 milliliters to ounces” and you will receive an immediate and accurate reply. It couldn’t be easier and the best part of it is that it’s completely hands-free.

Alexa can also help you to know how long to cook something for. A great example is if you have a pound of salmon: Alexa can tell you how long to broil it for and at what temperature.

7. Alexa can make wine recommendations.

Wine lovers are very aware that certain wines pair perfectly with certain foods. Even the most experienced wine drinkers can struggle to find the perfect wine for their dish and this is where Alexa is a veritable lifesaver.

For example, if you are cooking a steak tonight, ask Alexa which wine goes well with steak and you will have the perfect combination! Of course, you’ll need to have that type of wine in your pantry, but if you’re a enthusiastic wine drinker, this shouldn’t be a problem.

8. Create some dinnertime ambiance with Alexa.

Eating dinner is so much more enjoyable if the lights are dimmed, some relaxing music is playing and the temperature is just right.

Your Alexa assistant can do this for you and all you need to do is tell her that dinner has begun. This can be done in the Routines section, where all you need to do is create a dinnertime scenario once and Alexa can have it enacted whenever you want.

9. Use your Amazon Echo to count your calories.

Want to eat a handful of almonds but not sure how many calories they contain and you don’t want to spoil your diet? Just ask Alexa and she will let you know immediately!

Now you don’t have to waste time researching everything you eat because Alexa has all the information you need!

10. Let your family know when dinner is ready.

Gone are the days when you needed to shout to inform your family that dinner was ready (and, even then, not everyone would hear you).

This frustration can be completely avoided with the help of Alexa and if you have speakers throughout your home. Ask Alexa to announce that dinner is ready and no one will have an excuse for being late!

Related: How to Make Alexa Mad? 20 Commands That Work

11. Alexa can set timers for you.

Alexa Timer

Regular timers are pretty straightforward to use but if you want to time several things at once (which is often the case when baking or cooking), this is where things get tricky and where Alexa shines.

All you need to do is command Alexa to set a timer for a certain thing, and you’re good to go. For instance, if you need to fry your steak for 10 minutes and then sauté mushrooms for 5 minutes, Alexa can time this for you.

12. Alexa can recommend great takeout places or restaurants.

If the worst comes to the worst and, despite both yours and Alexa’s best efforts, your meal is a complete disaster, she can recommend some great takeout places or even an excellent restaurant nearby.

Simply ask Alexa for some good local places, and you can be assured that her recommendations will be spot on.

13. Alexa and your smart appliances.

One of the most amazing benefits to using Amazon Echo is its ability to control your smart appliances.

Smart appliances can include refrigerators, ovens and dishwashers and if they are integrated with Alexa, you can command her to carry out various tasks.

This is very convenient, especially if you consider that Alexa can turn on your dishwasher, adjust the temperature of your refrigerator or preheat your oven, all with a simple voice command!

14. Watch recipe tutorials as you cook.

One of the best ways to learn how to cook or bake something is to watch a video of a professional doing the same.

This can be quite tricky in the kitchen, but not if you have an Amazon Echo!

If you want to watch a recipe tutorial in the kitchen, all you need to do is ask Alexa to find a good one for you in the Echo Show section.

Your cooking and baking experience has now been taken to a whole new level, all thanks to Alexa!

15. Adjust the temperature of your kitchen.

Amazon Echo Temperature display

When cooking or baking specific items, sometimes you need your kitchen to be at an ideal temperature.

This can be the case when frosting a cake as a kitchen that is too hot can affect the way in which your cake will end up looking. The same can be said when making homemade bread: your dough needs time to rise in a warm place and if your kitchen is too cool, it may not rise sufficiently.
Thankfully, Alexa can adjust your thermostat and set the perfect temperature in your kitchen with a simple voice command.

This can make life much easier for baking enthusiasts and those who love cooking.

16. Alexa can make suggestions for substitutions.

Making a dish only to find that you don’t have one of the ingredients in your larder?

Don’t worry! Just ask Alexa to suggest a good substitution and you will likely have that in your kitchen. Crisis averted!

17. Ask Alexa questions about dish ingredients.

Having a loved one or friend with an allergy can make eating out or cooking quite complicated.

It is never a good idea to take a risk with a dish when you know someone is allergic to peanuts, gluten or shellfish.

Alexa can help you to find out if something has an allergen in it. For instance, you can ask Alexa if there are traces of nuts in chocolate cake and she will tell you at once.

If you find that the dish you were planning to make does indeed contain an allergen, you can ask Alexa to find you a recipe that does not contain it.

18. Alexa is a pro when it comes to Instant Pots.

Instant Pots have only become popular in the last five years and, although there are many recipe websites and information out there, if you need help in a hurry, Alexa can assist.

You can ask her for an easy recipe for pasta primavera or almost anything that can be cooked in an Instant Pot and you’ll receive a comprehensive and helpful answer.

19. Meal planning with Alexa.

As a very organized virtual, personal assistant, Alexa can easily help you to plan meals for the next week or even the next month.

Simply ask her to start a meal planning list and add ideas and information as you go along. You now have a great and comprehensive meal plan, for which you can also create a shopping list.

20. Alexa can help you with random questions.

Even the most experienced homeowners often have questions about groceries, expiry dates and how to use certain ingredients in their kitchens.

Alexa can be a great help when it comes to random questions you have about anything to do with your kitchen. For example, you can ask her how long you can keep potatoes in your pantry for, where you should be storing your eggs and how to keep your lettuce as fresh as possible.

amazon-echo-show-kitchen

21. Multi-tasking with your Amazon Echo device.

In these modern times, life can be extremely busy, stressful and chaotic.

One of the main benefits to using Amazon Echo is that it really does help to make your life simpler and easier.

Your Amazon Echo can help you to multi-task while in the kitchen. For example, in the space of a few minutes, you can ask Alexa to call the kids downstairs to breakfast, add things to your grocery list, set a timer or two, control the thermostat, preheat the oven, listen to the daily news and much more!

Not bad for a small device that doesn’t take up much room.

22. Amazon Echo can help you to save money on food.

Most people don’t like to think about the amount of food (and money) they waste each year by tossing out stuff that has gone bad.

The good news is that Amazon Echo has a very useful skill called Save the Food. This amazing skill goes a long way in helping you to reduce the food you waste by helping you to use up what you already have in your kitchen.

Using Save the Food will teach you how to store your groceries correctly and can instantly give you advice on whether or not it is safe to eat or drink something that has been lying in your refrigerator for a while.

Once you’ve set up your Save the Food skill, you can ask Alexa questions like, “Alexa, how do I store artichokes”.

With Amazon Echo's Alexa, As you have now realised, You can use your voice to find recipes and do a lot of other things when your hands are dirty in the kitchen. Hope you found some interesting tidbits from here.. Bon Apetite! 

Sharing is caring!

You may also like