Get connected: the best smart tech for your kitchen

The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of those exciting inventions that makes us feel like we’re living in the future. In brief, it refers to a network where physical items can connect to each other (usually via wifi or Bluetooth), exchanging information and influencing a machine’s behaviour. It’s starting to crop up in every aspect of our lives; we can now use our mobile phone to pay for goods without a credit card, turn the lights on or off and even turn our heating up when we’re on the commute home. And it’s in the kitchen that some of the most exciting products are being developed.

Whether you’re after something that makes following recipes a doddle, want real-time data on your eating habits or just want to feel like you’re living in the kitchen of the future, these are some of the best ways to turn your humble room into an all-singing, all-dancing technological paradise.

One of the most profound effects smart technology can have on our cooking is the way our appliances interact with whatever recipe we’re following. There are dozens of different ways to do this, but one of the best is through the Salter Cook app, which can connect with the Salter Cook Bluetooth Kitchen Scale and Thermometer. These connected kitchen products allow you to create and store a personal cookbook on your smartphone or tablet, leaving you with complete control over your culinary creations. Once you’ve found a recipe online that you want to cook, it can be uploaded and then transformed into an easy-to-digest interactive recipe with customisable weights, times and portions. As you work through the list of ingredients, you can cross things off using the strikethrough feature so you know exactly where you are, and when you’re measuring out or adjusting quantities on the scale you can see what you’re doing on-screen. The app can also automatically set the required temperature on the thermometer and will let you know when the food is ready.

£79.99 (Save £49.99) for the Salter Cook Kitchen Scale and Thermometer (with the free to download Salter Cook app), salterhousewares.co.uk

There are blenders and then there are blenders – and the Vitamix Ascent definitely fits into the latter category. It boasts the super-charged motor, power and durability that all Vitamix blenders have, but the Ascent can detect what size container you’re using via near-field communications (NFC) technology. It will then adjust and adapt the built-in program settings so they’re best suited to whatever container is attached. That means it knows whether you’re grinding a few spices for a curry or a big batch of soup for the family. It’s also Bluetooth-enabled (although it’s disabled right now), which paves the way for apps to interact with the machine at a later date.

From £549, vitamix.com

We’ve all heard that talking to plants helps them grow, but this clever hydroponic herb garden means your plants can let you know when they need more water or nutrients via a wifi-enabled app. There’s no soil in sight – the plants grow above a reservoir which provides the roots with everything they need, and the powerful LED light means you can put your garden anywhere in the house. No need to put it on the windowsill and hope for sunshine.

£139.95, Amazon