When you think of a smart or connected home, most of the time you’ll may imagine door locks, light bulbs, thermostats, hubs like Google Home or Amazon’s Alexa, and more. These devices offer a level of convenience and security for many homeowners.

But, for most people, the kitchen is where we spend the majority of our time. We gather in the kitchen to cook, dine, and entertain. Students use the kitchen table as a learning center. For some, the kitchen is also the home office. Fortunately, the kitchen is also where a growing amount of technology resides.  The refrigerator, stove, coffeemaker, and more are now connected devices that do much more than just cool or heat your food or brew your coffee.

Here are a few reasons why you may want to turn your kitchen into a smart kitchen.

A connected kitchen can be a safer kitchen.

One of the best reasons to invest in kitchen technology is safety. It’s no surprise that the kitchen is arguably the most dangerous room in the home. How many times have you wanted to cook a roast, but were afraid to leave the oven on for fear of starting a fire?  Some smart stoves are connected to Wi-Fi and will send alerts and other information to your smart phone when left on. Users can even use apps to remotely operate their ovens, allowing them to preheat before getting home or shut off from far away.

Kitchen technology can make life easier.

While smart stoves allow for preheating from afar, connected refrigerators are capable of much more. Some have Wi-Fi connected cameras on the inside of the unit so you can see what’s inside the refrigerator without opening the door. Imagine being at the grocery store and wondering if you’ve run out of butter? With these internet refrigerators, you can pull out your phone and check. Many smart refrigerators have built-in tablets allowing you to make grocery lists, search for recipes, listen to music, watch cooking videos, and more.

You might even become a better cook.

A connected coffee maker allows you the ability to brew a cup o’ joe at exact temperatures. Cooking technologies like the sous vide machines allow for a new level of accuracy when cooking. Sous vide means “under vacuum” in French, and is a process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to an exact temperature in water. This technique produces results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method.

If you think you may want to turn your kitchen into a smart kitchen, start small by investing in a connected coffee maker or a sous vide machine, as these definitely cost more than a non-smart appliance. Afterward, consider an internet stove or refrigerator, which ranges from $2,500 up to $10,0000.