iKettle - I don't mind if I do

When it comes to Deaf communication, having Wi-Fi on my mobile phone has made a huge difference. Through various apps, I can communicate easily using text, email and video. With inventors recognising the potential for mobile phones to be used as a remote control, we can also ‘talk’ to different appliances around the home, such as the television or even the heating system. The wonderful thing about this new technology is that it keeps on evolving.

However, I did not foresee that I would be able to use my mobile to switch the kettle on. What’s the point I hear you asking, I asked myself the same question. I may use my kettle for one simple task, but when I think about it, I wouldn’t mind being able to turn it on whilst waking in the morning or whilst watching my favourite programme, but fancy a cuppa.

The iKettle allows me to do just that and it’s available to buy now. The iKettle is the world’s first ‘smart’ kettle, coming with Wi-Fi and it’s own app for smart phones. Like most Wi-Fi enabled devices, it needs to be connected to your Wi-Fi network, but after that you can turn it on wherever you are in the house.

The app is available for iPhone or Android and comes with an alarm. When it wakes you in the morning, you are asked whether you want to switch the kettle on. As someone who likes those extra couple of minutes feeling snug and warm in my bed on a Winter’s morning, but also desperate for my first steaming cup of coffee, I know I will be pressing ‘yes’ for boil away!

An interesting feature is the ability to set the temperature you want the water to be, with fixed settings at 65, 80, 95 and of course 100 degrees. I’m not sure about the use of that, except for my occasional cup of hot chocolate which should be slightly cooled boiled water.

I know it’s not a lot of money but in the long run, I also think the iKettle will save money. I am brilliant at jumping up during the adverts to turn the kettle on, but as I can’t hear it switch off, I often end up doing that several times during a film or business task before I finally get to make my coffee. With the iKettle I know I can fancy a drink, tap the app to switch it on and 90 seconds later pop out to make the drink. I will of course have to remember to make sure there is enough water in it.

It’s not cheap of course, no electrical items are when they are the first to hit the market, but I’m sure it wont be long before the £100 price tag is reduced to something more reasonable.

The only question remaining is what’s next? Sitting on the sofa waving my phone back and fore in front of me doing remote ironing would be a great benefit!!