Smart Plugs Can Modernize Five Common Home Appliances
A guide details how smart plugs can add automation to specific appliances, while a review highlights a versatile hand blender on sale.
Two separate stories offer distinct advice for the home. The first explains how to use a smart plug to add modern features to five specific types of older appliances. The second reviews a discounted Braun hand blender with multiple attachments, presented as a space-saving solution for kitchen prep work.
Smart Plug Applications
A smart plug is a low-cost device that can add remote control, scheduling, and energy monitoring to appliances with mechanical switches or power-loss memory. The key limitation is that it can only control power, not press buttons or turn dials, so an appliance must resume its previous operating state when electricity is restored. For safety and function, users must verify an appliance's restart behavior and ensure the plug's electrical rating matches the appliance's motor load, especially for high-power devices.
Air conditioners represent a significant opportunity for automation, allowing a plug to activate cooling based on room temperature sensors. However, this carries risk, as the startup surge from a compressor can exceed a plug's rating if it is not designed for motor loads. A fan with a rotary knob is described as an ideal first project; leaving the dial at a preferred speed allows the plug to control operation via schedule or sensor. For a basic humidifier, pairing its plug with a humidity sensor can create a system that maintains a healthy indoor range, though it cannot manage tank water levels.
An older air purifier can be made responsive to air quality by connecting it to a smart plug and a separate particle sensor. The automation's success depends entirely on whether the purifier turns back on after a power interruption. A simple drip coffee maker with a physical switch enables a morning coffee schedule, but this should only be used if the machine's manual permits timer operation. The guide emphasizes that while schedules are convenient, integrating sensors for temperature, humidity, or occupancy creates genuinely responsive automations, all while preserving the appliance's original safety features.
Braun MultiQuick 9 Hand Blender
The Braun MultiQuick 9 hand blender is currently discounted by $40 at Amazon, which is described as its lowest price in over ten months. The device is an immersion blender that comes with eight attachments designed for various food preparation tasks, positioning it as a space-saving alternative to multiple single-purpose countertop appliances. The reviewer, who has a very small kitchen, states the set helps reduce clutter and washing up during stressful hosting periods.
The included attachments allow the tool to chop, slice, shred, whisk, and knead. Expert tester Millie Fender awarded the blender five stars, calling it "seriously good value for money" and noting its power. Fender advises users to "start on low power once you realize how much power this immersion blender really has." The reviewer concludes that the Braun MultiQuick 9 is a worthwhile investment for those preparing meals for a crowd, despite the need to find storage space for all the accessories.
