Do range hoods, steam ovens, and dishwashers need WiFi connections? The kitchen signal was second to last, and it was right next to the microwave. After installing three items, only one unit was worth the price

this spring, the kitchen was renovated, replacing the range hood, steam oven, and dishwasher together. On the day I went shopping, the sales assistant's mouth was all smart connectivity, with my phone managing the kitchen. I almost got carried away and switched to the WiFi version. Fortunately, my wallet stopped me a bit, so I bought two of the three items with internet-connected models, and I specifically chose the regular inverter model for the range hood. After using it for a full year, you can now make a clear account of which units are worth your money and which are wasted. I've written about bathroom toilet seats, bathroom heaters, water heaters and balcony clothes racks, curtains, and waterers before, so this article adds a piece of the kitchen puzzle.

first talk about the kitchen—routers dislike it the most

where the signal at home is the weakest, I hugged my phone and checked every room for . The bathroom was last, and the kitchen was steadily second to last. Next to the living room router, I could easily connect -44dBm, but when I reached the kitchen stove, only -74dBm remained. The signal was just two bars sluggish, just one breath away from the -70 passing line.

kitchen troubles aren't far behind. The microwave's magnetron operates at 2450MHz, right next to the 2.4G WiFi band. I tested it for three minutes after heating food, and the phone's 2.4G speed dropped from 150MB straight to around 30MB, while 5G didn't move at all. the difference between the two bands I mentioned this in that article. Here's the problem: nine out of ten kitchen appliances only recognize 2.4G, and the 2.4G is exactly the part where microwaves keep chasing and shutting down.

stack another layer, and nowadays, steamers, ovens, and dishwashers are all built-in—one nestled in the middle of the cabinet, another squatting under the sink. The four sides are made of wooden boards and a metal inner liner, and the signal is even lower than when placed on the countertop. After three discounts, the inherent conditions for kitchen appliance networking are the worst in the entire house.

Steamer Oven: The only

to get straight to the point, among the three, I have no regrets about having this one connected to the internet. Its trump card is just one feature: remote warm-up.

preheat the steamer oven to 180°C for 8 to 15 minutes, depending on your desired temperature. The old method was to get home, preheat the oven, and wait about ten minutes before cooking. Now it's me leaving the office after work, pulling out my phone on the subway to preheat the room, then opening the kitchen door, the oven has already switched to a constant temperature warning, and I put the marinated chicken wings right in. What I saved was the daily idle waiting of standing and scrolling on my phone.

there's a detail here that needs to be clarified, because people often compare rice cookers. Smart rice cookers can also cook rice remotely, but that's basically just for show: you have to put the rice and water in advance, soak them for most of the day, and the grains absorb the water, turning out bad and even spoiled in summer. Steaming ovens are different. The marinated meat and thawed ribs are left in the oven overnight for a day, just right for flavor absorption. Adjusting the heat from a long distance doesn't affect anything at all. Similarly, remote start, the ingredients determine whether the steam oven works or the rice cooker works.

As for the two or three hundred recipes and tutorials stuffed into the app, I flipped through them in the first two weeks after getting them, but after a year, I used them less than five times. Just treat these as freebies—don't pay for them.

dishwasher: half worth it, the other half is psychological comfort

regarding dishwasher connectivity, I'll give it a split-and-half. Let's start with the half of the value, which is related to electricity prices. My family has set up peak-off-valley electricity prices. After 10 p.m., off-peak electricity is about 0.3 yuan cheaper than during the day. I measured the annual electricity cost for all my network equipment at home, using the metered sockets one by one. The electricity price bracket should have been calculated long ago. The dishwasher takes about three hours to wash and dry at a time, and the electricity is just over 10 kilowatt-hours. All of it is moved to off-grid electricity, saving three to four yuan per trip. Washing every day for a year adds up to 180 yuan. Not much money, but it was a free pick.

Next, let's talk about the half that poured cold water on the situation. Booking valley electricity doesn't actually require WiFi—you can set it up on the dishwasher's local delay reservation panel. After placing the dishes at night, press the two-hour delay, and after 10 PM, start working automatically. Older non-connected machines still use this method. The app's real increments in this matter are twofold: first, people can see how much time is left to wash while lying in bed; second, when special salt or brightening agents are needed, it will push reminders, so you don't have to squat in front of the machine guessing.

As for the promotional images showing people remotely starting the dishwasher while out and about, it hasn't happened even once in a year. You have to bend down and put the bowl in yourself, right? While setting it up, you casually press start. Who would finish setting the bowls, close the cabinet door, and leave, then pull out their phone and remotely click 'start' at night? These remote features look great, and the number of times they've been opened in a single day can be counted on one hand.

there's another pitfall you must check before buying: the same model dishwasher comes in both networked and non-connected versions, with a price difference of around 300 yuan, and some low-priced models don't even have a solderable WiFi module. Ask customer service before ordering—don't assume that just 'smart' means you have internet.

Range Hood: That 200 yuan WiFi premium, I advise you to save

when buying a range hood, the WiFi version was highly recommended, costing 200 yuan more, with features counted on fingers: remote power on/off, app for cumulative working hours, voice control. I just wanted to ask right there, who would remotely turn on the range hood at work? It can't be just to vent smoke from an empty house.

of these three, the only thing I use is voice control. When stir-frying and tossing the wok, both hands are greasy; shouting to lower the air speed is indeed more respectable than using your elbow to touch the button. But this need doesn't need to be solved by spending 200 yuan on internet connection; the regular model's wave sensor and air gesture effects have this effect, with much smaller markups. I really want to connect online and say, 'If you have a smart speaker at home, you can buy two for 200 yuan.'

range hood linkage is a truly impressive feature: when you turn on the stove and range hood, it automatically turns on and off, delaying the release of residual smoke, making it ideal for families who often turn on the stove and forget to turn it on. But the requirements are strict: the stove and range hood must be from the same brand to work together, making it ideal for a new home renovation done in one step. Switching to just one machine is basically out of the question.

the most painful part is this one; I only figured it out after checking the parameters. The truly valuable smart features of range hoods are the automatic increase in airflow when cooking is over high heat, and the flue doesn't backflow during cooking peaks. These rely on the machine's own sensors and chips, which don't go through the network at all. In other words, the most practical smart device in this field is off-network, while the connected part is actually the least useful. My mother-in-law's family bought the WiFi model three years ago, and the app can be opened counted on one hand, and the airflow is still manually adjusted. In the end, I bought a regular inverter model with a waving sensor, and it doesn't feel like anything is lacking at all.

three iron rules of kitchen appliances are all set by stepping on them

the first step: first install the mesh on the countertop, then embed it into the cabinet. After installing embedded appliances, the signal is much lower. When you were setting up the network, your phone had to find a device, and the machine could find a router—both ends were troublesome. At home, the steam oven is first set up on the dining table, the account is bound, then the cabinet is assembled by a technician—it takes ten minutes. The dishwasher squatted under the sink, and the cabinet door in front of the mesh was open, so you wouldn't stare at the two wooden boards in the distance.

second point: don't set up the internet during mealtimes. During the few minutes before noon when the microwave heats up rice, 2.4G is basically being overwhelmed. Smart devices only recognize 2.4G and make up the majority. During this period, the network failure rate is visibly high. Pick a quiet kitchen hour after dinner and pass through it in one go.

Third, the supplementary mesh is in three tiers in order. Step one: zero cost: move the router half a meter against the kitchen wall and stand it upright, and it's often enough. The second step is still zero-cost: dig out the old router and replace it with an AP to send a single 2.4G network feed the kitchen and smart devices. The main network is clean and the kitchen signal is stable. My old machine was converted to a wired relay for . The third step is the first cost. Mesh sub-nodes are hung in the kitchen hallway by the doorway. Be careful not to actually put them in the kitchen, as oil fumes accumulate on the machine over the years, and routers can't stand it first.

three appliances are assigned accordingly

Here's the order for wrapping up: before buying, measure the kitchen signal; if it's over -70, restock the network before placing an order; When ordering, choose the connected steamer oven, ask if the dishwasher comes with a WiFi module, and cut the smart premium for the range hood; When installing, the countertop should first be equipped with a mesh before entering the cabinet; After installing for the first month, pick a microwave to heat food and go to the kitchen at night to check if any of these three units have lost cables. If they do drop frequently, go back and patch the third setting. This little signal debt in the kitchen has to be paid off sooner or later; paying early is cheaper than paying later.