Whirlpool's dishwasher debuting at CES orders detergent from Amazon, integrates with Nest
Debuting at CES 2016, the company's new connected dishwasher works with Amazon Dash and can be controlled based on Nest's settings.
Whirlpool's connected dishwasher will do the detergent shopping for you.
Starting in late 2016, you'll be able to purchase a Whirlpool dishwasher that can shop for itself. The connected appliance works with Amazon Dash replenishments, and will automatically order detergent refills when it needs them. This Whirlpool connected washer will also integrate with the Nest Learning Thermostat, letting you begin a cycle when your Nest switches to Away mode.
Both integrations stand to add convenience to the chore of using your dishwasher, and the new machine also has a quiet mode, letting you delay the start of washing until your family will be sleeping. It will then run a longer, quieter cycle at night. That last feature isn't as unique, as plenty of dishwashers run at a whisper volume now anyway. Most also have a delay start feature, but I'm excited to see how well those smart integrations work.
For now, Whirlpool isn't offering retrofit integrations of these smarts, you'll have to buy the new smart unit in stores late this year. The dishwasher's part of a whole line of new connected appliances Whirlpool is introducing at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas. When it hits the market, it will cost $950 (roughly converting to £645 in the UK and AU$1,320 in Australia), and I hope to have a few more details on the dishwasher itself after I get some hands on time with it at the show.
Again, I'm excited about the promised integrations, though with the Amazon Dash feature in particular, I wonder how accurate it'll be in terms of knowing when to order. It works by counting the number of cycles it runs, and comparing that with the amount of cycles of detergent typically included in a box. Since it's the one ordering the box, I'd guess the sizes will match up, but I don't typically load my dishwasher with a precise amount of detergent for every run. I wonder how easy it'll be to vary from your dishwasher's calculations, and if there's a way to correct them to your usage.
Whether it's seamless or not, it's a neat idea, and I'm excited to try it out in CNET's dishwasher lab. While $950 isn't an outlandish price, it'll need to hold it's own on our rigorous cleaning tests to prove if its smarts are worth it.
Check out the rest of CNET's CES 2016 coverage here.