• Laid-back cooking with MealSync

• Food preparation with AI and voice control expanded 

• New in-app guide for wine connoisseurs

For many, cooking is the best hobby in the world. Nevertheless, it can be quite a challenge, starting with the shopping and food storage right through to initial preparations and processing food. New smart home applications are now set to make certain aspects of this complex process simpler. Miele relieves the stress on hosts – for instance by synchronising cooking operations automatically, by using artificial intelligence and voice control to provide support with food preparation or letting wine develop its full bouquet by guaranteeing the ideal drinking temperature.

Good time management is vital as arranging the various ingredients to conjure up a perfect menu can be a huge challenge, not least because everything has to be cooked to a T on time and served at just the right temperature. And this is precisely where MealSync* comes in. Just one example: Side dishes to go with the main dish prepared in the oven are to be cooked in the combination steam oven. After selecting the appropriate programmes – if desired by setting the end of cooking – the user then confirms the 'Synchronisation' function in the Miele app. When the time comes, the oven gets off to a staggered start after the steam oven, with the result that the main dish and all side dishes are finished at the set time. This way, MealSync is not only a big help for the inexperienced: it even takes work off the hands of experienced chefs and leaves more time to devote to guests.

How about a dash of artificial intelligence in the kitchen? The answer is a clear 'Yes', as long as AI provides assistance without domineering. And that is exactly what Smart Food ID does! First presented in 2020 as a prototype, this application is now available to customers in Germany and other European countries.

With Smart Food ID, a camera in the oven takes photographs of the ingredients. Artificial intelligence then interprets these images and relays the type of dish to the oven display. All that is then required is pressing OK to confirm, and baking, cooking or roasting starts automatically – and ends when the required results are reached. Smart Food ID currently recognises around 30 recipes, although Miele is continuously extending its repertoire.

Alexa, it's baking time – cooking with voice control

Cook more intuitively than ever before – with CookAssist in combination with voice control. Let's recap: CookAssist, a feature on induction hob units with TempControl, guides cooks through food preparation step by step. A tablet or smartphone tells you when the frying pan has reached the right temperature – for instance for blueberry pancakes – then, when the pancake needs flipping, and, finally, when it is finished. CookAssist provides help with around 30 recipes and the number is growing steadily. Artificial intelligence comes in the form of an algorithm which regulates the temperature of the induction hob with great precision and prevents food overcooking. Even greater cooking pleasure is promised by expanding CookAssist to include voice control via Amazon's Alexa. The transition from the app to Alexa is virtually seamless: In the app, only the recipe needs selecting which then appears on the display of the Echo Show at the command to launch CookAssist. Alexa then guides the user through food preparation with voice and images.

Routines which simplify cooking are the next 'hot' thing in two senses. The command 'Alexa, it's time for baking' transforms the kitchen into a bakehouse where the oven switches on at individually pre-defined settings and the worktop lighting turns on automatically. Voice controls prove highly practical in a further application: On new refrigerators and freezers which Miele will be launching in 2024, the door opens and closes in response to commands – a boon when both hands are full of food to go into the fridge. Or, if you prefer, you can simply tap on the appliance front. In both cases, the refrigerator door remains fingerprint-free.

Become a wine expert with the Miele app

What is the ideal storage temperature for your favourite wine and what is the recommended serving temperature? – With the new Wine Storage Guide in the Miele app, wine lovers soon become connoisseurs. For a classic red, white or rosé, or even Champagne or dessert wines, the guide provides suitable recommendations – and these can be simply sent from the app to the wine conditioning unit. A good red wine rests best at around 16°C, whites are chilled to 10°C and Champagne sparkles when taken from the lowest compartment in the wine conditioning unit. Whatever your choice, Miele appliances ensure that fine wines you put in their safekeeping are perfectly protected: safe from UV light, odours in room air and vibration. For optimum storage conditions, humidity can be individually adjusted in the various temperature zones. So which wine best goes with a particular meal? – Here, too, the Wine Storage Guide presents appropriate proposals.

The Wine Storage Guide will be available in the app over the coming months.

*The connectivity applications covered in the text are additional digital services provided by Miele & Cie. KG or by partner companies. All smart applications are made possible by the Miele@home system. The range of functions can vary depending on the model and the country

Company profile: Miele is the world's leading manufacturer of premium domestic appliances including cooking, baking and steam-cooking appliances, refrigeration products, coffee makers, dishwashers and laundry and floor care products. Their product portfolio also includes dishwashers, washing machines and tumble dryers for commercial use as well as washer-disinfectors and sterilisers for use in medical and laboratory applications. Founded in 1899, the company has eight production plants in Germany, one each in Austria, the Czech Republic, China, Romania and Poland as well as two production plants belonging to its Italian medical technology subsidiary Steelco. Sales in the 2022 business year amounted to around € 5.43 bn. Miele is represented with its own sales subsidiaries and via importers in almost 100 countries/regions. Throughout the world, the family-run enterprise, now in its fourth generation, employs a workforce of around 23,300, of which approx. 11,900 employees work in Germany. The company has its headquarters in Gütersloh in Westphalia.