Whirlpool® Introduces Smart Home Lineup

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Care can be a balancing act as busy families juggle chores in all parts of the house. Put in a load of laundry, start dinner, check on both and run upstairs to check on the kids' homework progress. How to manage a chaotic house full of chores? Enter new Whirlpool® Smart Appliances. The appliances offer families control of both kitchen and laundry appliances from anywhere in the home via the Whirlpool® mobile app[1].

Whirlpool® Smart Appliances allow families to use automated and multi-step cooking to control meals from freezer to fork, while auto-tumbling that load of laundry to avoid wrinkles – with a few simple taps on the Whirlpool® mobile app[1]. Hands full with dirty dishes or caring for dirty clothes in the laundry room? The expanded collaboration between Whirlpool Corporation and Amazon means consumers can use the Alexa voice-control capability with a far-field Alexa enabled device to hands-free command laundry to turn on or off quiet mode, ask the oven to turn to a specific temperature, the fridge to make ice faster via Party Mode, or to ask how much time remains in the washer cycle.

"Whirlpool believes a smart home should learn and grow with how families care for each other, but not get in the way," said Jason Mathew, senior director of global connected strategy, Whirlpool Corporation. "Whirlpool® Smart Appliances intuitively learn habits and give families what they really want out of the newest technology, which is to adapt to a family's day-to-day care routine."

The Whirlpool® Smart Kitchen Suite is introducing new and easier ways to automatically control appliances. 

• Scan-to-Cook: Ever experience the disappointment of burning a dish right as the family was sitting down at the dinner table? Now, new Whirlpool® Scan-to-Cook technology in the suite's wall oven, range and microwave will ensure the right settings every time you prepare a frozen food meal. Just scan the UPC barcode on a food package in the Whirlpool® mobile app[1] and the Scan-to-Cook technology –an anticipated industry-first –will send the right directions, temperature and cooking time settings straight to the appliance. And to get the pizza a little crispier next time, customize the Scan-to-Cook settings to remember specific preferences.
• Assisted Cooking: The range can also guide families through a complicated three-step recipe. If cooking a dish that needs to bake, broil and then keep warm, rather than manually switching the oven, consumers can use the Whirlpool® mobile app[1] to send the recipe directly to the appliance which will follow the cooking directions automatically.
• Control from Anywhere: The Smart Front Control Range lets families start, pause, stop and adjust the temperature and cook time for the oven from anywhere in the home.
• Alert Notifications: According to a Whirlpool survey[2], 77 percent of homeowners said it would be valuable to receive push notifications from appliances. Alert notifications eliminate the need to keep running back and forth to the kitchen to check if the dishes are clean or if dinner is ready. For example, cleaning cycles on the Smart Dishwasher can be adjusted and show how much time is remaining on a cycle – all from a mobile device.
• Amazon Alexa: With the Smart Front Control Range, consumers can now have Alexa ask  Whirlpool via voice command to set and adjust temperature, time and cooking mode (bake, broil, Keep Warm, etc.). With the refrigerator, consumers can have Alexa ask Whirlpool to activate Party Mode to make ice faster or to check on the refrigerator filter status.
• Amazon Dash Replenishment Service: When the Whirlpool® mobile app[1] is synced with an Amazon account, the dishwasher estimates when supplies like dish detergent and affresh® washer cleaner are running low and can automatically re-order more.
• Full-Color Touchscreen Controls: For a customized experience that is both functional and simple to use, each appliance in the suite features an intuitive, full-color, 4.5-inch touchscreen for consistent and simple navigation across the kitchen. The dynamic system tracks preferences to learn family favorites – from what families cook, when they cook and how they cook to tracking water and ice habits.
• Proximity Sensors: This oven feature senses when a family member is near and wakes up the system, turns on lights, providing convenience if hands are dirty. When a family member walks away, the oven automatically increase font sizes and volume.

The Whirlpool® Smart Laundry integration allows consumers to control the Whirlpool® Smart Top Load Pair remotely via the Whirlpool® mobile app[1] with:

• Amazon Alexa: Users can have Alexa tell Whirlpool to pause and start washers and dryers; tell the dryer to run the Wrinkle Shield™ option; ask if the washer or dryer is running and ask for the time remaining on a wash or dry cycle – all with a simple voice command to far field Alexa enabled devices.
• Remote Start and Cycle Adjustment: Families can remotely start, adjust, wash or dry cycles away from home. From setting the dryer to actively tumble clothes until you get home, to receiving "Clothes Dry" alert notifications when loads finish, these features help families know exactly when the cycle is complete.
• Amazon Dash Replenishment Service: When the Whirlpool® mobile app[1] is synced with an Amazon account, the washer estimates when supplies like laundry detergent and fabric softener are running low and can automatically re-order more.
• Nest Thermostat integration: It knows when consumers are away from home. By working together, the dryer can switch to Eco Mode to save energy with a longer, more energy-efficient cycle when the thermostat is set to Away Mode.[3]

From January 5-8, CES® attendees can get up close to all Whirlpool brand innovations at booth #41730 in the Smart Home section, located at the Sands Expo Center.

For more information on the company's care-centric product innovations and to join the conversation, visit ces.whirlpool.com and follow #EveryDayCare.

[1] Requires WiFi and account creation. App features and functionality subject to change. Subject to Terms of Service available at:  www.whirlpool.com/connect. Data rates may apply.
[2] The results are from an online survey conducted by Survey Sampling on behalf of Whirlpool of 1,000 nationally representative individuals in the United States.
[3] Savings may vary across load type or cycle.

About Whirlpool Brand
For more than one hundred years, Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR) brand has been inspired by how people care for their families. Whirlpool brand is designing home appliances that are focused on improving how families give and get the care they need with the latest technologies and innovations – whether that means most flexible refrigerator storage for all types of family needs, induction technology for efficient cooking and easier cleaning, or laundry pairs that sense and adapt to clothes with the latest in connected technologies. Whirlpool brand is part of Whirlpool Corporation, the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances. Whirlpool Corporation is also one of Habitat for Humanity's largest corporate partners for over 15 dedicated years, donating a refrigerator and range to every new Habitat for Humanity home built in North America. For more information on Whirlpool, please visit whirlpool.com/everydaycare or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/whirlpoolusa or Twitter at @WhirlpoolUSA. Additional information about the company can be found at whirlpoolcorp.com.

SOURCE Whirlpool Brand

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