It’s happened to everyone – they’re in the supermarket, but that carefully prepared shopping list is lying on the kitchen counter at home! Or friends have been spontaneously invited for supper, but the host or hostess can’t remember whether they already have key ingredients back home in the cupboard. The ideal answer would be to take a quick remote look into their home fridge and store cupboard. With a smartphone in their pocket and SmartDevice technology from Liebherr-Hausgeräte, the German home appliance manufacturer in Ochsenhausen, they can now do just that! The SmartDevice system lets users look into their home fridge and store cupboard from wherever they happen to be. The system is also ideal for busy people frequently on the move.
At IFA 2018 in Berlin (31 August–5 September), Liebherr-Hausgeräte will be demonstrating, for the first time in Germany, how a fridge can be paired with a “Tandem” store cupboard from German storage fittings manufacturer Kesseböhmer as active partners in clever food management. Kesseböhmer’s “Tandem” storage fitting is engineered for an absolutely clear view and effortless access. One shelf section is mounted on the door while the second moves automatically forward out of the cupboard as the door is opened. The clever design of the Tandem door shelf, familiar from most fridges, lets users make the most of the storage capacity and store every item in easy reach.
One idea – two storage units
Splitting storage space into a door-mounted section and a main section for easy one-handed access has proved its worth a million times over. It works in fridges and it works in Kesseböhmer’s “Tandem” storage fitting. The two units, standing side-by-side, create an efficient food storage centre in the kitchen. SmartDevice technology now adds the extra gloss of smart home technology to make life even easier. Modular built-in cameras, known as FridgeCams, and a smartphone app let users look into their food storage centre at any time from any location. Kesseböhmer has developed special camera brackets for the “Tandem”, which with its clear-view design is especially suited for integration in a smart home system.
Linked with the SmartDevice app, the cameras let users with smartphones or tablets see into their food storage centres. The camera check can be taken a step further by comparing the contents with a database and automatically creating or updating shopping lists for missing items. In addition, users can integrate recipes and check whether they have the ingredients they need. At the EuroCucina, Kesseböhmer and Liebherr demonstrated some striking examples of how the Internet of Things can work for individual users.
The SmartDevice can be customized to suit each user’s needs and preferences: personal profiles identify, for example, vegetarians or people with food allergies. The system helps users save money and reduce food waste by avoiding buying items they already have. More than that, it makes life easier, saves time and takes some of the stress out of food shopping. Links to cookery and recipe sites and to home delivery services complete the offering.
With this concept, Kesseböhmer has again demonstrated its commitment to continuous development in the field of modern food storage. Through the cooperation with Liebherr, Kesseböhmer not only supplies recipes via smartphone, but also reveals tips on food storage and the optimal use of storage space.
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Caption 1: SmartDevice technology from Liebherr-Hausgeräte lets users look into their fridges and store cupboards from wherever they happen to be. It’s available for Kesseböhmer’s “Tandem“. Photo: Kesseböhmer
Caption 2: Modular built-in cameras and a practical app let users check the contents of their food storage centre at any time from any location. Kesseböhmer has developed special camera brackets for the “Tandem”, which with its clear-view design is especially suited for integration in a smart home system. Photo: Kesseböhmer 
