Amazon Echo Show- The Perfect Sous Chef

If you’ve followed my page for a long time, you know that I use Amazon’s Alexa in my kitchen everyday. As the holidays are creeping in and Christmas is just around the corner, I can assure you that gifting the all new Echo Show to the foodie in your life is the perfect gift. 

The Echo Show has so many fun and new in-the-kitchen capabilities to make everyday cooking more simple. For those of you that aren’t familiar with Alexa, she is very easy to use and I can assure you of that because, well, my two little ones (5 years old and 3 years old) use her just as much as I do. Using Alexa is as easy as asking her a question, and she responds instantly. 

Alexa has so many capabilities, and can even transform your home into a “smart home” . But let me fill you in on some of the ways that I personally use Alexa in my home.

Here are some of the main features that I use Alexa for on an everyday basis:

• Maintain a Grocery List. The simple command of Alexa, add bacon to my grocery list, adds the item straight to my shopping list. Once I get to the grocery store, I open the Alexa app and my list is right there. It’s so nice because while you’re cooking you realize the things that you need (that you might later forget) and can hands-free add those items before you forget.
• Convert Units. While cooking, you may find that you need help converting units when you don’t have the proper tools to measure according to a recipe you are following. Perhaps a recipe calls for a gallon of water and you don’t know how to measure that and you certainly don’t want to pour all the milk out of the jug just to measure for your recipe (ha!) Just ask Alexa, Alexa, how many cups are in a gallon, and she’ll let you know immediately. 
• Alexa Shopping. After adding items to your shopping list with Alexa, you have the ability to purchase cooking ingredients from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market last-minute through Prime Now!
• Keep Multiple Timers. Okay, this is what I use the most in my own kitchen! A lot of times when I am recipe testing I have a lot of stuff going on at once. I organize my timers with Alexa by saying, Alexa, set my pizza timer for 15 minutes. That way, when each timer goes off, I know exactly what it is for.
• Find Substitutions. Perhaps a recipe calls for Garam Masala and uh-oh, you realize you don’t have that in your pantry. Simply ask, Alexa, what is a good substitute for Garam Masala. (Which her answer is nutmeg, by the way). 
• Nutritional Facts. Not only can you ask Alexa for calorie counts (which isn’t my thing, but it may be yours) you can also ask her nutritional information. I love to use this feature while I am typing up a blog post to provide readers with more information about the food they are eating. Alexa, what nutritional benefits does Lamb have?  She’ll let me know it’s a good source of vitamin b-12, zinc, and more. 
• Music. My other most used feature, aside from all the timers, is Alexa’s streaming capabilities. I have my Spotify linked to my Alexa account and can play the defined dish playlist while cooking away in the kitchen to set the mood!
• Drop in. Another very frequently used feature in my home is the Drop-In capabilitity. While I am cooking, my kids are often playing in their playroom, so I have an Echo Dot Kids Edition in their room. That way, when I hear a scream or cry, I can say Alexa, drop in on the kids playroom, where I can hear them (kind of like a modern day intercom system). Was it a playful scream or was it a fighting over a toy scream? I can ask the girls what’s going on and I can typically resolve the problem without burning whatever I am cooking! They really love this function, too. It’s fun to chat and while I am cooking I often find they Drop In on mommy in the kitchen. Which I think might be a function I need to block because it can get a little annoying. ha!
• New Step-by-step cooking instructions. This new feature is absolutely fantastic and a complete hands-free cooking experience. Alexa has various recipes and videos from Kitchen Stores, as well as Allrecipes, Epicurious, Food52, TheKitchn and SideChef. Simply say, Alexa, let’s start cooking once you’ve chosen a recipe to create. Once you select the recipe you want to cook in your home, Alexa will walk you through the recipe, step-by-step, only pulling up the next step when you say Alexa, next step. 

These are only some of the features that I use in my kitchen regularly. I also use my Alexa for so much more like: setting reminders, asking for the weather, telling the kids a joke, playing Simon Says with the kids, ordering an Uber when Clayton and I are having a date night, reading me the news while I sip my coffee, and so much more in my everyday routine. I really enjoy her accompanying me in my kitchen for everyday cooking and recipe testing and know that you, or the foodie in your life, will love having her as much as I do. It’s always nice to have an extra set of “hands” around the house!

Please note that I only work with companies and products that I feel passionately about and that align with The Defined Dish’s views and that this post contains sponsored content. While I am compensated for the work I do, my opinions are always 100% my own.