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The Spoon

Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

InstaView

CES 2021: LG to Unveil New Knock-Knock Fridge with UV Cleaning and Voice Control

In a normal year, right about now we would be busy packing and prepping for the annual trip to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas. Even though we won’t be boarding a plane to attend, CES has gone virtual and there is still a bunch of news that will be coming out of the show.

News like LG’s announcement today about its new InstaView fridge that will be officially unveiled at CES. The new fridge features an enhanced knock-knock see-through door, UVNano technology for the water dispenser and voice controls.

The InstaView has always been a fun fridge because of the knock-knock capability, which allows you to knock twice on the fridge to make the glass panel built into the door change from opaque to transparent. This handy feature lets you see what you have inside the fridge without opening the doors and letting all the cold air out. The new InstaView panel is 23 percent larger than previous models allowing users to see even more of what’s inside.

LG has also outfitted the new fridge with UVNano technology to the built-in water dispenser. The new feature uses light to create a more hygienic water dispenser, with UVNano operating “once every hour to remove up to 99.99 percent of bacteria” on the refrigerator’s tap.

Voice control is also coming to the new LG InstaView fridge. Hands full of groceries you need to put away? No problem. Just tell the InstaView to “Open the refrigerator door” and the fridge pops open. Users can also their voice to check the status of ice and water dispensers and order more filters.

If all that isn’t enough to entice you, the new InstaView also comes with a craft ice maker, which makes 2 inch, slow-melting ice balls that won’t water down your craft cocktail.

All this InstaView news is, err, cool, but considering CES is just two weeks away, stay tuned. The kitchen appliance space is just warming up.

Speaking of kitchen tech and events, you’ll want to be there for the third annual Food Tech Live. Since we can’t be in Vegas for CES, we’re taking our annual food tech innovation showcase virtual on Jan 11th, so you can join us from anywhere in the world. Register here.

Knock-Knock. Who’s There? LG’s New InstaView Oven with Air Fryer Now Available

I don’t want my current refrigerator to break, but if it should happen to accidentally fall out of a second story window, I know what I’ll replace it with: The LG InstaView fridge. The InstaView fridge comes equipped with knock-on technology that lets you see what’s inside by knocking on its surface, without ever having to open the door.

Now it looks like my current oven may become another victim of a precipitous and totally accidental defenestration. LG announced yesterday that its new InstaView Ranges with Air Fry, also outfitted with the knock-on technology, are now available for purchase nationwide.

LG said in this week’s announcement that it’s sold more than 1 million units of its InstaView fridges, and now we’ll see if the ovens prove equally popular. Like the fridge, the new LG oven lets you peek inside simply by knocking twice on the glass. From the press announcement:

Simply knock twice on the oven’s glass window to illuminate the interior and visually monitor cooking progress. And if you’re hands are full or dirty, the range will light up if gently tapped twice with an elbow, knee or even foot.

Aside from the “neat-o” factor of the InstaView, there is a practical application. Being able to check on your dinner without opening up the door means all the heat stays inside the oven and doesn’t escape. And sure, just about every oven comes with a light switch to do the same thing, but come on! This is so much more fun.

In addition to the knock-knock, the new LG ranges also come with the popular Air Fry option, so you can brown and crisp food without the need for a separate countertop device.

There are also a number of smart features such as remote monitoring and control of the oven via the LG ThinQ mobile app, as well as recipe and guided cooking functionality via SideChef, Innit, and Tovala integrations.

The LG InstaView ovens can be purchased now and cost between $899 and $1,299 depending on the make and model.