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Following a year where we cooked more than ever, it’s not a surprise that people have mixed feelings about spending time in the kitchen to prepare yet another meal.

“We’ve been keeping in touch with our owners throughout the pandemic,” said Michelle Day, consumer insights senior manager at GE Appliances. “What surprised me was that the same people we polled in May who were cooking more than pre-COVID were still cooking the same amount in October. And they were starting to feel less positive about it; 33% of people were feeling bored, exhausted or overwhelmed by all the cooking and repeat meals. People are also reporting that they are looking to speed up the cooking process. They want to make the chore easier, and that is where cooking technology comes in.”

In 2021, GE Appliances is launching industry-leading technology packed with smart features designed to ease cooking burdens and inspire consumers in the kitchen.

Multi-task like a pro with the FIRST in-oven camera, the CookCam™

Asparagus In-oven Camera
Industry-First in-oven CookCam™ from GE Appliances

Home has become the center of our universe; we are working, schooling, cooking, cleaning and multi-tasking more than ever without even leaving the house. Opening the oven to check if your food is done slows down the cooking process, releases valuable heat and most inconveniently, requires you to be in the room! Enter the in-oven CookCam™. This industry-first innovation lets you live stream the contents of your oven to any smart device. Imagine keeping an eye on your turkey while you run out for a bottle of wine or watching your son’s afterschool cookies bake while you are on a Zoom call. This exclusive technology is available on GE Profile™ and CAFÉ ranges and wall ovens like the GE Profile 30" Smart Slide-In Front-Control Induction Fingerprint-Resistant Range. You are now free to move about the cabin.

Kick start your creativity

Your appliances are ready to make you a star in the kitchen even if cooking just isn’t your thing. From step-by-step video-guided recipes to precision oven modes that set temperatures and offer placement instructions, these appliances are loaded with features to stave off boredom in the kitchen and make cooking easier and more foolproof.

GE Appliances’ connected appliances integrate via an open platform with your favorite apps. Featuring partners like Innit, Drop and Flavorly™, these apps house thousands of recipes and how-to videos; they can also help you create a grocery list and keep your pantry stocked.

Trying to take the guesswork out of executing a dish you don’t cook often? Try using precision cooking modes in your oven. Precision cooking modes use a smart system that automatically tracks progress, modifies temperatures and adjusts cook times. These are tested thousands of times by GE Appliances food scientists, so you can be confident in the results. To take it a step further, dozens of GE, Profile, CAFÉ and Monogram ovens come with a connected precision-cooking probe, which lets you track the temperature of your meat on the control panel or on your phone via the SmartHQ app. The best part? Once your protein reaches the perfect temperature, the oven automatically shuts off so your meal remains tender and rests as the oven cools down.

Let technology be your guide

If you’re ready to tackle something new, give guided cooking capabilities a try. Available on select GE Profile, CAFÉ and Monogram models, this combines video-guided recipes from chefs with sensor technology on your cooktop that automatically adjusts the time, temperature and cooking pace for perfect results every time.  

Scan to cook CAFE
SmartHQ app

Cooking shortcuts

“Initially in the pandemic, it was all about creativity and experimenting with more time-consuming and complicated recipes,” said Day. “By October, 54% of consumers were using their creativity to speed up the cooking process, such as buying more ready-to-cook items, prepping meals in advance, and using the microwave, air fryers or pressure cookers more often.”

Looking to speed things up at your house or delegate part of the meal to another family member? Scan-to-cook technology makes preparing convenience foods foolproof. Simply scan the barcode on the package, and the microwave automatically adjusts cooking settings based on the package instructions.

Air frying is another way to achieve delicious and healthier crunchy foods in a fraction of the time. If you’re looking to eliminate countertop clutter, try one of the many GE Profile, CAFÉ or Monogram ovens equipped with hot air-fry precision-cooking mode, which skips the preheat and gets straight to the crunch.