We’ve all been there; buoyed by an hour or two of Jamie Oliver’s infectious enthusiasm, we’re confident in our ability to whip up a lamb rogan josh and some homemade naan for a lad’s night in. What could possibly go wrong, right?
Chances are, an hour in and with the clock ticking, you realise you might have aimed a bit high with the choice of recipe, haven’t got all the necessary ingredients and have remembered your best friend’s a vegetarian. That’s where Wondrwall steps in.
Wondrwall is built on the Amazon Voice Services platform, more commonly known as Alexa and has access to the same commands, skills and functionality as the Amazon Echo and Dot. By being available throughout the home in the Wondrwall light switches, Wondrwall can help you in many interesting and useful ways.
In the kitchen, it is on hand with a whole host of culinary advice and skills to ease your pain and ensure you finish the evening with your gastronomic credibility intact.
Recipes; Choose wisely
Yes, channel your inner Jamie Oliver but the wise among you will check out his Alexa skill first. Not only can you ask for inspiration for specific cuisines (try “Ask Jamie Oliver for a vegetarian curry recipe”) but you can also request other crucial information such as cooking time and the skill level required to make the dish, to ensure you’re not punching above your weight.
Creating Shopping Lists
As soon as you’re decided on a recipe, Wondrwall will help you create a list. Once you’ve worked out what ingredients you need just say something like “Add turmeric to my shopping list” and Alexa will add it for you – simple!
Set timers
With cooking underway, you can use Wondrwall to set timers and alarms to keep you on track. You can even set multiple timers and just check in with Alexa whenever necessary to see how much time you’ve got left on each. The alarm is useful once the final countdown has begun. Use “Set an alarm for 6pm” to remind you that your guests are about to arrive.
Ask for calorie counts
If you have fitness types among your guests, fear not. Alexa can answer simple requests for the calories contained in different dishes. Also have fun (not) with skills like Calpal which will tell you how much exercise you’ll have to do to burn off the calories you’re about to consume! Just ask Alexa “How long will it take to burn 100 calories by biking?”
Pair beers and wines with food
If you're unsure which beer or wine will best accompany your food, you can ask Alexa on Wondrwall. Try the skill What beer? by asking “Ask what beer goes with curry” or Wine Assistant for advice on what to drink depending on your choice of food and even the mood you’re in. Cocktail fans are well catered for too – it’s a cinch to ask Alexa what ingredients make up your guests’ favourite cocktails and get step by step instructions on how to mix them up.
If all else fails….
All the technical back-up in the world may still not be enough to get you over the culinary finish line. For such an occasion, use Wondrwall to contact the 4th emergency service and order a Domino’s! Just say "Open Domino's and place my Easy Order”, relax, take the weight off your feet and poor yourself a cold one.
So, there’s really no excuse now for poor performance in the kitchen, just enlist the help of your Wondrwall light switch and Alexa Assistant.
They really have got everything taken care of, just don’t expect any help with the washing up, you’re on your own there…..
More about Amazon Alexa
If you want to know more about Alexa including different commands and what devices it works with, read the ultimate guide to Amazon Alexa.
