Amazon just announced a slew of new hardware at its annual Devices Event in Seattle. The gadget that caught us most by surprise was the AmazonBasics Microwave, a $60 smart appliance that you can control with your voice. Here's everything we know about the new Alexa-enabled microwave so far!
1. The microwave can be controlled with your voice
With Amazon's new smart microwave, you can use your voice to ask Alexa what you need your microwave to cook for you. For example, you can say "Alexa, cook potatoes." or "Alexa, reheat rice," and the microwave will automatically cook your food for the right amount of time using the correct power setting. That way you won't have to guess!
Amazon said that they'll continually be adding new presets. The microwave currently has presets for reheating coffee, defrosting peas, or making potatoes, rice, and popcorn.
2. The microwave has a 0.7-cubic-foot cavity size
At 17 inches long and 14 inches tall, the AmazonBasics Microwave sports a compact size that'll save you precious counter space. Some microwaves feature capacities of over 1 cubic foot, so this one is ideal for dorms, apartments, and smaller kitchens.
3. Amazon's microwave features 10 different power levels
The microwave has a 700-watt rated power, and has 10 different power levels to heat all your meals — whether you're defrosting a frozen bag of veggies, or reheating some pizza! It also has a kitchen timer and a child lock, and it includes a turntable.
4. Its Auto Popcorn Replenishment feature automatically reorders popcorn when you run low
The microwave is Wi-Fi connected and you can sign up using Amazon's Dash service to automatically reorder popcorn when you run low. That way you're always prepared for your family movie night.
5. The AmazonBasics Microwave will be released November 14, but you can preorder it today.
You can get the AmazonBasics delivered to your doorstep on November 14, just in time for Thanksgiving. It costs $59.99 or five monthly payments of $12.00.
Brandon Carte has been covering technology at BestProducts.com since 2017, where he's been writing about the latest gadgets, appliances, and scouring the internet for the products that make life easier. His reporting has been featured on TopTenReviews.com, Good Housekeeping and USA Today. When he's not researching washing machines or testing robot vacuums, you can find him at concerts, swimming laps, or at the movies. He thinks smartphones are too big, prefers MP3s to Spotify, and misses his iPhone’s headphone jack.
