5 Ways to Use Home Automation While Preparing Thanksgiving Dinner
By Guest | Posted November 25, 2015With the help of a custom-built Control4 home automation system, you can make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier and more efficient than ever before. These five features highlight how—with the simple touch of a button or a swipe of your fingertip—you can set the tone, cue the mood, and make this Thanksgiving one for the record books!
Spending the holiday away from home this year? Use your Control4 App to lock up the house and ensure the garage door is shut and the security system is armed. Double-check that the temperature is set to conserve energy, and time your outside lights to come on at a certain hour every day. You can also brighten indoor lights to give off the appearance that you’re home (also called “mockupancy” scenes). With the Control4 App, your options are virtually endless when it comes to powering and controlling your home.
1. Absolute Kitchen Control with our Universal Remote
Thanks to Conrol4’s universal remote control, you can control or monitor every aspect of your kitchen. With Sub-Zero Built-In Series refrigerators and Wolf E-Series ovens, you or anyone else who spends time in the kitchen can monitor the stove, lower the refrigerator temperature, and much more – all from the palm of your hand. These appliances integrate seamlessly with your Control4 system, making all the electronic devices in your home work together.2. Smart Refrigerator
The Sub-Zero Built-In Series refrigerator can be easily programmed to send you alerts or push notifications on your smartphone if you or a Thanksgiving guest left the door open. It can also notify you of exactly how long the door has been ajar. Other adjustable settings include:- Party mode: Planning for a lot of visitors this Thanksgiving? This setting increases ice production and automatically adjusts its temperature to accommodate frequent activity.
- Away mode: Leaving the house for a lengthy shopping spree? Set your refrigerator to stay cool while using as little energy as possible. This setting also ensures that food will stay as fresh as possible, for as long as possible.
- Vacation mode: Similar to “Away” mode, “Vacation” mode adjusts the temperature to withstand prolonged absences while also sustaining food to be ready when you return.
3. Automated Stove
The Wolf E-Series Oven is designed for both expert chefs and regular folk with less confidence in the kitchen. Monitor your stove’s settings remotely with the Control4 smartphone app and keep an eye on what’s cooking no matter where you are in your home. Thanks to the Wolf E-Series Oven, you can multitask like never before: keep an eye on your delicious roasting turkey while entertaining friends and family in the den. Other beneficial features include:- Alerts when the oven is done preheating
- Alerts when the food is done cooking or when the food needs attention
- Alerts for when the oven is on and shouldn’t be
4. Timeless Touchscreen
The kitchen is the heart of your home, where guests gather to eat and drink, family members swarm to smell the delicious cuisine, and you and your loved ones spend most of your holiday. Let your Control4 system make your kitchen even more wonderful this holiday with a top-of-the-line touchscreen. With handheld, in-wall and tabletop design options, Control4’s seven-inch touch screen gives you the power to take entertaining your guests to a whole new level, without ever leaving the comfort of your kitchen:- Amp up the mood with festive holiday tunes
- See who’s at your front door with the click of a button
- Check in on your sleeping baby or the kids playing in the living room
5. User-Friendly Smartphone App
One of the most powerful aspects of Control4 home automation resides in your smartphone. Use the Control4 App to light the front walkway for arriving guests, ignite the gas fireplace as the temperature drops, dim the lights for Thanksgiving dinner or brighten them for cleanup, and much more.Spending the holiday away from home this year? Use your Control4 App to lock up the house and ensure the garage door is shut and the security system is armed. Double-check that the temperature is set to conserve energy, and time your outside lights to come on at a certain hour every day. You can also brighten indoor lights to give off the appearance that you’re home (also called “mockupancy” scenes). With the Control4 App, your options are virtually endless when it comes to powering and controlling your home.