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Here you are thinking of building a mountain home, yet you may be at least vaguely aware that the last few years have brought a significant revolution to the field of kitchen appliance design. We are here to help!

Smart Homes

The advent of “smart” technology-enabled companies such as LG and Samsung to find ways to make ovens and refrigerators communicate their status in ways that could be monitored remotely.  State-of-the-art touch screens on some models allowed them to function as communication centers, controlling far more than just their own basic functions.  And even more, advancements have followed.

These user-friendly appliances do tend to cost more, compared to less sophisticated devices.  But they represent a giant leap forward in terms of convenience and offer remarkable features, abilities and build quality that homeowners could not have envisioned in years past.

You don’t need to invest that much to make your kitchen smarter.  There are now inexpensive, easy-to-store “smart” devices that can automate parts of the cooking process, keep you updated on the progress of your food, make sure you’re following a recipe correctly and even help you with cleanup.  You’ll likely spend less than $100, and they can be hidden away in drawers and cabinets when not in use.

Whether you spend hours in the kitchen or just brew coffee and toast bagels, there’s now a wide range of options to make your culinary life easier.  You can find both familiar tools and incredibly useful new ones that may have escaped your attention up to now but will soon have you wondering how you lived without them.  Here are some examples:

The Weber Kitchen Thermometer uses wired probes and a Bluetooth connection to measure the temperature of one or two dishes as they’re cooking.  You’re free to leave, as it works with an app on your mobile device and will let you know when something has reached its desired temperature.

For baking and mixing drinks, you’ll want the Perfect Bake Pro to make sure you use the right proportions of ingredients.  It monitors your mixing bowl in real-time, telling you how much to pour, and even makes adjustments if you accidentally dump in too much of one thing.  Its associate app is filled with recipes, and you can add your own.

For your countertop, consider the super-functional, multi-purpose Tovala Steam Oven for baking, broiling, and steaming foods through app control and QR codes.  There’s also the Brava Oven, with a touch screen and an app that let you access a library of recipes and cooking presets.  Alexa users can use voice commands to control the AmazonBasics Microwave.  It costs about the same as a standard 700-watt unit but does a lot more.

Have you heard of the sous vide cooking technique?  It’s relatively new and involves vacuum-sealing food and immersing it in a water bath kept at a very precise temperature.  The sealing process keeps all moisture intact, and the water temperature prevents overcooking. The result is tender, perfectly cooked food that can then be quickly seared on a pan for a crisp outer texture.

Rather than using a big sous vide machine with its own water bath, you can simply put an immersion circulator on the side of a stock pot or large plastic box.  Their designs and controls are different, but they’re all available for $200 or less.

The Coves Mountian River Club

When you’re building a mountain home at The Coves Mountain River Club, you’ll be creating a new lifestyle as well.  Why not consider improvements that will make things easier and give you more time to enjoy the many benefits of living in the Blue Ridge foothills?

You’ll have all the latest energy-saving improvements, a perfect blend of natural and man-made materials, and design features that blend with the surroundings and unique property features.

Building a mountain home here is like bringing a dream to life.  And it’s your dream – one that can encompass not only everything you wished you had where you lived before but a wealth of new and exciting kitchen options that are just now becoming available.

Come let us show you around The Coves and explore our model homes. Call 828.754.0700 now to schedule a visit!