9 smart kitchen appliances that pair with helpful apps to make cooking easier

Become the party's resident mixologist with this scale that will make you the perfect drink every single time. Explore over 400 recipes, or discover new ones based on the ingredients you already have on hand. To use the scale, pour the ingredients into the glass until you hear a "ding." If you overpour, the scale will re-calculate the proportions so your drink still tastes delicious. Shake or stir away, and the built-in timer will tell you when you've reached the optimal dilution and chill.

This fridge is more than a food storage appliance. Set expiration notifications so your food never goes bad, plan a meal based on the available ingredients in your fridge, and see the contents of your fridge from anywhere. You can share photos and synced calendars on the screen, plus control smart home devices like lights, thermostats, and doorbells, and stream music, all through voice commands.

Make smoothies, dips, desserts, and soups with this versatile, professional-grade blender. Its motor base can detect the container size, then adjust program settings and blending times accordingly, while the programmable, built-in timer turns the blender off automatically when your custom recipe is done blending. The app features 17 blending programs and more than 500 recipes.

Slow cookers are great for creating meals that are ready once you get home, but it's disappointing to lift the lid to an overcooked or under-done dish. This smart version of a classic appliance lets you adjust the cooking time and temperature, and shift to warm or turn off the Crock-Pot through a convenient app, so you can still keep an eye on and control the cooking process wherever you are. The Crock-Pot also features three heat settings, cool-touch handles, and built-in cord storage.

Note: Currently only available through third-party sellers

This light, sleek, and powerful sous vide is less than a foot tall, so it won't take up too much room in your kitchen drawer. It's also Alexa-compatible and connects to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The accompanying app is filled with recipes, and has a Visual Doneness feature that shows you exactly how your food will turn out. Reviewers, including Insider Picks' own Brandt Ranj, rave about its ability to produce restaurant-quality results.

Anova's precision cooker is another popular sous vide choice. It's also Bluetooth-, Wi-Fi-, and Alexa-compatible, though it's a little clunkier than the Joule. The Anova must be clipped to the pot, but it wins points for having a readable display and a huge library of more than 1,000 recipes.

This smart blender and corresponding app help you lead a healthier lifestyle by tracking nutritional information and creating customized grocery lists for you. The set includes a 1200-watt power base with a smart nutrition sensor, two colossal cups, one extractor blade, two flip-top to-go lids, and two lip rings. It's the power and convenience of the traditional NutriBullet, with an additional layer of tech to address your specific nutritional needs and goals.

Baking relies on ultra-precise measurements, so if you love baking, get this smart scale. It's easier and faster than using spoons and cups, and can make following even the most complicated recipes less intimidating. It also reduces clean-up time since you can just place all your ingredients in one bowl.