Faucet maker Moen brings its smarts to the kitchen with a voice-controlled tap that not only dispenses precise amounts of water, but also at precise temperatures, too, all by voice command. While you'll have to pour out $450 when the U by Moen Smart Faucet launches later this year, it's a clever bit of tech for your kitchen.
The U by Moen Smart Faucet doesn't have a microphone or speaker built into it; you have to connect the water dispenser to your Wi-Fi and have an Alexa or Google Assistant smart speaker nearby. When linked to a voice assistant, you can ask it to pour out water in amounts as small as one tablespoon and as large as 15 gallons. (It supports metric measurements, too). You can also ask the faucet to dispense water at a precise temperature, a feature that will be especially handy for bakers, or those who need to heat a baby bottle. In addition, the Moen app — of course there's an app — will also let you create presets to fill your favorite water bottle or pot for cooking pasta.
While Moen's smart faucet doesn't have a heating or cooling element in it, it will run water through until it reaches the desired temperature. It then asks you to place a receptacle underneath the tap, and then wave your hand in front of a sensor in order to dispense the water.
Of course, you can also use the U as a traditional faucet. The U by Moen Smart Faucet will also come in a variety of finishes and styles. At a starting price of around $450, it's definitely not cheap, but it represents an innovative expansion of smart home tech into the kitchen.
The U by Moen Smart Faucet also earned a Highly Recommended nod for the Best smart home device for home cooks award in the Tom's Guide Awards 2021 for smart home devices.
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