Smart Fridges Are Stupidly Complex: Here's Why You May Want To Reconsider

Many homeowners today relish in adding smart appliances to their kitchens and retiring traditional options of the past in favor of newer technology. If you're in the market for brand-new kitchen appliance ideas and are considering buying a smart fridge, making the decision to do so may not be as straightforward as it first seems. 

It's true that smart refrigerators have some useful features, like allowing you to see what's inside your fridge at all times, from anywhere — so you'll never again need to wonder what you should stock up on when in the grocery store. This feature could potentially help save you money on groceries. Plus, smart fridges also tend to be more energy-efficient and can adjust internal temperatures automatically. Its interactive touchscreen will let you leave notes, store recipes, or even allow you play music or movies in the kitchen.

Although smart appliances are worth checking out and have some big advantages, smart refrigerators have some serious drawbacks as well. The price of this smart appliance can be high and many major brand name manufacturers have been known to stop releasing software updates for their fridge models in a short time frame — even after a few years. This could make the appliance that exists to refrigerate and freeze your food a security risk. Not only that, but the complexity of the smart fridge technology means that it could be difficult (and expensive) to make repairs.

One of the biggest problems with smart fridges is that they cost a lot of money. They tend to be much more expensive than traditional refrigerators, even if you don't get the fanciest model available. A smart refrigerator costs between $2,000 and $15,000, compared to a $400 to $3,000 range for a model with the freezer on top. Couple the cost with the fact that the software that runs the fridge may be abandoned after just two years or less, and it seems like an even worse deal. Traditional refrigerators last a long time and may be usable for 15 years or more. Although a smart fridge can continue to function after the software updates stop coming, a smart refrigerator that hasn't been updated can become a cybersecurity risk in your home. 

When a smart fridge stops getting updates, it also means that security vulnerabilities will stop being patched. Since a smart fridge connects to your home Wi-Fi network, it could serve as a way for hackers to gain access to your entire Wi-Fi network, making your other devices vulnerable to malware that could cause a lot of damage — your identity could even get stolen. On top of these security issues, keep in mind that smart fridges can also be more difficult and expensive to repair. They tend to require more components and more know-how to fix. However, if your heart is set on a smart refrigerator, do your research and choose a model that is likely to have years of customer support.