The $60 AmazonBasics Microwave connects to your nearest Echo device and reacts to both to the ‘Alexa’ wake word and to a press of the Ask Alexa button on the microwave.
Among Amazon’s many announcements today, one product managed to capture a surprising bulk of the attention: A microwave. The AmazonBasics Microwave is the company’s latest first-party appliance, and out of a dozen new Echo devices, this little oven is particularly interesting.
From an aesthetic standpoint, the AmazonBasics Microwave is fairly nondescript. It’s a plain black box with a big door on the front, a number pad and LED display next to it, and a big rotating glass plate on the inside. The only hint that it’s special is the Alexa button at the bottom of the number pad.
The microwave works with Amazon Alexa, letting you control it with your voice. It doesn’t have a microphone, but you can pair it with any Echo speaker, including the new Echo Dot or Echo Input. It’s powered by the Alexa Connect Kit, which is a Bluetooth/Wi-Fi module that lets traditional appliances speak with Echo devices. Amazon demonstrated using the microwave with a nearby Echo, which reacted both to the “Alexa” wake word and to a press of the Ask Alexa button on the microwave.
Controlling the microwave with voice commands is similar to controlling other smart home devices like Philips Hue lights or a Nest Thermostat. With the microwave paired through Alexa, you can just say, “Alexa, microwave,” and then whatever you want the microwave to do. I tested it in a fairly crowded kitchen demo area by saying, “Alexa, microwave for two minutes,” and it turned on with the timer set for two minutes. Saying, “Alexa, stop microwave,” canceled the cooking cycle.
You can’t use the microwave for other Alexa functions, however, like requesting the weather forecast. But it will have a Dash button for ordering popcorn effortlessly.
I cook most things in the microwave with the Time Cook function, because I usually can’t be bothered to navigate the number pad to use any of the food presets. I’m sure they’re useful if you remember the button sequence, but they’re rarely intuitive.
Alexa makes those presets easier to access by simply saying, “Alexa, microwave,” followed by the number of and the type of food you want to cook. The Amazon representatives overseeing the microwave demonstrated this by putting a potato in the microwave and saying, “Alexa, microwave one potato.” It started cooking using that food preset. It reminds me of a much simpler, more manual version of the June Intelligent Oven.
Out of curiosity, I tried to access the defrost function by saying, “Alexa, defrost for two minutes.” The representatives were quick to point out that the functionality isn’t implemented in the demonstration microwave, but it will be in the retail model when it comes out in November. That’s understandable. Hopefully Alexa will be able to parse specific microwave commands, like cooking at one power setting for a specified amount of time before switching to a different setting.
As far as microwaves go, the AmazonBasics Microwave seems pretty small and low on power. It’s a 700-watt microwave oven with a 0.7-cubic-foot capacity. That isn’t much cooking power or space for a family, but according to Amazon it’s the most popular microwave size, and can serve single people in apartments or dorm rooms easily. Hopefully, if the Alexa controls work well, a 1,200-watt, 2.0-cubic-foot microwave will be also be released for larger households.
The AmazonBasics Microwave is an interesting new direction for Amazon, putting Alexa in a first-party smart kitchen appliance. It looks like a solid step, even if it’s a fairly (and literally) small one. Still, it’s a $60 microwave you can control with your voice, and that’s pretty appealing. Check back for a full review when it comes out in November.
Pre-order the microwave now; it’s set to launch on Nov. 14.
