12 Mind Blowing Ways to Use Amazon Alexa in the Kitchen

This post was sponsored by Amazon as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Did you know Alexa can be your most helpful kitchen tool? Check out these 12 Mind Blowing Ways to Use Amazon Alexa in the Kitchen and be inspired to get cooking!

Sometimes We Need an Extra Hand

Cooking can be so much fun… except when it isn’t! I’ll admit, sometimes between work and errands and cleaning and kids activities and special events and cooking dinner every day, it all feels like too much. Anyone with me?

This is why I was SO excited to get my Echo Plus and Philips Hue Smart Lights and get them working for me in my home! The installation was surprisingly easy. We keep our Echo Plus on a table in the living room close to the kitchen, so it is very handy in both spaces.

I installed the Philips Hue Smart Lights in the living room lamps. Now when we get home and it is dark, I just say, “Alexa, turn on the living room lights” and she does!

Kitchen Helper

Echo Plus has a built-in smart home hub to easily set up and control your compatible smart home devices. I am NOT a techie person, but I managed this process just fine!

Now, you can set up your smart home without a separate hub. Ask Alexa to control compatible smart lights, switches, sensors, door locks, and more. Echo Plus also includes a built-in temperature sensor.

As I mentioned above, we also got Philips Hue Smart Lights. These allow you to change your lights to different colors and dim them to 30% or 70% by simply asking Alexa. To setup the light bulbs, all you have to do is screw the bulb in and turn on power to the light – then say “Alexa, discover my devices.” Easy peasy! You can also set up routines and scenes in the Alexa app with your lights to set the mood, like “Alexa, good night” where your lights turn off automatically or “Alexa, it’s party time” where your lights can change to different colors based on what you want.

12 Mind Blowing Ways to Use Amazon Alexa in the Kitchen

There are so many amazing features to the Amazon Echo Plus, but for today, let’s stick with some of my favorite ways to use Alexa in the kitchen.

1. Set a Timer

Are your hands full getting things into the oven? Alexa is here to help! Just ask Alexa to set a timer for your desired cooking time.

Better yet, Alexa can set multiple timers! So, if you find yourself needing to bake the Thanksgiving turkey for 2.5 hours, the green bean casserole for 25 minutes and then again for another 10 minutes after the crispy onion topping is added, and the dinner rolls for 12 minutes… Alexa has you covered!

2. Make a Shopping List

This must be one of my most favorite things that Alexa can do! Simply tell Alexa what you want to add and specify which list you want to add it to. So easy! I keep the Alexa app on my phone for easy access to my lists from anywhere.

You’ll love that you can share lists with your family as well. Need eggs and milk? Just add it to your list and later if your husband is at the store, he can see them on the list using the Alexa app.

3. Find ingredient Substitutes

4. Convert Measurements

5. Get Cooking Times

So, how long do we cook a 15 pound Thanksgiving turkey anyway? Alexa knows!

6. Set Reminders

Are you always forgetting to put the roast in the slow cooker at just the right time early in the day to be ready for dinner? Or is this a me thing?

Plan ahead and ask Alexa to remind you to prep your food at a specific time so you don’t forget. This is especially helpful when you’re cooking a big meal with different dishes needing to start cooking at different times.

7. Play Music

You might be wondering what music has to do with cooking. A lot! It’s a little hard for me to imagine my husband making his ah-maze-ing Ropa Vieja without Cuban jazz fueling his culinary creativity. Music sets the right mood for enjoying cooking!

Ask Alexa to play your favorite playlist or just a certain genre that seems right to set the mood for deliciousness. The Echo Plus has deeper, more powerful sound to make listening to music even more enjoyable.

You could also use your cooking time to listen to the news (yes, Alexa can read you the news every day!), listen to books on Audible, or catch up on podcasts (if you ever catch up on podcasts, tell me your secret. Too many podcasts, too little time!).

8. Ask for Nutritional Information

“Alexa, how many calories are in a cup of sugar?”

I’m almost certain I don’t want to know the answer to that, but if you do, you’re in luck! Alexa knows this stuff.

9. Reduce Food Waste

10. Food Allergy and Ingredient Info

12. Keep the Kids Busy

Trying to cook with your most precious little baby monkeys driving you bananas? Keep them busy with Alexa! These are my daughter’s favorite games to play with Alexa:

1. “Alexa, play BINGO”
2. “Alexa, play 20 Questions”
3. Ask Alexa to fart. I’m serious… kids love this nonsense!
4. “Alexa, tell me a story”
5. “Alexa, play ‘Would You Rather'”
6. “Alexa, open ‘State Capital Quiz'”
7. “Alexa, play ‘Guess the Number'”
8. “Alexa, tell me a joke”

These 8 ideas are a great place to start, but you will be pleasantly surprised at how many fun games there are for your kids to play with Alexa! My daughter could not stop herself from saying, “Alexa, BOO!” all Halloween season long.

BONUS: Order Takeout!