ASKO Sense & IFA Highlights: How AI is Eliminating Friction in the Kitchen and Laundry Room

Smart home technology is often guilty of creating complexity rather than solving it. Between navigating endless app menus, decoding cryptic laundry icons, or manually pairing connected devices, many “smart” appliances end up feeling like extra work.

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AI Healthy Kitchen Butler Signals Next Phase of Smart Cooking

Haier has unveiled its AI Healthy Kitchen Butler, a system designed to learn user behaviour, adjust cooking parameters in real time, and deliver personalised, automated meal preparation. The technology uses multi‑dimensional sensors and intelligent algorithms to understand ingredients, optimise processes, and reduce the need for manual intervention — a direction increasingly echoed across the appliance industry.

Shu Hai, Vice President of Haier Group, recently highlighted two missing capabilities in traditional appliances: physical‑world understanding and generalised operation. These gaps are now driving two major trends — AI‑powered transformation and deep personalisation.

Haier’s collaboration with Oak Deer aims to strengthen kitchen robots’ real‑world perception by combining Haier’s household behaviour insights with Oak Deer’s commercial data ecosystem. The goal is to create machines that can anticipate needs, manage routine tasks, and let users focus on creativity rather than chores.

The industry is still in its early “prep stage,” but the long‑term trajectory is clear: fully automated, highly adaptive home cooking is moving steadily from concept to reality.

Tech Giants Are Now Building Whole Houses: Inside the Samsung vs. LG Modular Home Wars

For decades, the battle between Samsung and LG took place in your kitchen and laundry room. They fought over who had the smartest refrigerator, the quietest washing machine, or the sleekest air conditioner.
But the rivalry just breached a massive new frontier. They aren’t just trying to sell you the appliances anymore—they want to build the entire house.
With the rise of “workcations” and people looking for weekend getaways, the modular housing market is absolutely exploding. It’s projected to hit a massive 4.4 trillion won (around $3.2 billion USD) by 2030. Now, Korea’s tech titans are racing to drop fully built, AI-powered smart homes straight onto your empty plot of land.
LG’s Play: The Affordably Luxury “Smart Cottage”
LG struck first with its LG Smart Cottage, a modular home packed to the brim with their premium appliances and high-tech heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
Recognizing that cost is the biggest barrier for people wanting a second home, LG just changed the game. They launched the MONO Core 27, a 27-square-meter (about 290 sq. ft.) open-plan, single-story layout featuring a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.
The kicker? It costs 100 million won (roughly $72,000 USD)—slashing the price of their previous model exactly in half. It’s essentially a plug-and-play designer tiny home backed by one of the biggest tech brands on earth.
Samsung Fires Back: The Factory-Integrated AI Home
Not one to be outdone, Samsung just announced its official entry into the market, partnering with wooden modular housing specialist Gongganjegaeso to launch the Samsung AI Modular Home.
While LG is focusing on lowering the price barrier, Samsung is flexing its SmartThings ecosystem ecosystem.
When you order a Samsung modular home, over 20 smart devices—including heat pump boilers, refrigerators, TVs, smart lighting, and security cameras—arrive pre-installed and pre-registered directly from the factory floor. You don’t have to spend days setting up Wi-Fi, pairing devices, or hiring installers. You just turn the key, and your entire house is alive and connected.
Samsung has opened massive showrooms in South Korea ranging from tiny-home scale up to a sprawling 330-square-meter luxury layout, and they are already planning to scale this tech up to four-story apartment buildings.
The Big Picture: Why You Should Care
We are moving past the era of the “smart appliance” and entering the era of the “native smart home.” Instead of buying a house and trying to make it smart with aftermarket gadgets, tech companies are building homes from scratch where the walls, the air, the security, and the appliances act as a single, unified machine

BSH Pushes AI‑Driven Innovation with New Recipe Converter for Bosch Cookit

At BSH, innovation is no longer defined solely by engineering, design, or durability. The next wave of progress is being shaped by AI‑powered experiences, and the latest update to the Bosch Cookit marks a clear step toward that future.

AI turns the Cookit into a true kitchen companion
With the new AI Recipe Converter, Cookit users can now transform any online or written recipe into a fully guided cooking programme. The system removes guesswork, adjusts steps automatically, and helps users achieve consistent results with ease.

Since launch, more than 20,000 recipes have already been converted — a volume that continuously strengthens and refines the AI model behind the scenes.

A preview of BSH’s broader ambition
For BSH, this update is only the beginning. The company’s strategy is centred on shaping markets through meaningful innovation and redefining how people interact with their homes. As appliances evolve from silent helpers to intelligent companions, AI will play an increasingly central role in everyday living.

Miele creates an intelligent cooking system where cooktop and cookware work

With the new KM 8000 hobs and M Sense cookware, Miele creates an intelligent cooking system where cooktop and cookware work as one:

✔️ Smart cookware and cooktop working together – automatically adjusting power so nothing burns and nothing boils over

✔️ Full-surface induction for maximum flexibility – place your pots and pans wherever you want

✔️ Intuitive controls and clean design that keep the focus on what really matters: the cooking experience

The result? Less monitoring, less stress – and more time for the moments that happen around cooking.

Now we’d love to hear your take:

👉 Would you trust your cooktop to take over the perfect heat control

Samsung’s “Design is an Act of Love” showcase at Milan Design Week 2026

Samsung’s “Design is an Act of Love” showcase at Milan Design Week 2026 just gave us a glimpse of the next generation of white goods. The 2026 Bespoke AI lineup moves away from clunky appliances toward “invisible” tech that acts like high-end furniture.
Here are the highlights from the White Goods Now team:
1. The Extractor Induction Hob
The overhead range hood is officially a relic. This all-in-one unit features:
Integrated Suction: A powerful vent in the center of the cooktop pulls steam and odors down instantly.
Flex Zone Plus: No fixed rings—place any size pot anywhere on the surface and the AI detects it.
2. Bespoke AI Single 1Door Fridge & Freezer
Perfect for that seamless, built-in kitchen aesthetic:
Zero Clearance Fit: Requires only a 4mm side gap, allowing it to sit perfectly flush with cabinetry.
Auto Open Door: A touch sensor pops the door open for you—ideal for when your hands are full of groceries.
3. SmartThings: The “Brain”
The entire lineup is connected via SmartThings, focusing heavily on AI Energy Mode. The system learns your habits to optimize power usage, running heavy cycles (like the dishwasher) during off-peak hours to slash utility bills.
The Verdict: Samsung is making the kitchen smarter and sleeker. These aren’t just tools; they’re intuitive assistants designed to blend into your home.