I don’t think so? I have WiFi range and washer/dryer and don’t use the apps. Most appliances now have manuals online, when you research the make and model, download the manual to review its operation. That would help inform you.

I have a Wi-Fi enabled stove and don’t use it

Why spend the money if you do not want the gadgets .

Because most fridges just come with it standard now. You don't need to use it, I bought a GE profile and it works fine without a connection.

Not to mention the more devices you have connected to your wifi sharing that bandwidth, the slower your internet speed gets. its very annoying.

we have a wifi enabled range, and there are some unexpected features we can't access if we don't enable it. they don't even make sense -- like "air fry" mode. why on earth do we need to be connected for that? we refuse to connect it. his biggest concern is that one day they will stop supporting it and it will become a useless brick -- as in planned obsolescence.

but yes, our range still works totally as we want it to, and we don't need those special features. some we already know how to do on our own (all you have to do to "air fry" is turn on convection. it's not rocket science).

you might want to look up the manual online and see what features you might be missing out on. but I have a feeling it will be fine w/o wifi.

Same--my partner was super opposed to WiFi appliances but we couldn't find a refrigerator we liked without it. We don't have it enabled (though I actually can see some pros to using it--for instance, you can turn the icemaker on and off remotely, and if the alarm goes off it notifies you). So far not compelling enough for us to turn it on but if we were going to be away for an extended period of time, I might consider it.

yeah, I feel the same way. I like the idea of checking to see if I left the oven on. but in all my years, I never have before so it's not a huge concern. as for my icemaker, it's easy to remember to turn it off and on myself. it can slightly overfill but stops before it gets out of hand.

One thing I would like--though I'm not actually sure this is a thing it can do--is to set the icemaker on a schedule. We are brand new to having a fridge with water and were going through two trays of ice a week before, so the volume of ice the refrigerator makes is overwhelming (and that's after getting an aftermarket bin that's half the size of the one it came with to cut the production in half!) I do turn it on and off often to adjust, but would love to set it to just turn on for a few hours every few days to top off the ice without having to think about it. Not sure smart appliances are quite that smart yet, though...

For LG wi-fi enabled refrigerators (for example):

• Application features list
• youtube Video regarding features
• youtube Video regarding Smart Diagnosis for refrigerator troubleshooting

" Why spend the money if you do not want the gadgets "

Because often the appliance you want for all the other right reasons, also comes with WiFi attached.

Yes, you can ignore it and not set it up.......my range and washer/dryer (Washtower) both are WiFi enabled, and I've never set them up. . I've done that with my Smart TV as well; the attached Apple TV is connected to the internet, but not the TV itself (since I don't have cable).

I live with MR gadget but appliances are my domain and the fewer things to go wrong the better IMO. I usually look for more commercial type appliances with few extras I don't need. We have Alexa all through the house to turn lights on and off to set the alarm and I like all of that but not for my kitchen appliances. BTW the statement about more hook ups slow down of the internet is not really a fact if you have the proper internet connection and plan with the provider.

@Toronto Veterinarian: "I've done that with my Smart TV as well; the attached Apple TV is connected to the internet, but not the TV itself (since I don't have cable)."

Smart TV's download software updates from the Internet. Attempt a software update. If it fails, connect the TV to the Internet directly.

What would be the benefit of a wi fi fridge? Or cooktop? A wi fi oven is useful, though. Remote operation is freeing & a time saver. I like being on the deck with guests in summer & using my phone to keep an eye on oven time. Or coming home from the pool with hungry grandkids -- hot lunch awaits. Or finding something on a sale at the grocery & preheating the oven from the store. Air fry, broiling, warming, & proofing only work from my oven's touch screen. They're not available via phone app. (My oven air fry crisps better than convection mode, doesn't need preheating -- I like it.)

From what I read, manufacturers want to move to remote diagnostics to remotely test an appliance to find problems & order parts faster. Sounds good in theory.

@awm03: "What would be the benefit of a wi fi fridge?"

In an earlier comment I linked to info on the features of LG wi-fi refrigerators (as an example).

I belong to a Facebook group where we try out beta versions of new wi fi features & report back to GE. Looks like some people like having a way to monitor a fridge's actual temperatures instead of relying on the set temperature display on the fridge.

LG's energy usage & door openings counter: meh. I'm not obsessed with those things nor do I want to be.

@awm03 that is something I would probably like! I have a new GE Profile and I actually just set it up to see what the app does for me, mostly door alerts and temp settings... ice maker on/off would be nice though!

This did prompt me to actually look up what the app for ours can do. I can definitely see some features that would be useful: remotely turning the oven on to pre-heat, scheduling a dishwasher, leak alarms for dishwashers, alarms for freezers left open or otherwise off temperature. Some fridge models apparently have cameras that show you what's in your fridge (thankfully not ours since this seems creepy!) I don't see any way to schedule the ice maker (boo) but you can turn it on and off. Some of the features could easily be done with other non-wifi apps or just plain pen and paper: reminders to change water filters or clean hood baffles, etc. For those that use Sabbath mode, you can automate it. Overall I can see how it would be valuable for some households--especially those with second homes or rentals where they aren't always on site--but nothing was so compelling that it made me want to turn it on.

" Smart TV's download software updates from the Internet. Attempt a software update. If it fails, connect the TV to the Internet directly "

Why would I need a software update for my TV?

" BTW the statement about more hook ups slow down of the internet is not really a fact if you have the proper internet connection and plan with the provider. "

That's not always available for everyone to choose.

You do not have to connect "smart" appliances to the internet. Your refrigerator does not need to tell you you're running out of milk. You can do that all by yourself. :-)

@Toronto Veterinarian: "Why would I need a software update for my TV?"

Hmmm. How about features, security, and performance? The TV may have more channels available than the Apple TV box. You may not even need the Apple TV box as all its features may be built into the TV. I know, I know: "But I already have all the channels I want!" If you don't want to do it, then don't.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting: "BTW the statement about more hook ups slow down of the internet is not really a fact if you have the proper internet connection and plan with the provider."

Correct. Most people think they need -- and pay for -- far more bandwidth than they do. A WSJ analysis a few years ago concluded a 50 Mbps connection was plenty. Netflix 1080p requires only 3 Mbps and Neflix 4K requires 15 Mbps.

" You do not have to connect "smart" appliances to the internet. Your refrigerator does not need to tell you you're running out of milk. You can do that all by yourself. :-) "

And theoretically your teens/young adults/Bottomless Pits can tell you too. Or go replenish milk on their own. Ha.

Back when I had kids, erratic activity schedules, & worked full time too, grocery shopping was often done on the fly & as needed. I would have loved remote appliance monitoring & operations. My oven screen is testing a program with Kroger -- select a recipe, add it to the cart, & the ingredients will be ready for pick up at the store. No Kroger here in my area, so I haven't tested it. That would have been handy just to add to a running list of grocery needs stored on a phone.

" How about features, security, and performance? "

If performance in audio or video was truly improved that would be worthwhile, but since I haven't had cable or watched any TV (as opposed to streaming) in almost 10 years, features and channels mean nothing. I didn't buy a TV to watch TV, I bought it to watch DVDs and streaming.

I did consider buying a large computer monitor with an additional sound bar, but that would have been more expensive.

Consumer Reports just published an article on smart appliances. You don't want them if you value your privacy at all. https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/privacy/smart-appliances-and-privacy-a1186358482/

Toronto Vet, the TV in my living room is a 21-1/2 yo plasma panel. It's a only a display. It has component video, S-video, composite video, and PC-VGA inputs. No tuner or speakers, or HDMI. I have an HDMI-to-component converter box to connect an LG Blu-ray player which also streams NetFlix and YouTube (probably not YouTube TV if it requires a dedicated app) and can play various video and audio file formats via USB. A Roku or anything else that outputs HDMI would work via the converter box.

" Why spend the money if you do not want the gadgets "

Because often the appliance you want for all the other right reasons, also comes with WiFi attached.

Agreed. I am so picky about the overall design of things. sometimes the only things that tick all the boxes also happen to be smart. I spend the money because I get all of the design and performance things I want, and I don't have to connect it to the internet if I don't want to.

as for updates: usually those are in regards to security, but if you don't have it connected, then you don't need updates.

re: TVs-- we chose not to connect ours to the internet because that brand (Samsung) had major security flaws at the time we bought it. but it's otherwise a really nice TV. like dadoes, we treat it like it's a giant monitor hooked up to our Fire TV. now that we no longer have cable, the fire TV remote controls everything. it's so slick.

Yep no wifi connections here. we have appliances that request it (roomba, water heater) but have not connected them. felt really good about that after roomba pics turned up online…

https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/12/19/1065306/roomba-irobot-robot-vacuums-artificial-intelligence-training-data-privacy/

@Aphaea: "Consumer Reports just published an article on smart appliances. You don't want them if you value your privacy at all."

That is your conclusion. It is not the conclusion of the article. If you "value[d] your privacy at all", you would never use a cellphone or computer.

"Should You Connect Your Appliances to the Internet?

"Many of the issues we’ve highlighted might give you pause about connecting your appliances to the internet. But a user-experience study conducted by Consumer Reports in June 2020 found that once consumers have used the connected features of their appliances, they generally don’t want to go back to nonconnected appliances."

As was suggested by the article, one can also isolate appliances in an Internet guest network instead of using the network shared with other devices such as phones and computers.

Thanks for the feedback!