Best Kitchen Smart Display in 2023 (It’s Not Even Close!)
The best kitchen smart display in 2023 is the Amazon Echo Show. I prefer the 10-inch display, but you can get by with the 8-inch, or even the 5-inch displays as well. From built-in recipes, integrated grocery lists, HD movies, TV, music, and more, the Echo Show really is a cook’s best friend. It’s a borderline sous-chef!
Best Kitchen Smart Display
My wife and I love to cook and we’re always looking up new recipes to try together.
So when we started our smart home, we knew we wanted a smart display in our kitchen. But which one?
At a minimum, it had to be able to quickly find and display great recipes, add items to our grocery list, and entertain us while we cooked.
Ultimately, all of our research pointed us to one product: the Amazon Echo Show. After just 6 months of using it in our kitchen, I honestly can’t imagine cooking without it.
| Echo Show 5” | Echo Show 8” | Echo Show 10” | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product |  |  |  |
| Screen | 5.5” with 960 x 480 resolution | 8.0” with 1280 x 800 resolution | 10.1” with 1280 x 800 resolution |
| Speakers | 1 x 1.7” @ 4W | 2 x 2.0” @ 10W per channel | 2 x 1.0” tweeters + 3.0” woofer |
| Camera | 2MP | 13 MP with auto-framing | 13 MP with auto-framing |
| Alexa Built In | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Price (Amazon) | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
Here’s what makes the Echo Show a must-add to every kitchen…
Display
When looking for the best smart display, finding one with a high-quality display is a must.
We’ll cover some of the reasons below, but I’ve found that using a smart hub speaker just doesn’t cut it in the kitchen. The display is what makes all the difference.
The Echo Show comes in three different sizes: 5”, 8”, 10”, and now 15″. I personally own the 10” screen.
I wanted something that could double as a TV in the kitchen (in addition to a sous-chef), so spending the extra money on the 10-inch HD screen was more than worth it.
Especially when considering that a TV alone would cost $150 at a minimum. Regardless, the Echo Show offers much more than a standalone TV.
The 8”, 10”, and 15″ Echo Show offer HD-quality video. The 5” doesn’t.
If the 15″ or 10” is out of budget and you’re debating between the 5” or 8”, I highly recommend coughing up the extra 40 bucks and getting the 8” display.
Don’t get me wrong, the 5” display is better than no display at all, but I find it a bit too small to watch TV or read/watch recipes on it. Just my opinion.
Timers
Every cook needs a good timer and as silly as it sounds, I’ve found the Echo Show to excel here.
(NOTE: The videos below were filmed on my Echo Show 10, 2nd generation. Amazon has since come out with the 3rd generation and it’s even better!)
For starters, being able to start a timer hands-free while you’re cooking is a game changer. No more washing your hands first, or stopping what you’re in the middle of prepping to get a timer going.
You can also run multiple timers simultaneously, which comes in handy just about every time I cook. I have at least two timers going at once a lot of nights, usually three.
You can check in on these timers on the Echo Show display or just ask Alexa to tell/show you how much time is left on timer 2, for example. She’ll then read out the time remaining for you.
Recipes
The Echo Show has stepped up its recipe game and its format options.
Just ask the Echo Show the following: “Alexa, give me a recipe for eggplant parmesan” and you’ll get so many different recipe options.
The best part is all of the recipes the Echo Show shares are tried, tested, and top-rated.
Once you select the one you like, you can follow the step-by-step instructions on the screen or watch a video of someone showing you exactly what’s involved.
You can even click a single button, “Add this to shopping list,” and the Echo Show will automatically add everything you need for that specific recipe directly to your shopping list. Beat that, Siri!
You can access this shopping list through the Alexa app on your phone the next time you go grocery shopping.
If you find a recipe you end up really loving, make sure to “Save it to favorites” so you can easily pull it back up the next time you want to make it!
Grocery List
Honestly, the Alexa grocery list has become a natural part of my daily routine.
Whenever something is running low or we’ve run out of an item (food or otherwise) we simply say “Alexa, add such-and-such item to our grocery list.” Alexa then automatically adds that item to our list.
This grocery list can then be brought up through the Alexa app on either of our smartphones so that the next time one of us is out we can make sure we get the things we need.
After we get an item, we just strike it off the list so that we both know it’s no longer needed.
It’s a simple, yet highly effective and extremely convenient process.
It definitely beats our old approach of frantically searching the fridge once a week right before going to the grocery store. It’s just so easy to forget something!
As we run out of stuff, we’ve found that adding to our grocery list in real-time ensures that a forgetful moment won’t leave us hungry with no snacks.
Movies, TV Shows, and Live TV
Often times I already know what I’m cooking, and how to make it, so I just want something to keep me company while I’m in the kitchen for an hour or so.
Being able to play movies, shows, and live TV using the Echo Show is a really nice option to have.
While there are some limitations on what you can watch (for instance no Netflix – UPDATE: as of Dec 2020 Netflix is available on the Echo Show!), it’s been more than enough for me. And there are plenty of free options too!
Stream Player, for example, costs nothing and can be used to watch over 215 live channels, including ABC, CBS News, CBS Sports, Bloomberg, Fox, and PBS Kids. Just say, “Alexa, play CBS Sports using Stream Player.”
If you’re interested instead in watching a specific TV show or movie, Tubi offers thousands of titles for free, including The Big Short, Blood Diamond, The Road to Perdition, and Shrek. Just say, “Alexa, play The Big Short on Tubi.”
For those who already have paid subscriptions to Amazon Prime Video or Hulu, you can link your accounts and watch everything those services have to offer directly on your Echo Show.
Pretty awesome.
Music
Other times you just want to vibe to some music while you cook (and sip wine, lots of wine).
The Echo Show has a ton of music readily available (although there are occasional ads). Just ask Alexa for the song, album, or preferred artist, and you’re ready to rock and roll.
Don’t worry if Amazon Music doesn’t have the exact song you’re looking for, you can always connect your Echo Show to a third-party music service. These are some of your options:
- Spotify (requires Premium)
- Pandora
- iHeartRadio
- TuneIn (no sign-in required)
- Apple Music
- Deezer
- SiriusXM
- Tidal
- Gimme
- Vevo
If you’re looking for more details/instructions on how to set these up, here’s a great post.
Beyond the Kitchen
The capabilities of the Amazon Echo Show go far beyond just the kitchen. It also serves its primary function as a smart hub extremely well.
I have a lot of other smart home products and automations around my home that integrate seamlessly with the Echo Show.
For example, I’m able to control all the lights in my house and lock the front door simply by asking the Echo Show.
I can even view a live feed from the Blink Home Security cameras set up around the outside of my house.
For instance, when I say, “Alexa, show me the backyard,” a live feed of the backyard pops up on the Echo Show display.
Amazon continues to build out integrations with a ton of other smart products, so as you build out your smart home beyond just your kitchen, the Echo Show will grow with you.
Conclusion
So, if you’re looking for the best smart display for your kitchen, look no further than the Amazon Echo Show.
It’s not just a slick-looking product, it actually delivers.
Hands-free timers, endless recipes, integrated grocery lists, movies, shows, live TV, music, and more. The Echo Show has everything you could possibly want out of a smart display for your kitchen.
I’ve used this product for over 6 months now and have zero complaints.
Thanks for reading!
| Echo Show 5” | Echo Show 8” | Echo Show 10” | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | | | |
| Screen | 5.5” with 960 x 480 resolution | 8.0” with 1280 x 800 resolution | 10.1” with 1280 x 800 resolution |
| Speakers | 1 x 1.7” @ 4W | 2 x 2.0” @ 10W per channel | 2 x 1.0” tweeters + 3.0” woofer |
| Camera | 2MP | 13 MP with auto-framing | 13 MP with auto-framing |
| Alexa Built In | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Price (Amazon) | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
