As a new homeowner, I’ve been on a quest to make my kitchen as efficient as possible. I recently set up a few smart devices to help automate my cooking routine, and I wanted to share my experience and some tips for anyone looking to do the same!
The Goal
I wanted to create a seamless workflow where turning on the stove would automatically adjust the lighting, turn on the exhaust fan, and even start a timer. Sounds simple, but getting everything to work together was a bit of a challenge!
The Setup
I started by integrating my stove with a smart plug. This allows me to control the stove’s power directly from Home Assistant. I also connected my under-cabinet lights and exhaust fan to Zigbee switches for wireless control.
The Automation
Here’s how I set it up:
yaml
alias: Kitchen Cooking Mode
trigger:
- platform: state
entity_id: switch.stove_switch
to: ‘on’
action: - service: light.turn_on
entity_id: light.under_cabinet_lights
data:
brightness_pct: 80 - service: fan.turn_on
entity_id: fan.exhaust_fan
data:
percentage: 70 - service: timer.start
entity_id: timer.cooking_timer
data:
duration: 00:30:00
The Challenges
- Latency Issues: At first, the lights and fan would take a few seconds to respond. I fixed this by adjusting the automation to run in parallel instead of sequentially.
- Overheating: The exhaust fan was set to full blast initially, which was too noisy. I reduced it to 70% for a better balance.
- Manual Overrides: I added a toggle switch so I can disable the automation if I’m just boiling water and don’t need the full setup.
Tips for Others
- Start Small: Don’t try to automate everything at once. Test one part of the workflow and refine it before moving on.
- Use Scenes: Scenes are incredibly helpful for grouping actions. I created a “Cooking Mode” scene that includes all the necessary adjustments.
- Experiment with Timers: Timers can add a professional touch to your setup. I found 30 minutes to be the perfect default cooking time.
The Outcome
Now, all I have to do is flip the stove switch, and everything else falls into place. It’s little touches like this that make smart home automation truly worthwhile!
If anyone has tips or alternative setups for kitchen automation, I’d love to hear them! 
