this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2026
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Wow! It's almost as though random household appliances shouldn't be connected to the internet
But how else am i going to operate them? In-person?
I personally have found it most convenient to put my detergent and clothes in the machine, then drive out to a spot where i can get some free wi-fi. Perhaps the Starbucks in the next town over. So, 15-min drive to Starbucks (and grab a PSL since 'tis the season) and then log onto their free wi-fi, then log into my account on Whirlpool's app on my phone. Click on My Washer, select a cycle, water temperature, rinse options, etc. and press Start Cycle. By the time i get back home, the washer is almost done. I wait around an extra 10 mins or so for the cycle to finish once I'm back home, move the washed clothes into the dryer, and I'm back on the road! I've opted to start using the public library as my secondary wi-fi spot (when they're open, at least), so another 15-min drive and I'm back on the app ready to commence a drying cycle! A few choice button pushes (the app really is streamlined) and my dryer is tumbling and heating like it's nobody's business.
A connected coffee pot has a lure to it. You preload it. Sleep. Wake up. As you’re browsing Lemmy in bed, you tap your phone to start the morning coffee. The aroma reaches you in bed, letting you know hot fresh coffee is waiting for you, making it easier to get out of bed.
It’s not enough of a temptation for me to go buy a connected drip coffee pot, but I’m betting that’s why people do it.
People do it because they just take whatever corporations shove up their ass. That's the reason.
You know coffee pots have had automatic brew timers fro decades, right?
You could get them 40 years ago with a simple clock. No internet connection, just set up for coffee at 7
If you have an analog switch to turn it on, you can even use a wall timer to have it automatically start. It’s further off-track from the intention, but if you’re hellbent on yelling at something, you could connect it to a smart outlet.
Why even add that complication of a secondary device? Programmable coffee makers are like $30 and they last forever. I've been using my Walmart cheapo machine for 20+ years. This is a totally solved problem.
Less to the point of buying this setup to start with, but repurposing an existing one using far less components.
Shelly smart outlet + homeassistant + dumb coffee maker = genius coffee maker.
I doubt your grandpa is going to do that. No, he’s probably going to buy the “smart” drip pot and be proud of his purchase.
My grandpa just uses a drip pot with no internet like he has for the last 70 years.
He’s allowed to. I described an option, not a mandate.
Just recently set this up, but with a zigbee energy monitoring smart plug. I recently got a Technivorm Moccamaster for $175 that has a physical toggle switch for power and another for the hot plate. Turn them both on, grind the beans and fill the water tank the night before, then set up an automation to turn the smart plug on when the lights go on in the morning, and boom, coffee is ready by the time I stumble into the kitchen, narrowly avoiding death by tripping over hungry cats.
Since it's an energy monitoring smart plug, I could add a bit to the automation to cut the power when the watts drop after the float switch in the water tank automatically flips and turns off the boiler, or I could just tell the automation to cut the power 5 minutes after turning on, OR, as I discovered when I messed up the automation, the Moccamaster can actually physically FLIP ITS OWN POWER SWITCH OFF automatically if it's been on for over 100 minutes because it has a freaking tiny SOLENOID built into the power switch assembly that will mechanically move the toggle switch into the off position, physically cutting the power to the unit, which you'll want to account for in the automation, because it won't work if the power switch is turned off.
Thanks for coming to my TED talk. I mostly just wanted to tell someone that my coffee maker has a tiny solenoid, because no one in my house really cares.
You know I’ve found the store bought stuff is now way worse that the occasionally tempermental homeassistant stuff. I’m playing with migrating Shelly’s to esphome since they dragged their feet on thread for so long and their latest zigbee firmware is laggy and annoying.
Outlet timer + dumb coffee maker = genius coffee maker...but cheaper, and simpler and doesn't randomly break because an update fucked something up in HA (again) so your automation isn't running today.
Also yes. My response was more about showing you can have a modern smarthome that does not talk to the internet. You can of course automate without.
bonus points for z-wave/zigbee only devices without wlan/bluetooth connectivityy
Shelly outlets can do zigbee and BT without wifi now, thread soon in a firmware update or now with esphome.
I've had good luck with locally connected devices (zwave and zigbee usually). I have a bunch of light switches, temperature sensors, etc. But I bet local connected stuff is hard to find for appliances.