Sharing my five favorite ways to use Amazon Echo in your kitchen, including keeping a shopping list, setting labelled timers, recipe conversions and more!
We've owned our Amazon Echo for about 6 months now, and I will confess to you now that it took me about 5 months to finally figure out how to use it to it's full potential in the kitchen. Now I'm spilling the beans with you today so you can hit the ground running!
What is Amazon Echo?
Amazon Echo, or Alexa as we like to call 'her' is a brand of smart speakers. What does that even mean?
Using your voice, you can ask Alexa to perform different tasks like list-making, setting alarms, making phone calls and playing music.
I was dubious when I first got an Echo. Can't my phone do all this? But really, when your hands are busy in the kitchen, Alexa is actually really handy!
Let's talk five ways to use Amazon Echo in your kitchen
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Looking for an Amazon Echo?
- This is the one we own
- We also own 2 Echo Dots
1. Shopping List
You know when you're in the middle of cooking and you run out of an ingredient and you think to yourself "I'm going to remember to put that on the shopping list!". And then...you don't.
Well, Alexa to the rescue! The moment I run out of something, or notice I'm about to run out of something, I say "Alexa, add XYZ to my shopping list". Bam. Crisis averted!
Voice command
"Alexa, add {ingredient} to my shopping list"
To access your shopping list, go to your Amazon Alexa app on your phone and tap on the three dots in the top right corner. From there you can text your shopping list, send it in an e-mail, or if you're like me, just shop off the list, crossing ingredients out as you go.
2. Set (Multiple) Timers
By far my favorite thing to use Alexa for is setting multiple timers, and you can even label them with names of what they are for. That way, when one timer goes off, Alexa tells you 'your potato timer is done' so you know it's not your chicken timer.
Voice command
"Alexa, set {label} timer for 5 minutes"
Note that if Alexa does not repeat your timer information to you, she did not hear you properly and you need to try again. To check which timers she has running for you, ask her "Alexa, what are my timers?"
You can see which timers are running by logging into your Amazon Alexa App and pause or delete.
3. Multiply and Convert Measurements
Doubling a recipe? Looking to convert oz to cups? Grams to oz? Alexa's got your back!
Voice command
"Alexa, how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?"
4. Play Music, Podcasts or the News
Alexa has great sound quality! I enjoy listening to a quick news briefing, music, podcasts and audio books.
I recommend signing up for a premium Spotify account (you can't link a free Spotify account), and then link it to Alexa for the best music to choose from. Alexa can't access a lot of music on her own, and our experience with Amazon music was a bit disappointing.
- To sync Spotify with your Amazon Echo, go into the app, click "music & books" from the menu, then click "More Music Streaming Services". Follow the directions to connect your Spotify account!
- Your Audible account should automatically sync since they are both through Amazon, but if not you need to login to your Amazon account and follow these instructions.
- Listening to podcasts is still clunky and you cannot select specific episodes at the time that this post is written. There may be some skills you can add to Alexa that will help you navigate podcasts but I have not tried them yet.
Voice command
- News: "Alexa, play me my news briefing"
- Music: "Alexa, play {song name}"
- Audio Book: "Alexa, play {book title}" or "Alexa, resume my book"
- Podcast: "Alexa, play me the {podcast name} podcast"
5. Help with your Meal Plan
I definitely don't use these features as much as I could, but there are a few ways that Alexa can help you with your meal plan.
1. Check your meal plan from your iCalendar. First you have to sync your iCalendar with Alexa using these directions.
This allows you to manage your calendar through Alexa, which means you can add, edit or just check in on what's on your calendar. If you add your meal plan right onto your iCalendar (I showed you how to use a Google Calendar for meal planning, but it's essentially the same with iCalendar!), you can check in on it with Alexa.
Voice command
"Alexa, what's on my calendar?"
2. Set reminders. If you need to remember to pull something out of the freezer on a specific day, or put something in the slow cooker at a specific time, Alexa can help you remember!
Tell Alexa to set your reminder, or log into your Alexa App and do it manually. When your notification goes off, you receive it on your phone as well, which is handy in case you are not near Alexa when it goes off.
Voice command
"Alexa, set a reminder to put chili in the slow cooker tomorrow at 9."
"Alexa, set a reminder for grocery pickup Wednesday at noon."
I'm sure there are many more ways to use my Amazon echo in the kitchen, but those are my top five favorites! Let me know in the comments how you use your Amazon Echo (or Google Home!) to keep organized in the kitchen!
Thanks for reading through,
BETH says
I love using Alexa as a timer. It’s so awesome that I bought the the clock accessory. Now when I tell Alex to time something I also have a visual. It’s pretty cool.
Denise says
Oh I haven't heard of the clock accessory! I have been eyeing up the screen but eek it's so expensive!
Catie says
I love the app Our Groceries to use with Alexa! It's much better than just using her. With Our Groceries you can make as many list as you need. Like one for Safeway, one for Canadian Tire and one for Winners. Then you just say, "Alexa, ask Our Groceries to add butter to Safeway." Or, "Alexa ask Our Groceries to add socks to Winners." It love being able to have lists for specific stores! And when you're using your list on your phone once you have an item just tap it and it's automatically crossed off and dropped to the bottom of the list. You should definitely check it out!
Denise says
Hi Catie! I haven't heard of that app but you can actually do all that right in the Alexa app! You can have multiple custom lists and cross things off in the app just by tapping.