LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- WLabs™, Whirlpool Corporation's innovation incubator, will be introducing its latest smart kitchen solution in 2019: the Smart Countertop Oven. Engineered to fit easily on your counter, the Smart Countertop Oven's leading food identification technology automatically recognizes various types of food placed inside, and sets the time and temperature needed for a personalized and optimal result.

"This new smart oven is about making cooking easier, intuitive and customized. It takes the guesswork out of cooking," said Doug Searles, general manager for WLabs. "The oven also demonstrates how at WLabs, we harness the 107-year heritage of Whirlpool Corporation in the home appliance industry, and apply that expertise to develop innovations that truly break the mold and unlock the next generation of products for the home."

The oven's food identification technology automatically recognizes the food type and temperature for select foods, and selects the appropriate cooking algorithm designed specifically for that food. The algorithm controls the time and temperature for perfectly cooked broccoli, chicken, pizza and more, regardless of whether it's frozen or fresh. The powerful convection heating system eliminates the need to preheat for certain food types and maintains a uniform temperature throughout the oven to evenly cook the food.

The Smart Countertop Oven is engineered to be small enough to fit on your counter, yet large enough to cook a whole chicken or a 12-inch pizza. It features a touch-screen interface, stainless steel interior, and comes with a wooden cutting board.

Other appliance features include:*

• Live-look-in for those who can't resist checking in on their dinner and real-time monitoring
• Cooking status notifications via mobile and the ability to adjust from anywhere in the home
• A smart food thermometer to ensure your food is perfectly cooked all the way through
• Multifunctionality, engaging the oven's 11 cooking modes - bake, broil, convection bake, convection roast, toast, reheat, proof, dehydrate, air fry, slow cook and keep warm - to get your dish to its ideal taste and texture
• One-touch start to reduce confusion in choosing between broil or bake
• Preheat times that are built into cooking algorithms for most foods, reducing the lag time between starting your appliance and inserting the food
• Scan-to-cook technology that allows users to easily cook some of their frozen favorites**
• Voice activation using the Google Assistant or an Amazon Alexa to keep your hands-free †

The Smart Countertop Oven will be available for pre-order in a limited quantity at wlabsinnovations.com/smartoven with an MSRP of $799. It will make its debut at CES® 2019 in Whirlpool Corporation's Booth #41925 in the Smart Home section, at the Sands Expo Center.

For more information on the corporation's products and to join the conversation, visit ces.whirlpool.com and follow #ConnectToMore #CES2019.

* WiFi & App required for connected features. Features subject to change. Details and privacy info at whirlpool.com/connect.  Appliance must be set to Remote Enable for remote control capabilities.  
** Select frozen foods only.
† Voice control availability may vary by region.

Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Amazon, Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. CES® is a registered trademark of Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™.

About Whirlpool Corporation:
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the world's leading major home appliance company, with approximately $21 billion in annual sales, 92,000 employees and 70 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2017. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, Jenn-Air, Indesit and other major brand names in nearly every country throughout the world. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com, or find us on Twitter at @WhirlpoolCorp.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation