This New Faucet Dispenses the Exact Water Amount and Temperature You Need

Whether you're chopping veggies, prepping pasta, or baking a cake, a little assistance in the kitchen goes a long way. And while Moen's new smart kitchen faucet can't provide an extra set of hands, it can take away the need to use your own.

Activated by voice control, the U by Moen Smart Faucet, which debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show last week, allows you to stop and start water flow with just a few words. Paired with a voice assistant, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, it can also deliver water at a precise temperature and volume. Simply use your smart speaker to ask for your desired temperature and measurement (from one tablespoon to 15 gallons), and the faucet will dispense exactly what you need touch-free when a vessel is placed under the tap.

In addition to helping you manage cooking duties, this smart faucet also makes it easier for home bakers who have specific ingredient needs, such as preparing a bread recipe that calls for 3/4 cup of 110-degree water. The faucet responds to commands for exact degrees in Fahrenheit, as well as generic commands like "hot water" and "cold water."

"The U by Moen Smart Faucet meets a growing consumer demand for smart home tech in the kitchen," says Michael Poloha, group manager, IoT, at Moen. "Every aspect of this product has been intuitively designed to make everyday interactions more convenient—it's the extra set of hands everyone needs in the kitchen. Not only that, it also features the widest depth and breadth of styles and finishes, which is unprecedented in the smart faucet category."

To further streamline your meal prep, you can create customized presets within the free U by Moen app (available on both iOS and Android smartphones) for more simplified voice commands. For example, if you frequently need warm (but not too hot) water for preparing infant formula, you can set up a "baby bottle" command to pour out the exact amount and temperature needed (about 98 degrees Fahrenheit) without having to get specific every time.

Apart from voice commands, the faucet can be controlled from your phone via the Moen app or manually by using the wave sensor on the front of the faucet or the side handle. This means you can clean up messy hands without having to touch the fixture.

—Michael Poloha, group manager, IoT, Moen

Additionally, the U by Moen smart faucet is the only one on the market that operates by hands-free or voice control regardless of whether the faucet handle is in the on or off position. That means if you manually turn on the faucet, then find yourself with your hands full, you can shut off the water from across the kitchen with a command like, "Alexa, ask Moen to shut off the water."

The U by Moen technology will be available in a variety of faucet designs starting in February 2020. The price starts at $430, depending on the style and finish you choose.