By: Frank Engelman | Posted: August 20, 2021 | Updated: May 23, 2023
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The Problem to be Solved
Forget to Turn the Stove Off
Once or twice a month I leave the stove on after fixing breakfast. Most of the time I realize that I have left the stove on but it may be an hour or two after breakfast. I worry about what might happen as a result of this forgetfulness.
Solution Details
Based on the personal experiences of my two Aunts and my sister-in-law, I have seen the need for a “stove minder” as mentioned in the above “problem statement” from another Longevity Explorer.
There are two basic types of stove minders, reminders and stove shutoffs, that will help your loved one in case they tend to leave things on the stove.
This is of course, in addition to the normal audible & flashing lights on smoke detectors.
See the Smart Stove Minder I implemented:
Reminders: Basic Solution — Just use Smarturns
Smarturns (a product from Tochtech) can alert your loved one through a warning sound on the hub as well as notifying you through the Smarturns app or a SMS text message if the stove has been left on too long.
Caption: Here is a Tochtech Smarturns knob on my test stove
Caption: Here is a view of the original knob and a Smarturns knob.
This is a well-designed system that fits securely as a replacement knob.
NOTE: One Tochtech controller can control up to 25 Smarturns knobs, and when you buy the controller it comes with either 2 or 4 knobs, suitable for a typical 2 or 4 burner stove.
- See the Smart Kitchen Kit List for the specific products we used.
- See Tochtech Smarturns product. (Use Discount code “Techen2021” for Tech-enhanced Life readers: 15% 0ff). [affiliate link]
Reminders: Advanced Solution — Add Verbal Warnings
If you feel that just a warning tone is not enough, you can add a verbal message.
Tochtech Smarturns adds a way to verbally speak a reminder to your loved one through their Tochie “Verbal Assistant”. For Smarturns usage, you create “messages” for Tochie to speak based on events including “Stove on”, “Stove off”, and Stove unattended”.
The Tochie device allows you to create verbal warnings to your loved one if the stove has been left on. The warning can be in your voice or several different voices and languages with alert tones added. You add the messages through Settings- Stove name- Connect Tochie and follow the in-app steps.
If you want to implement the stove minder features, see the details below.
- See the Smart Kitchen Kit List for the specific products we used.
Stove Auto Shut Off
The second type of system actually shuts off the electricity or gas if it detects the stove being left on too long.
I have noticed several devices on the market that automatically turn off the stove when it’s left unattended. Some of them are timer-based, and others can detect the smoke alarm going off. I think the timer will become annoying and will probably not be activated.
I suggest that the smoke detector-based model is the best pick for forgetful seniors.
Although I haven’t had the opportunity to test these devices, I wanted to make their existence known, as I feel not many people know about the availability of the technology. The prices range from $150-$500, but the more expensive models don’t seem to have any useful added features. If you want to research automatic stove shut off solutions more deeply, Ref. 1 is an excellent general review article (1).
Here is the one I suggest based on it being available in both gas & electric for shutting off the stove. I feel that the use of a smoke detector versus a timer is a much more dependable approach.
While the electric model is easier to install, my brother found that there was a serious shortage of room behind the stove to actually plug in the adapter. He did manage to get it installed, but fortunately has only used it in testing.
- See the Smart Kitchen Kit List for the specific products we used.
Captions: L: My Brother’s Electric stove R: Untested gas installation
Have You Tried These Products
If you have any experience using any type of stove shut off product, please add comments at the bottom and tell us how they worked for you.
Stove Minder Feature
Here are the setup instructions.
- See the Smart Kitchen Kit List for the specific products we used.
Captions: Smarturns mobile apps display alerts
Tochtech Smarturns detects if the stove has been left on and unattended. It does this by monitoring the stove knob position and using a presence detector. The Smarturns system replaces the current knobs on the stove and adds a hub with an alarm and a presence sensor. This system gives an audible alarm if the stove is left on and unattended for a period of time that you can set. It uses a presence detector to prevent false alarms if there is someone standing at the stove during the timeout period.
In addition to the local alarm, it can also send a family caregiver a smart phone notification and a SMS text.
Caption: battery display
The batteries in the knob are rated for 3 years usage, but you can remotely check them in the Smarturns app under Settings- Stove name- System Status
References
(1) Review of different stove shut off devices.
(2) Tochtech Smarturns set up instructions
(3) Smart Kitchen Features for Older Adults
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