New LG Microwave Joins the Matter Revolution

LG has unveiled a new microwave ahead of CES 2025, adding a new way to get Matter into your smart home kitchen.

The LG SIGNATURE Over-the-Range Microwave

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South Korean electronics giant LG has publicised details of a new microwave oven, set to be unveiled at CES 2025, which runs Tue, 7 Jan 2025 – Fri, 10 Jan 2025.

Boasting a touchscreen HD display and speakers, the Wi-Fi enabled microwave has Matter integration. Is this the answer to smart home integration in the kitchen?

Top of the Range Matter Microwave

The LG SIGNATURE Over-the-Range Microwave is designed to sit above your stove-top or range, at the same level as the extractor fan. You might install it with lights below, and the steam/odor extraction inlets behind.

Accompanying literature for the microwave claims that the LG SIGNATURE microwave redefines the kitchen experience with cutting-edge technology.

This includes a number of hardware enhancements, including the inclusion of cameras within the microwave oven!

  • Culinary innovation: Equipped with three built-in cameras, it captures the cooking journey from start to finish, creating time-lapses (useful for YouTube/Instagram foodies, we reckon) and offering real-time monitoring. The induction range, powered by Gourmet AI, identifies ingredients and suggests recipes.

  • Immersive entertainment: A 27-inch Full-HD touchscreen with InstaView, built-in speakers, and Wi-Fi connectivity transforms the microwave into an entertainment hub. Users can watch their favorite videos while cooking. The similarities between the microwave and the humble CRT display have increased!

  • Smart home integration: The screen provides access to the LG ThinQ Smart Home Dashboard, controlling LG AI appliances and compatible Matter/Thread devices. It also displays the cooking progress of the induction range, eliminating the need to manually check the oven, which is just as well if you’re glued to Gordon Ramsay or Is It Cake?

The microwave is accompanied by the LG SIGNATURE French Door Refrigerator with T-OLED door panel, LG SIGNATURE Slide-in Double Oven Induction Range, LG SIGNATURE Dishwasher, LG SIGNATURE Washer & Dryer and the LG SIGNATURE Washing Machine and Dryer pair. However, these devices have not been confirmed as featuring Matter connectivity.

Why the Kitchen Matters in the Modern Smart Home

We’ve previously looked at Matter-compatible kitchen equipment, and found the market for such hardware to be pretty limited. Yet the release of Matter 1.3, back in Spring 2024, introduced support for Microwave ovens, standard ovens (including ranges), cooktops, and extra hoods.

The time delay between Matter releases and the specification featuring in new or updated hardware continues to frustrate to some degree, but it is good to finally see some connected kitchen tech materialise.

A Matter-connected kitchen should be more than just lighting. All manner of hardware could and should be connected – laundry equipment, kettles, coffee makers, etc. Smart fridges with Matter are already available thanks to Samsung, and Midea has announced a dishwasher with Matter support.

The kitchen is perhaps the last part of the home to be targeted by Matter, and as the specification expands, more hardware types are likely to be included.

Pricing for the LG SIGNATURE Over-the-Range Microwave has not let been announced, but should appear during or after CES 2025.