WiFi-Enabled Smart Ovens Are Preheating Themselves at Night

The company's explanation: sometimes you hit the wrong button on your phone. And, you know, accidentally start your oven.

Self-Baking Ovens

Remember Juicero, the $400 juicer that attracted more than a hundred million dollars in venture capital? If so, you probably remember the near-universal ridicule when it came out that you could squeeze the startup's Keurig-like fruit bags by hand. Eventually, the company had to shut down in disgrace.

Now, The Verge is reporting that internet-connected ovens made by the company June are turning themselves on at night, preheating to a blistering 400 degrees. Yet another sign that — stick with me here — not every appliance needs to be smart.

Late-Night Snack

One user didn't notice that his June Oven's broiler turned up to 400 degrees for multiple hours around 2:30 AM, The Verge reports — three hours after his wife baked a late-night pie. The harrowing tale came courtesy of a June Owners Facebook Group with over 2,000 members.

June released its $599 second-generation oven in 2018, which includes wank gadgets including a camera to baking with an app. It can also air fry, dehydrate, slow cook, and broil.

User Error

Luckily, no fire has been reported as a result of a rogue June Oven. And June had a simple, if worrisome, explanation: user error.

"We’ve seen a few cases where customers have accidentally activated their oven preheat via a device, figure your cell phone," June CEO Matt Van Horn told The Verge. "So imagine if I were to be in the June app clicking recipes and I accidentally tapped something that preheated my oven, we’ve seen a few cases of that."

READ MORE: Smart ovens have been turning on overnight and preheating to 400 degrees [The Verge]

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