The more budget-friendly models use Chromecast or other screen mirroring software that allows you to share photos and videos from your mobile device or smart TV with your new smart display. Some smart displays, like the Echo Show and Facebook Portal Plus allow you to make video and voice calls to your friends and family; perfect for when you need to ask your mom about her secret pecan pie recipe or make weekend plans with friends before rushing to work. Most smart displays and under cabinet TVs are compatible with other smart home devices like Nest and Ring video doorbells and even Hue smart light bulbs so you can use one device to control everything in your smart home network. Whether you’re a master chef or amateur baker, check out our top picks below to see which under cabinet TV is best suited for your kitchen. When making video calls, the Nest Hub Max uses auto-framing technology to keep you visible even as you move around the room; perfect for calling friends and family for help while baking or to make weekend plans before your morning commute. The Nest Hub Max can also connect to other Nest, Ring, and even Hue brand smart products so you can keep an eye on your front door and deliveries through your video doorbell or control your smart light bulbs with Google Assistant. You can connect your Android or iOS mobile device via Bluetooth to stream music, shows, or movies, or you can download your favorite streaming apps right to the device to catch up on news headlines or the latest Netflix originals while you make dinner or have your morning coffee. The Lenovo Smart Display is compatible with Nest, Hue, Wink, and SmartThings devices so it’s easy to integrate into your existing smart home network. The Facebook Portal Plus has Alexa built in for hands-free controls and to connect other Alexa-enabled devices for even more ways to use your new smart display. The 15-inch screen can be used in either portrait or landscape mode, giving you plenty of freedom to customize your setup to suit your needs. If privacy and safety are a concern, this model has a physical mute button, both a camera shutter and kill switch, and full encryption of your data to help keep your personal information safe from unauthorized access.
The Ultimate Under Cabinet TV Buying Guide
There are even small-screen televisions that are made to look more like a piece of home decor or art, like the Samsung Frame; the body of the TV is made to look like a gallery-quality art frame, and you can either purchase or upload your own high quality artwork to show off in your home. We’ll break down a few important factors to consider when buying a secondary TV, like what smart features you’ll need, screen size, and different brands, to help you decide which is right for your space.
Smart Features
Smart televisions are the gold standard in home entertainment these days. You’ll be hard pressed to find a TV that doesn’t have some sort of native streaming capabilities or hands-free voice controls. When shopping for a secondary TV for your kitchen or workshop, you’ll have to consider what you want your television to do for you. If you want to work or cook along with your favorite content creators, you’ll want a TV with the ability to download your favorite apps and play videos. TCL and Hisense televisions use the Roku platform and often have popular apps like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube preloaded so you can watch your favorite shows and videos right out of the box. Insignia and Toshiba use the Fire TV platform, so they not only have preloaded apps, but have Alexa voice controls built-in for hands-free operation. This is great for when your hands are messy or you’re busy with a craft and need to pause your video. Samsung televisions let you mirror your smartphone or tablet screen so if you have a recipe or craft video saved to your mobile device, you can play it on your television for easier viewing. The Echo Show lets you set timers, alarms, and reminders so you don’t forget your cakes, roasts, or craft projects. A lot of smart televisions let you stream music as well, so if you just need some background noise, you can load up Pandora or Spotify and jam to your favorite songs.
Screen Size
Manufacturers like Samsung, TCL, and Hisense make a range of televisions with small-format screens, making them perfect for placing on top of a storage cabinet in the garage or workshop, tucking away in a corner on your kitchen counter, or mounting on a small wall space. You can find plenty of smart televisions with 32-inch screens, which is plenty big enough to see details of your cooking or crafting videos when you need to follow along while remaining small enough to not dominate your workspace. This screen size is also easy to move around when you need to rearrange your garage or workshop to accommodate larger projects or when you finally get around to organizing everything. The Echo Show Premium has a 10.1-inch screen, which, while on the small side, also makes it super easy to move around your kitchen or workspace when you need to closely follow a step-by-step video but also move around your space. You can easily pick it up from your counter and move it to another spot in your kitchen when you’re done washing veggies and need to chop them, or take it from your workbench to under the hood of your car when you’re ready to do small maintenance projects. When deciding on how big your TV should be, it’s best to pick a spot that will be its main base and measure there to make sure your pick will fit. You can also measure the distance from that spot to where you’re most likely to do most of your work; dividing that measurement by two will give you the ideal screen size for your space. For example, if your kitchen island is a little over five feet (64 inches), the best TV size for your space will be around 32 inches. Getting a TV that’s too big means that not only will it not fit anywhere, but it can also cause eye strain and motion sickness from being too close to a screen that’s too large. A TV that’s too small means that you’ll strain to make out details when following along with instructional videos.
Brands
There is no shortage of brands and manufacturers to choose from when shopping for a small-format, secondary TV for your kitchen or workspace. Like we’ve mentioned above, TCL, Hisense, Insignia, Toshiba, and Samsung all make quality, reliable televisions in a variety of sizes. Each brand offers their own mix of screen sizes and smart features, so it’s important to list them out in order to decide what best fits your needs. TCL and Hisense use the Roku platform for streaming and offer the widest ranges of models in 32-inch screens. Insignia and Toshiba use the FireTV platform and almost exclusively make small-format televisions in 32 or 43 inch sizes.
