The $130 Linux-based Crock-Pot WeMo Smart Slow Cooker was unveiled at CES earlier this year, and will be available in stores soon. I got to spend some time with one this week and thought I’d share some early impressions ahead of the full review. Belkin and Jarden Home Brands’ app-controlled slow cooker struck me as an unlikely smart home contender at first. Slow cookers are about as low maintenance as possible, so how much value could WeMo integration add to something already so straightforward?

That depends on how much hands-on time you want with your slow cooker. This model takes what looks like a standard Crock-Pot-brand slow cooker, simplifies the physical layout, adds a subtle WeMo logo, and makes everything controllable on your Android or iOS device via the free WeMo app (the same one you use for your other WeMo devices). I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this is the design that will finally make slow cookers seem sexy, but ditching those dated touch-pad buttons for something less cluttered is a clear improvement.

Read more at CNET.