We stuck a smart plug on the kettle so Home Assistant can keep an eye on the power spike and drop like a little digital stalker. It turns a normal boring kettle into something that behaves like it’s part of a futuristic kitchen without you having to upgrade anything. The moment the kettle starts pulling power, HA clocks it instantly and begins monitoring the whole cycle as if it’s supervising a critical operation. It’s funny how something so basic suddenly feels like proper home automation.

Once the kettle fires up and the wattage climbs, Home Assistant tracks the rise with ridiculous accuracy. That power curve is basically its heartbeat, and HA reads it as clearly as you reading this sentence. The system knows exactly when it’s heating, when it’s midway through, and when it’s creeping towards full boil. It’s surprisingly satisfying watching the graph shoot up like a little mountain every time someone flicks the switch.

When the kettle finally reaches boiling point and the draw suddenly collapses, that drop is the iconic moment everything hinges on. Home Assistant sees the wattage nosedive and goes, “Yep, job done.” No temperature probes, no contact sensors, none of that overkill nonsense — just pure logic based on electrical behaviour. The simplicity almost makes it feel too clever for what it is.

As soon as HA confirms that power drop, it fires a phone notification so you don’t forget you even turned the kettle on in the first place. At the same time, Alexa shouts a message across the room like your own personal tea assistant that never asks for a break. It’s proper handy when you’re rushing about, especially when you flick the kettle on and wander off like a distracted muppet.

Dead simple, reliable, and it absolutely hammers home how easy automation can be. No rewiring, no panels to open, no relays, no messing about with screwdrivers, and no faffing around trying to be cleverer than you need to be. Just a smart plug, a bit of logic, and a system that behaves perfectly every single time without complaining. Ideal filler text, ideal test content, and ideal proof that even something tiny can feel like magic when it’s automated properly.