Alexa.Cooking Interface

Implement the Alexa.Cooking interface in your Alexa skill so that users can control cooking appliances. All cooking appliances must implement the Cooking interface. For more details about cooking skills, see Build Smart Home Skills for Cooking Appliances.

For the list of languages that the Cooking interface supports, see List of Alexa Interfaces and Supported Languages.

Utterances

When you use the Alexa.Cooking interface, the voice interaction model is already built for you. The following examples show some customer utterances:

Alexa, is the oven on?
Alexa, is the microwave running?
Alexa, stop the microwave.
Alexa, turn off the oven.
Alexa, set the oven to convection bake.
Alexa, defrost three pounds of meat in my microwave.

After the customer says one of these utterances, Alexa sends a corresponding directive or report state request to your skill.

Properties

The Alexa.Cooking interface uses the following properties.

Property Description Type
cookingMode The cooking mode for a cooking session, such as REHEAT. A cookingMode.
foodItem The food to cook. A foodItem.
cookingTimeInterval The time when cooking begins, and the time when the user expects cooking to complete. If the appliance needs to preheat before cooking begins, report the preheat time separately through the preheatTimeInterval property. A time interval.
cookingStatus The status of your appliance or the food cooking in the appliance, such as COOKING_COMPLETED. If your device supports proactive announcements for cooking, include this property. A cookingStatus.

Announcements

You can enable announcements to notify the user when the cooking appliance or the food needs attention. For example, "Your oven has preheated." and "Your food in the oven is ready."

To enable announcements, implement the ProactiveNotificationSource interface in your Alexa skill. To indicate the cooking statuses that your appliance supports, include the supportedCookingStatuses property in your discovery response. You trigger announcements by sending ChangeReport to report a change in the cooking status.

For details, see ProactiveNotificationSource.

Discovery

You describe endpoints that support Alexa.Cooking using the standard discovery mechanism described in Alexa.Discovery.

Set retrievable to true for all the interfaces and properties that you report when Alexa sends your skill a state report request. Set proactivelyReported to true for interfaces and properties that you proactively report to Alexa in a change report.

For the full list of display categories, see display categories.

In addition to the usual discovery response fields, for the Cooking interface, include a configuration object that contains the following fields.

Field Description Type Required
supportsRemoteStart True if Alexa can start the device after a voice command. When false, Alexa prompts the user to push start on the device. The default is false. Boolean No
supportedCookingModes The cooking modes that the device supports through this interface. Use other interfaces to specify cooking modes for the same appliance. An array of cookingMode values. Yes
supportedCookingStatuses To enable announcements, include the cooking statuses that the device supports.
You must include at least two cooking statuses. 		An array of cookingStatus values. No

Discover response example

The following example shows a Discover.Response message for a microwave that supports the Cooking, TimeController, PresetController, and ProactiveNotificationSource interfaces.

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{
    "event": {
        "header": {
            "namespace": "Alexa.Discovery",
            "name": "Discover.Response",
            "payloadVersion": "3",
            "messageId": "<message id>"
        },
        "payload": {
            "endpoints": [{
                "endpointId": "<unique ID of the endpoint>",
                "manufacturerName": "<the manufacturer name of the endpoint>",
                "description": "<a description that is shown in the Alexa app>",
                "friendlyName": "Microwave",
                "displayCategories": ["MICROWAVE"],
                "additionalAttributes": {
                    "manufacturer": "manufacturer name",
                    "model": "sample model",
                    "serialNumber": "the serial number",
                    "customIdentifier": "your custom identifier"
                },
                "cookie": {},
                "capabilities": [{
                    "type": "AlexaInterface",
                    "interface": "Alexa.Cooking",
                    "version": "3",
                    "properties": {
                        "supported": [
                        {
                            "name": "cookingMode"
                        },
                        {
                            "name": "foodItem"
                        },
                        {
                            "name": "cookingTimeInterval"
                        },
                        {
                            "name": "cookingStatus"
                        }],
                        "proactivelyReported": true,
                        "retrievable": true
                    },
                    "configuration": {
                        "supportsRemoteStart": false,
                        "supportedCookingModes": ["OFF", "DEFROST", "REHEAT"],
                        "supportedCookingStatuses": ["COOKING", "COOKING_COMPLETED", "NOT_IN_USE"]
                    }
                },
                {
                    "type": "AlexaInterface",
                    "interface": "Alexa.Cooking.TimeController",
                    "version": "3",
                    "properties": {
                        "supported": [{
                            "name": "requestedCookTime"
                        }],
                        "proactivelyReported": true,
                        "retrievable": true
                    },
                    "configuration": {
                        "supportsRemoteStart": false,
                        "supportedCookingModes": ["DEFROST", "REHEAT"]
                    }
                },
                {
                    "type": "AlexaInterface",
                    "interface": "Alexa.Cooking.PresetController",
                    "version": "3",
                    "properties": {
                        "supported": [{
                            "name": "presetName"
                        }, {
                            "name": "requestedFoodDoneness"
                        }],
                        "proactivelyReported": true,
                        "retrievable": true
                    },
                    "configuration": {
                        "presetCatalogId": "<catalog ID>",
                        "supportsRemoteStart": false,
                        "supportedCookingModes": ["PRESET", "DEFROST", "REHEAT"]
                    }
                },
                {
                    "type": "AlexaInterface",
                    "interface": "Alexa.ProactiveNotificationSource",
                    "version": "3.0",
                    "proactivelyReported": true,
                    "configuration": {
                        "notificationConditions": [{
                            "conditionType": "PropertyValueChange",
                            "property": {
                                "type": "AlexaInterface",
                                "interface": "Alexa.Cooking",
                                "name": "cookingStatus"
                            },
                            "valueChangeCondition": {
                                "comparator": "StringIn",
                                "value": ["COOKING", "COOKING_COMPLETED", "NOT_IN_USE"]
                            }
                        }]
                    }
                }, {
                    "type": "AlexaInterface",
                    "interface": "Alexa",
                    "version": "3"
                }]
            }]
        }
    }
}

Directives

SetCookingMode directive

Support the SetCookingMode directive so that customers can set the cooking mode for a device.

The following examples show some customer utterances:

Alexa, stop the microwave.
Alexa, defrost three pounds of meat in my microwave.

SetCookingMode directive payload details

Field Description Type
cookingMode The cooking mode for the cooking session, such as DEFROST. A cookingMode object.
foodItem The food to cook. The directive includes this field only if the user specifies it. A foodItem object.

SetCookingMode directive example

The following example illustrates a SetCookingMode directive that Alexa sends to your skill.

{
  "directive": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa.Cooking",
      "name": "SetCookingMode",
      "messageId": "<message id>",
      "correlationToken": "<an opaque correlation token>",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "<an OAuth2 bearer token>"
      },
      "endpointId": "<endpoint id>",
      "cookie": {}
    },
    "payload": {
      "cookingMode": {
        "value": "DEFROST"
      },
      "foodItem": {
        "foodName": "meat",
        "foodQuantity": {
          "@type": "Weight",
          "value": 3,
          "unit": "POUND"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

SetCookingMode directive example to turn off a device

The following example illustrates a SetCookingMode directive that Alexa sends to your skill to turn off a device.

{
  "directive": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa.Cooking",
      "name": "SetCookingMode",
      "messageId": "<message id>",
      "correlationToken": "<an opaque correlation token>",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "<an OAuth2 bearer token>"
      },
      "endpointId": "<endpoint id>",
      "cookie": {}
    },
    "payload": {
      "cookingMode": {
        "value": "OFF"
      }
    }
  }
}

SetCookingMode response event

If you handle a SetCookingMode directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.Response event. In the context object, include the values of all relevant properties.

SetCookingMode response event example

The following example shows a response to a SetCookingMode directive. The context contains the values of all properties relevant to the current cooking action, even those properties defined by other interfaces.

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{
  "event":{
    "header":{
      "namespace": "Alexa",
      "name": "Response",
      "messageId": "<message id>",
      "correlationToken": "<an opaque correlation token>",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "<an OAuth2 bearer token>"
      },
      "endpointId": "<endpoint id>"
    },
    "payload": {}
  },
  "context":{
    "properties":[
      {
         "namespace": "Alexa.Cooking",
         "name": "cookingMode",
         "value": "PRESET",
         "timeOfSample": "2019-11-11T21:20:45Z",
         "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
      },
      {
         "namespace": "Alexa.Cooking",
         "name": "foodItem",
         "value":{
            "foodName": "Salmon",
            "foodQuantity":{
               "@type": "Weight",
               "value": 5.5,
               "unit": "POUND"
            }
         },
         "timeOfSample": "2019-11-11T21:20:45Z",
         "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
      },
      {
          "namespace": "Alexa.Cooking",
          "name": "cookingTimeInterval",
          "value": {
              "start": "2019-11-11T21:00:00Z",
              "end": "2019-11-11T22:30:00Z"
          },
          "timeOfSample": "2019-11-11T21:20:45Z",
          "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
      }
    ]
  }
}

SetCookingMode directive error handling

If you can't handle a SetCookingMode directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.Cooking.ErrorResponse event. You can also respond with a generic Alexa.ErrorResponse event if your error is generic, and not specific to cooking.

State reporting

Alexa sends a ReportState directive to request information about the state of an endpoint. When Alexa sends a ReportState directive, you send a StateReport event in response. The response contains the current state of all retrievable properties in the context object. You identify your retrievable properties in your discovery response. For more information about state reports, see Understand State Reporting.

StateReport response event example

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{
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa",
      "name": "StateReport",
      "messageId": "<message id>",
      "correlationToken": "<an opaque correlation token>",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "<an OAuth2 bearer token>"
      },
      "endpointId": "<endpoint id>"
    },
    "payload": {}
  },
  "context": {
    "properties": [
      {
         "namespace": "Alexa.Cooking",
         "name": "cookingMode",
         "value": "BAKE",
         "timeOfSample": "2019-11-11T21:20:45Z",
         "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
      },
      {
         "namespace": "Alexa.Cooking",
         "name": "foodItem",
         "value":{
            "foodName": "Salmon",
            "foodQuantity":{
               "@type": "Weight",
               "value": 5.5,
               "unit": "POUND"
            }
         },
         "timeOfSample": "2019-11-11T21:20:45Z",
         "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
      },
      {
          "namespace": "Alexa.Cooking",
          "name": "cookingTimeInterval",
          "value": {
              "start": "2019-11-11T21:00:00Z",
              "end": "2019-11-11T22:30:00Z"
          },
          "timeOfSample": "2019-11-11T21:20:45Z",
          "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
      }
    ]
  }
}

Change reporting

You send a ChangeReport event to proactively report changes in the state of an endpoint. You identify the properties that you proactively report in your discovery response. For details about change reporting, see Understand State Reporting.

For an example ChangeReport to trigger a notification to the user, see ProactiveNotificationSource.

ChangeReport event example

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{  
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa",
      "name": "ChangeReport",
      "messageId": "<message id>",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "<an OAuth2 bearer token>"
      },
      "endpointId": "<endpoint id>"
    },
    "payload": {
      "change": {
        "cause": {
          "type": "PHYSICAL_INTERACTION"
        },
        "properties": [
          {
             "namespace": "Alexa.Cooking",
             "name": "cookingMode",
             "value": "BAKE",
             "timeOfSample": "2019-11-11T21:20:45Z",
             "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
          },
          {
             "namespace": "Alexa.Cooking",
             "name": "foodItem",
             "value":{
                "foodName": "Roast",
                "foodQuantity":{
                   "@type": "Weight",
                   "value": 5.5,
                   "unit": "POUND"
                }
             },
             "timeOfSample": "2019-11-11T21:20:45Z",
             "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
          },
          {
              "namespace": "Alexa.Cooking",
              "name": "cookingTimeInterval",
              "value": {
                  "start": "2019-11-11T21:00:00Z",
                  "end": "2019-11-11T22:30:00Z"
              },
              "timeOfSample": "2019-11-11T21:20:45Z",
              "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "context": {}
}