Let me tell you about my new favorite smart home gadget - the Kasa Smart Plug Ultra Mini. I've been using these little white squares for about three months now, and they've completely changed how I interact with my home electronics.

The setup was ridiculously easy. I literally plugged it in, opened the Kasa app, and within 2 minutes had it connected to my WiFi. Unlike some other smart plugs I've tried (looking at you, WeMo), there was no frustration or tech support calls needed. The app guides you through each step clearly.

What I love most is the scheduling feature. I have mine set to turn on my bedside lamp 15 minutes before my alarm goes off - waking up to light instead of sound has been life-changing! The plug remembers its schedule even if the power goes out, which has saved me multiple times when Florida storms knock out our electricity.

The voice control works flawlessly with both Alexa and Google Home. "Alexa, turn on the coffee maker" while I'm still in bed never gets old. Though fair warning - if your WiFi goes down, so does your voice control (but the schedules keep working).

My only complaint? The lack of Apple HomeKit support might be a dealbreaker for some iPhone users. Also, they only work on 2.4GHz networks, which required me to temporarily disable my 5GHz band during setup.

After testing several brands, these Kasa plugs are hands-down the most reliable smart plugs I've used. They're small enough that they don't block adjacent outlets, respond instantly to commands, and haven't dropped connection once in three months of daily use.

If you're looking for an affordable way to dip your toes into smart home technology or just want to stop worrying about whether you left appliances on, these plugs are absolutely worth it.