Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd generation) review: a capable sous-chef

The Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd generation)  isn't my first Alexa speaker, but it is my favorite that I've tried so far. Fair enough, I'm probably the exact buyer that Amazon had in mind when designing its kitchen-friendly display because I'm the Small Appliance and Cookware Editor on the LivingEtc team. That means I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but my hands are often too sticky from handling bread dough to skip forward on my playlist or scroll to see the next step of my recipe. Enter the Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd generation), which has in-built connectivity to a selection of cooking sites and can suggest and walk you through recipes hands-free. 

Other perks include the high-quality in-built speaker, which paired beautifully with my Spotify account to bring me all my favorite playlists and podcasts on rotation, and the screen that follows you around the room. This won't be a feature for everyone, because it's a little unnerving to know that your Echo can not only see you but follow you as you go from the stove to the sink. However, there is a shutter that can cover the camera if you are put off by this, and if you leave the camera on while you're out of the house you can even check in to make sure that you didn't leave the stove on. Not only is it a real contender for the top spot in our guide to the best Alexa speakers, but it can also double as a security system.

Amazon Echo Show 10: specs

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• Screen: 10.1” with 1280 x 800 resolution
• Camera: 13 MP with auto-framing
• Dimensions: 9.9”W x 9”H x 6.7”D
• Wireless: No
• Orientation: Landscape
• Color: White or Charcoal
• RRP: List Price: $249.99 / £239.99

Getting set up 

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As with all Amazon brand products (I've tried my fair share) the Amazon Echo Show 10 comes efficiently packaged and with minimal single-use plastic. The box was lightweight and the speaker was very easy to get started. I simply plugged it in on my kitchen island and got to work setting up the camera. It needs to be in a permanent spot in your kitchen so it knows exactly where it can and can't follow you, and if it bumps into any fruit bowls or toaster ovens the screen will refuse to move until you reset it, so keep that in mind. 

It's a good thing to know if you're nervous about your speaker knocking over a bottle of oil or bowl of salt but if, like me, you spend a lot of time moving appliances around your kitchen it could get annoying. I suspect that the speaker is designed with larger (or, admittedly, less cluttered) kitchens in mind, but because I use my kitchen island to test appliances as well as to prepare food I had a few clashes when making the Amazon Echo Show 10 work in my space. 

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The screen can be used to watch Prime Video, Netflix, or Hulu, and while it still has an emphasis on voice control I found that the touch controls were very useful for scrolling through to select a playlist or TV show to have on in the background. Although there is a fair amount of glare, the screen itself is very good quality and works well as an alternative to having a TV in the kitchen or streaming video on your smartphone. 

My main gripe is that there's no YouTube app, meaning I couldn't fully take my phone out of the rotation when I wanted to stream some of my favorite creators. 

(Image credit: Future)

Main features

The main selling point of the Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd generation) is the HD screen that moves with you. It won't be for everyone, but I think it's a great feature. If you're on a video call or if you're moving around your space while trying to watch a show or read a recipe, it will instantly respond to your movements with a silent motor that will travel up to 360 degrees. 

Another key selling point is the in-built connectivity to recipe sites. Because I tested in the UK I was working largely with BBC Good Food, but users in the US will find that asking Alexa for a pancake recipe will bring up suggestions from the Food Network, Tasty, Allrecipes, and more. And if you're not in the mood for cooking, it can order you food from Amazon Fresh or even a takeout from Domino's. 

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The recipe function made a massive difference in my life. I no longer had to keep going back to my phone to see the next step of my recipe, I could just ask Alexa to read it to me. It was also useful to be able to check on quantities, ingredient lists, or set timers while I was cooking. 

In my view, the major downside of this was that I couldn't seem to stream music and follow a recipe simultaneously, which meant that I often had to choose between following a recipe for risotto or listening to my cooking playlist. Ideally, I'd have liked to toggle between the two, but I couldn't seem to control my music settings without having to lose the recipe from my screen and start over.

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Speaker quality

When I was able to stream my favorite playlists, the sound quality on the Amazon Echo Show 10 was excellent. As other reviews have also said, it's very bass-heavy, and the dual one-inch tweeters and three-inch subwoofer resulted in a clear and defined sound. Because the speaker has a 360-degree design you're also less likely to experience distortion from different parts of the room. 

If you choose to listen on Amazon Music, the screen shows lyrics as your music plays. This is a treat for those who love a bit of baking karaoke (me) and less of a treat for those who have to put up with renditions of various Broadway tunes on loop (my partner, and possibly my neighbors...) 

Should you buy the Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd gen)?

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The Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd generation) is an excellent quality smart speaker that combines voice controls with a large and tactile screen. It's possibly the most capable smart speaker you could choose for your kitchen, but it could also work well in open-plan spaces which could benefit from its 360-degree screen and high-quality speakers. 

You can also use the Amazon Echo Show 10 with Zigbee to monitor your space remotely, which is an excellent feature if you've got a decked-out smart home but want all the controls in one place. 

The speaker controls could use some refinement: I'm used to using a laptop or phone which can toggle between tabs or apps, so only being able to use one function at a time did prove troublesome when I was spending prolonged periods using the speaker. Despite these issues though, the Amazon Echo Show 10 is the perfect smart speaker if you're keen to add a smart hub to your kitchen. 

About this review, and the reviewer

Millie Fender is the Small Appliance and Cookware Editor for LivingEtc. She works across a variety of sites, including Real Homes and Homes & Gardens, to bring readers her kitchen recommendations. Unsurprisingly, Millie spends a lot of time in her kitchen, so the Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd generation) was tested constantly for over a month in preparation for this review. 

Millie was sent the speaker by Amazon and has been allowed to keep it, meaning she can keep this review updated with her thoughts as she continues to use it in recipe planning and kitchen karaoke.