The future of the smart kitchen: robots, apps, and AI, oh my!

Jun 08, 2024 05:30 AM - 8 months ago 166907

“The world didn’t request a Wi-Fi-enabled rolling pin, and we decidedly don’t request Al successful a rolling pin.” With this quip, culinary technologist Scott Heimendinger neatly summed up nan taxable of the Smart Kitchen Summit (SKS) held successful Seattle this week.

To beryllium successful, smart room innovations request to reside existent problems successful nan kitchen, not conscionable jump connected nan bandwagon of immoderate is nan sizzling basking point successful tech.

For example, return nan Joule sous vide. One of nan earliest smart room gadgets, this beautiful portion of tech was almost intolerable to usage because it relied wholly connected an app and Wi-Fi connectivity. Two things still mostly alien to nan room of 2015.

Chris Young, erstwhile CEO of ChefSteps which developed Joule, told nan SKS assemblage really nan determination to not put a surface connected nan instrumentality mislaid them half their imaginable customer base. (Joule was rescued by Breville successful 2019, which still hasn’t put a surface connected it.)

Young’s latest gadget is nan Combustion Predictive Thermometer Plus Display, an incredibly smart nutrient thermometer that not only has nan action of a very large surface but doesn’t request Wi-Fi astatine all.

This type of pivot is emblematic of what I saw passim nan convention this week: a refocusing by nan entrepreneurs and companies successful nan smart room distant from sleek, showy gadgets toward processing products built connected an knowing of really group really cook. Many of nan solutions I saw and heard astir look designed to make cooking easier, healthier, and much personalized — nan second being thing generative AI will intelligibly play a large domiciled in.

Of course, there’s still plentifulness of gadgets — from robot chefs to wirelessly-powered appliances. But there’s besides a displacement toward improving nan package that powers nan smart kitchen. Rather than trust connected individual apps built by appliance manufacturers, platforms for illustration Fresco are moving toward a cosmopolitan room OS — a cross-kitchen acquisition that tin link our appliances pinch each different and pinch nan recipes we want to cook.

My ideal smart kitchen is 1 that knows what I person successful my pantry and fridge, tin create maine a repast scheme based connected those ingredients, shop for immoderate other items I need, past person my appliances prepped and fresh to spell erstwhile I commencement cooking.

While that dream is still a ways off, from what I saw this week, nan early of nan smart room is coming into focus. I’ll beryllium sharing snippets and stories astir nan things that caught my attraction astatine nan Smart Kitchen Summit complete nan adjacent fewer days, truthful cheque backmost often.

  • Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

    This $60,000 robot cook claims to do everything but cleanable nan dishes.

    I person a batch of questions astir nan Chefee — a robotic room insert that stores, preps, and cooks meals for you. And I’m not alone. At nan Smart Kitchen Summit this week, location was plentifulness of chatter astir nan impressive-looking contraption. Helpfully, nan company’s CEO put together this Instagram reel to reside immoderate of them. But I still want to cognize really anyone is expected to spend this.


  • Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

    Can this smart oven capable nan June-shaped spread successful nan smart kitchen?

    The Chef IQ Mini Oven is simply a $300 smart oven that tin power up 40 percent faster than nan fastest aerial fryer, nan institution told maine astatine nan Smart Kitchen Summit successful Seattle this week.

    The countertop oven features a ceramic interior, edge-to-edge solid door, and touchscreen display. It useful pinch nan Chef IQ app and wireless thermometer for guided cooking, and is coming this September.


    Now that it’s each but charismatic that nan June Oven is dead, I’m connected nan hunt for a caller favourite smart oven.

    Now that it’s each but charismatic that nan June Oven is dead, I’m connected nan hunt for a caller favourite smart oven.

    Now that it’s each but charismatic that nan June Oven is dead, I’m connected nan hunt for a caller favourite smart oven.

    Image: Chef IQ

  • Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

    This blender is powered by an induction cooktop.

    The cordless kitchen could soon beryllium real. Kitchenery showed disconnected a wirelessly powered blender and kettle astatine nan Smart Kitchen Summit this week. But — dissimilar different wirelessly-powered gadgets — it doesn’t require a typical (expensive) charging pad. Instead, some devices tin beryllium powered disconnected an induction cooktop.

    The institution is besides processing a silent blender, cordless toaster, aerial fryer, and unit cooker.


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