Trends
The robots are coming for your kitchen
And they have human names
Kitchen robots are evolving.
CES is an annual tradeshow in the US that kicks off every year off in January by showcasing cool new technology. This year in the food tech sector, robots designed to make your life easier in the kitchen were a big theme. And this time, they have human names.
First off we have Julia from Nymble. While they made a tech debut at CES last year, Julia only started offering demos this year. The design is reminiscent of a hot plate with a built-in tablet brain. You choose which recipe you want to make, prep and load up the ingredients and then tap “Cook.” The menu goes a step further by helping you customize the meal based on preferences like spiciness level and amount of sauce or veggies.
"Julia" from Nymble.
Then there was Oliver from Else Labs. Accompanied by a very cute name, Oliver looks like a streamlined combination of Tupperware and an Instant Pot. The user chooses a recipe from its library, preps the ingredients, sticks them in the jars on top, and presses “Cook". Voila! Dinner is served.
Similar to the robots with names, iWondercook automates the "Blue Apron" experience of ordering dinner from a menu and cooking it at home, except the iWondercook (which probably also got design inspiration from the InstantPot) does the cooking.
There's definitely a theme here of one-pot meals that you prep. Although in the case of iWondercook, they send you the ingredients. Now if only they could learn to chop and clean dishes!
Similar to the robots with names, iWondercook automates the "Blue Apron" experience of ordering dinner from a menu and cooking it at home, except the iWondercook (which probably also got design inspiration from the InstantPot) does the cooking.
There's definitely a theme here of one-pot meals that you prep. Although in the case of iWondercook, they send you the ingredients. Now if only they could learn to chop and clean dishes!
"Oliver" from Else Labs.
It’s interesting how Oliver and Julia are not in any way anthropomorphic, yet they are personified in the same vein as our smart assistants Alexa and Siri, who talk back. This is in stark contrast to everyone’s favorite burger-making robot, Flippy (seen here), which is named more like a pet than a human. As we move closer and closer to a digital kitchen, it will be interesting to observe how human-like branding comes into play. Perhaps next, we will see a “Martha” robot who can effortlessly fricassee your chicken or make gourmet three-course dinners from scratch (and also has a penchant for predicting stock market investments…)
A few other notable appliances are coming online to help transition our kitchens to digital. As usual, smart kitchen home appliances were on display from Samsung and LG. None of the tech was mind-blowingly new unless you love sous vide or air frying, in which case LG’s new air sous vide and air fry features will make you a happy chef if you’re willing to shell out a little over one thousand dollars. Or, if you’re interested in adding a splash of color to your kitchen, check out the custom-colored, modular refrigerators from Samsung.
A few other notable appliances are coming online to help transition our kitchens to digital. As usual, smart kitchen home appliances were on display from Samsung and LG. None of the tech was mind-blowingly new unless you love sous vide or air frying, in which case LG’s new air sous vide and air fry features will make you a happy chef if you’re willing to shell out a little over one thousand dollars. Or, if you’re interested in adding a splash of color to your kitchen, check out the custom-colored, modular refrigerators from Samsung.
It’s interesting how Oliver and Julia are not in any way anthropomorphic, yet they are personified in the same vein as our smart assistants Alexa and Siri, who talk back. This is in stark contrast to everyone’s favorite burger-making robot, Flippy (seen here), which is named more like a pet than a human. As we move closer and closer to a digital kitchen, it will be interesting to observe how human-like branding comes into play. Perhaps next, we will see a “Martha” robot who can effortlessly fricassee your chicken or make gourmet three-course dinners from scratch (and also has a penchant for predicting stock market investments…)
A few other notable appliances are coming online to help transition our kitchens to digital. As usual, smart kitchen home appliances were on display from Samsung and LG. None of the tech was mind-blowingly new unless you love sous vide or air frying, in which case LG's new air sous vide and air fry features will make you a happy chef if you’re willing to shell out a little over one thousand dollars. Or, if you’re interested in adding a splash of color to your kitchen, check out the custom-colored, modular refrigerators from Samsung.
A few other notable appliances are coming online to help transition our kitchens to digital. As usual, smart kitchen home appliances were on display from Samsung and LG. None of the tech was mind-blowingly new unless you love sous vide or air frying, in which case LG's new air sous vide and air fry features will make you a happy chef if you’re willing to shell out a little over one thousand dollars. Or, if you’re interested in adding a splash of color to your kitchen, check out the custom-colored, modular refrigerators from Samsung.
"Flippy" doing what they do best!
The one countertop appliance everyone talked about is ColdSnap, which is basically a Keurig for ice cream and frozen desserts. This might be more appealing when marketed during the summer months, but in the meantime, we can dream of warmer weather with their frozen margaritas. Another technology in its infancy is Pantri, which automatically orders supplies for specific smart machines. The last thing I’ll mention is Gardyn, a new, home-based autonomous indoor hydroponic growing system for home gardening. I like this one because they sell organic seeds, they use cameras to monitor the system and send you alerts on your phone. It’s an excellent application of technology used in high-tech vertical farms but approachable enough for your average person. It also has a vacation mode--which is kinda great.
In general, users noted that most of the countertop machines displayed at CES could make your life easier. However, many of them are clunky and require a lot of space, which can be challenging for smaller kitchens. They’re also expensive, but this is not unusual since we’re in the very early stages of the digital kitchen revolution. Another downside, IMHO, is that the ones that cook don’t do the repetitive parts I hate, like chopping or cleaning. It's clear that the future of cooking is upon us, and it will be curious to watch how kitchen robots evolve.
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