LAS VEGAS – Cooking robots, AI-powered appliances and other high-tech kitchen gadgets promise that people will no longer have to cook – or mix drinks – for themselves.
There was a lot of news from the food and beverage world at CES 2024, the Consumer Technology Association's multi-day trade event. Exhibits included machines for mixing cocktails and ice cream that resemble a Keurig, as well as a robot barista whose movements are designed to mimic a human making a vanilla latte.
Here are some of the latest technologies that are changing the way meals are prepared, cooked and delivered:
A smoke-free indoor smoker
GE Appliances wants to change the way you smoke food with its new $1,000 indoor smoker.
About the size of a toaster or microwave, the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker can accommodate a halved brisket, 40 chicken wings, or three ribeyes. It still uses wood pellets to create a smoky flavor, but its technology traps the smoke inside, making it “perfect for people who live in urban environments,” such as high-rise apartments, said GE spokeswoman Whitney Welch Appliances.
GRILL SMARTER, NOT HARDER
Using generative AI technology, Brisk's new smart grill, the NeoSear, aims to make the art of grilling easy.
You can ask the grill all kinds of questions to create the perfect recipe: What spices should I add to make my chicken skewers spicy? How do I sear a medium-rare steak?
Once you find a recipe and prepare the food, Brisk It's InnoGrill AI 2.0 technology commands the grill to cook it.
“It’s everyone’s smart grill,” said CEO Christopher Huang. “It doesn’t matter if you are an experienced enthusiast, whether you are busy, young or old.”
The grill isn't available yet but will cost about $2,000, Huang said.
DIY ICE CREAM in no time
Freezing your own ice cream at home takes hours, but with tech startup ColdSnap's no-clean ice cream maker, your frozen treat will be ready in two minutes.
Think of it like a Keurig for ice cream: Choose from flavors like salted caramel and coffee, then pop the pod into the machine and it'll dispense your cold treat within minutes of scanning the pod's QR code.
ColdSnap can also make frozen lattes, boozy ice cream treats, and protein shakes.
ONE TOUCH IS ENOUGH
The tech startup Chef AI is introducing what it calls a “true one-touch” air fryer.
Unlike the air fryer you might have on your kitchen counter right now, Chef AI's version of the popular appliance requires no tinkering with the settings. Simply place the food in the air fryer, press start, and the air fryer uses artificial intelligence to detect what type of food is being prepared, says the company's CEO, Dean Khormaei.
He said the air fryer would turn even the worst cooks into chefs.
Chef AI will be available in the US in September for $250.
YOUR PERSONAL BARTEND
What is the secret to a perfect dirty martini? Don't worry about it – the Bartesian cocktail mixer takes the guesswork out of bartending.
Bartesian's latest version, the Premier, can hold up to four different types of spirits. It costs $369 and will be available later this year.
Select from 60 recipes using a small touchscreen on the device, put a cocktail capsule in the machine and in seconds you will have a premium cocktail on ice.
If you fancy a homemade beer instead, iGulu's new automatic brewing machine allows you to make your own beer – a pale ale, an amber lager or a wheat beer. Simply pour a pre-mixed recipe into the machine's keg, add water, and scan the label included with the beer mix. In nine to 13 days you'll have a gallon of DIY beer.
ROBOT BARISTA THAT MOVES AS YOU MOVE
Artly Coffee's barista bot mimics the way a human behind the counter at your favorite coffee shop would prepare your usual order.
“We're really trying to preserve the craft of good coffee,” said Alec Roig, hardware developer for the Seattle-based tech startup, which now has 10 locations in the Pacific Northwest and New York City.
Roig said the company's resident barista, who is behind all of Artly's coffee recipes, was connected to motion sensors that recorded his movements as he prepared each recipe, from putting the coffee grounds into the filter to frothing the milk to pouring latte art .