LAS VEGAS — Chef-like robots, AI-powered appliances and other high-tech kitchen gadgets are delivering on the promise that humans will no longer have to cook — or mix drinks — for themselves.
There was a lot new in the world of food and beverage at CES 2024, the multi-day trade event organized by the Consumer Technology Association. The display includes Keurig-like cocktail mixing and ice cream machines, and a robot barista whose movements are meant to mimic a human making a vanilla latte.
Here are some of the latest technologies that are changing the way food is prepared, cooked and delivered:
A ‘no smoke’ indoor smoker
GE Appliances is trying to change the way you smoke food with its new $1,000 indoor smoker.
Around the size of a toaster oven or microwave, the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker can fit 40 chicken wings cut in half, or a whole brisket in three racks of ribs. It still uses wood pellets to achieve the smoky flavor, but its technology traps the smoke inside, making it “perfect for people living in urban environments” such as high-rises. apartments, said GE Appliances spokeswoman Whitney Welch.
Grill too smart, not too hard.
Using generative AI technology, Brisk It’s new smart grill, New Sear, aims to make the art of barbecuing foolproof.
You can ask the grill all kinds of questions to create the perfect recipe: What seasoning should I add to spice up my chicken skewers? How can I eat a medium-rare steak?
Once you’ve created a recipe and prepared the food, Brisk It’s InnoGrill AI 2.0 technology will command the grill to cook it.
“This is the smart girl for everyone,” said CEO Christopher Huang. “It doesn’t matter if you’re skilled, if you’re busy, young or old.”
Huang said the grill isn’t available yet but will cost about $2,000.
DIY ice cream in a (cool) snap
Freezing your own ice cream at home takes hours, but with tech startup ColdSnap’s no-clean ice cream machine, your frozen treat is ready in two minutes.
Think of it as the Keurig for ice cream: Choose from flavors like salted caramel and coffee, then pop the pod into the machine and it’ll whip up your coolness within minutes of scanning the pod’s QR code.
Cold Snap can also prepare frozen lattes, boozy ice cream treats and protein shakes.
One touch is all it takes.
Tech startup Chef AI is unveiling what it calls a “true one-touch” air fryer.
Unlike an air fryer that might be on your kitchen counter, Chef AI’s iteration of the popular appliance doesn’t require any tinkering with settings. Just put food in the air fryer, press start, and it uses artificial intelligence to figure out what kind of food it’s cooking, says the company’s CEO, Dan Khurmai.
He said that the air fryer will turn even the worst cooks into chefs.
Chef AI will be available in the US in September for $250.
Your own personal bartender
What’s the secret to the perfect dirty martini? Don’t worry about that—Bartishian’s cocktail mixing appliance takes the guesswork out of bartending.
The latest iteration of the Bartesian, the Premier, can hold four different types of spirits. It costs $369 and will be available later this year.
Use a small touchscreen on the device to pick up 60 recipes, insert a cocktail capsule into the machine, and in seconds you have a premium cocktail over ice.
If you prefer a home brew instead, iGulu’s new automatic brewing machine lets you brew your own beer – a pale ale, an amber lager or a wheat beer. Simply pour the pre-mixed recipe into the machine’s keg, add water and scan the sticker that comes with the beer mix. In nine to 13 days, you’ll have a gallon of DIY beer.
A robot barista that moves as you move.
Artly Coffee’s barista bot mimics the way a human behind the counter of your favorite coffee shop might prepare your usual order.
“What we’re really trying to do is preserve the craft of great coffee,” said Alec Roig, a hardware developer at the Seattle-based tech startup, which now operates in the Pacific Northwest and New York City. Operating at 10 locations.
Roig said the company’s resident barista, who is behind all of Artly’s coffee recipes, was attached to motion sensors that recorded his movements as he prepared each recipe, pouring the coffee grounds into the filter. From packaging to frothing milk and pouring latte art.