LAS VEGAS (AP) — Chef-like robots, AI-powered appliances and other high-tech kitchen gadgets are fulfilling the promise that humans will no longer have to cook or mix drinks for themselves.
There were plenty of new things in the world of food and drink at CES 2024 A multi-day trade event Posted by Consumer Technology Association. Displays include a Keurig-like cocktail mixer and ice cream making machines, and a robot barista to mimic a human making a vanilla latte.
Here are some new technologies that are changing the way food is prepared, cooked and delivered:
A 'no smoke’ indoor smoker
GE Appliances is looking to change the way you smoke food with its new $1,000 indoor smoker.
About the size of a toaster oven or microwave, the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker can cut a whole brisket in half, 40 chicken wings or three ribs. It still uses wood pellets to achieve the smoky flavor, but its technology traps the smoke inside, making it „perfect for those living in urban environments,” such as high-rise apartments, said Whitney Welch, a spokeswoman for GE Appliances.
Grill smart, not hard
Using generative AI technology, Brisk It’s new smart grill, NeoSear, aims to make the art of barbecuing foolproof.
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 you sear a medium-rare steak?
After you prepare a recipe and prepare the food, Brisk’s InnoGrill AI 2.0 technology will command the grill to cook it.
„This is everyone’s smart grill,” said CEO Christopher Huang. „It doesn’t matter if you’re a talented enthusiast, if you’re busy, young or old.”
Huang said the grill is not yet available but will cost around $2,000.
DIY ice cream in a (cold) snap
Freezing your own ice cream at home takes hours, but with tech startup ColdSnap’s Pure Ice Cream Machine, your frozen treat can be ready in just two minutes.
Think of it as a Keurig for ice cream: Choose from flavors like salted caramel and coffee, then place the pods into the machine, which will deliver your cold treat within minutes of scanning a coin’s QR code.
Cold Snap can also whip up frozen lattes, boozy ice cream treats, and protein shakes.
One touch is all it takes
Tech startup Chef AI unveils what it calls a „true one-touch” air fryer.
Unlike the air fryer you have on your kitchen counter right now, Chef AI’s iteration of the popular appliance requires no tinkering with settings. You put food in the air fryer, press start, and it uses artificial intelligence to figure out what kind of food it’s cooking, says company CEO Dean Gormay.
He said the air fryer can 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—Partisian’s cocktail-mixing device takes the guesswork out of bartending.
The latest iteration of the Partesian, the Premier, can hold up to four different types of spirits. It retails for $369 and will be available later this year.
Use a small touch screen on the device to pick from 60 recipes, drop a cocktail capsule into the machine and have a premium cocktail on ice in seconds.
If you prefer home-brewed beer instead, iGulu’s new automated brewing machine lets you brew your own beer — a pale ale, an amber lager, or a wheat beer. 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
Orderly Coffee’s Barista bot mimics the way a person behind the counter of your favorite coffee shop prepares your typical order.
„What we’re really trying to do is preserve the craft of great coffee,” said Alec Roig, a hardware developer for the Seattle-based tech startup, which now operates 10 locations in the Pacific Northwest and New York City.
The company’s resident barista behind all of Ordley’s coffee recipes is connected to motion sensors that record her movements as she prepares each recipe, Roig said, from pouring coffee grounds into a filter to frothing milk and pouring a latte art.