LAS VEGAS (AP) — Chef-like robots, AI-powered appliances and other high-tech kitchen gadgets promise that humans no longer need to cook — or make drinks — for them -themselves.
There was a lot of new stuff in the world of food and drink at CES 2024, the multi-day sales event organized by the Consumer Technology Association. Exhibits included cocktail-mixing and ice-cream machines similar to a Keurig, as well as a robot barista whose movements are meant to mimic a human making a vanilla latte.
Here are some of the latest technologies transforming the way meals are prepared, cooked and delivered:
A “SMOKE-FREE” 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 hold a whole halved brisket, 40 chicken wings, or three racks of ribs. It still uses wood pellets to achieve a smoky flavor, but its technology traps the smoke inside, making it “perfect for people who live in urban environments,” like high-rise apartments, said Whitney Welch, spokesperson for GE Appliances.
GRILL SMARTER, NOT HARDER
Powered by generative AI technology, Brisk It’s new smart grill, the NeoSear, aims to make the art of barbecue foolproof.
You can ask the grill all kinds of questions to create the perfect recipe: What seasoning should I add to make my chicken skewers spicy? How to sear a medium rare steak?
Once you set a recipe and prepare the food, Brisk It’s InnoGrill AI 2.0 technology will command the grill to cook it.
“It’s everyone’s smart grill,” said CEO Christopher Huang. “It doesn’t matter whether you are an experienced enthusiast, whether you are busy, young or old.”
The grill is not yet available but will cost about $2,000, Huang said.
DIY ICE CREAM AT A GLANCE (COLD)
Freezing your own ice cream at home takes hours, but with tech startup ColdSnap’s no-clean ice cream maker, your frozen treat is ready in two minutes.
Think of it as a Keurig for ice cream: Choose from flavors like salted caramel and coffee, then place the pod in the machine and it will dispense your cold treat in minutes after scanning the pod’s QR code.
ColdSnap can also make iced lattes, frozen treats, and protein shakes.
ONE TOUCH IS ENOUGH
Tech startup Chef AI unveils what it calls a “real one-touch air fryer.”
Unlike the air fryer you might have on your kitchen counter right now, Chef AI’s iteration of the popular appliance doesn’t require any settings changes. Simply place food in the air fryer, press start, and it uses artificial intelligence to detect the type of food it’s cooking, says company CEO Dean Khormaei.
He said the air fryer would turn even the worst cooks into chefs.
Chef AI will be available in the United States in September for $250.
YOUR OWN PERSONAL BARTENDER
What’s the secret to a perfect dirty martini? Don’t worry, Bartesian’s cocktail mixing device takes the guesswork out of the bartender.
The latest iteration of Bartesian, the Prime, can hold up to four different types of spirits. It costs $369 and will be available later this year.
Use a small touchscreen on the device to choose from 60 recipes, drop a cocktail capsule into the machine, and in seconds you’ve got a premium cocktail on ice.
If you’re more in the mood for a homemade beer, iGulu’s new automated brewing machine allows you to make your own beer: a lager, an amber lager or a wheat beer. Simply pour a pre-mixed recipe into the machine’s keg, add water and scan the sticker that comes with the beer mixture. In nine to 13 days, you’ll have a gallon of DIY beer.
ROBOT BARISTA THAT MOVES LIKE YOU MOVE
Artly Coffee’s robot barista mimics the way a human behind the counter at your favorite coffee shop might prepare your usual order.
“What we’re really trying to do is preserve the craft of fine coffee,” said Alec Roig, hardware developer for the Seattle-based tech startup that now operates in 10 locations in the Pacific Northwest and in New York.
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 the packing the coffee grounds into the filter until the milk froths and pouring the latte art.
