Kitchen Tech
The latest kitchen tech news and reviews.
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Is the Connect Smart Grilling Hub a great tool for outdoor cooking?
Weigh in on how well Weber's Connect Smart Grilling Hub works for outdoor cooking tasks!
Amber Bouman04.30.2020
For $300, you can get an Alexa-powered kitchen for your kids
Alexa and other smart speakers can be especially useful in the kitchen, and toymakers are taking note. Today, KidKraft revealed its Alexa 2-in-1 Kitchen and Market. At first glance, it looks like your average play kitchen, but it comes with smart-chipped food, cookware and character cards that prompt a response from Alexa.
Christine Fisher02.21.2020
The Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid works as promised, but only for small batches
The Instant Pot has garnered a huge fan base in recent years, and for good reason. Yes, it replaces your slow cooker and you can make yogurt in it (in some models anyway) but its real claim to fame is as an electric pressure cooker that can significantly shorten cooking time. Imagine braised short ribs in under an hour, or homemade pho in 30 minutes. The best part is that you can just set the timer and walk away, without having to tend to it like you would a stovetop version. It's been over two years since I purchased my Instant Pot Ultra, and it remains one of my favorite kitchen appliances. That said, I found myself lusting after yet another trendy kitchen appliance: the air fryer. The idea behind it is that it can "fry" foods with just hot air and without the oily mess that deep-frying entails. However, as publications like Wirecutter and Cook's Illustrated point out, air fryers are nothing more than re-packaged convection ovens. If you do want crispy "air-fried" foods, Wirecutter recommends getting a countertop convection oven instead, which obviously has a lot more features than just air frying.
Nicole Lee02.13.2020
How Weber used decades of expertise to improve smart grilling
The Weber Kettle is arguably the most iconic grill of all time. There are other companies that have made a name for themselves with novel designs and features. But when you think about charcoal grills, I'll bet the kettle shape Weber pioneered comes to mind. I would argue that overall design is timeless. Invented by George Stephen in 1952, the first model was inspired by the shape of a buoy. Stephen worked at Weber Brothers Metal Works in Chicago at the time -- where the company gets its name (which technically is Weber-Stephen). Stephen discovered that a rounded bowl and a removable lid could drastically improve grill performance. So he cut the top off of a buoy, attached legs to the bottom and a handle on the top. The Weber Kettle was born.
Billy Steele01.24.2020
The Julia smart cooking system even washes itself up
For some, cooking is an exercise in passion, relaxation and creativity. For others, it's a tedious, time-consuming chore. Fortunately, for the less culinary-inclined folk, there's an ever-growing market of gadgets that promise to make cooking an altogether easier, quicker and more intuitive experience -- and the latest to arrive is Julia, an intelligent autonomous cooking system that pretty much does everything. (While it's not officially associated with the late master chef Julia Childs, the insinuation is pretty obvious).
Rachel England01.06.2020
Whirlpool's smart thermometer ensures your food is cooked properly
Whirlpool wants to be sure you never serve an undercooked roast again. Its Yummly subsidiary is introducing a Smart Thermometer that uses sensors to check the temperatures of both the oven and your food, letting you know through a mobile app when they reach the right temperature. You won't have to periodically check your turkey to know when it's ready to eat.
Jon Fingas01.05.2020
How to prepare a high-tech holiday feast
I'm pretty handy around the kitchen if I do say so myself. You need something seared, roasted, grilled, braised, boiled, bronzed or blanched, I'm your guy. But through most of the year my culinary aptitude is geared towards cooking for one, maybe two people, and a cat. Whipping up a full holiday feast for my extended family can pose a bit of a challenge. Thankfully, kitchens in the 21st century are a wonderland of helpful gear and gadgets. Here are a few that I hope will handle the heavy lifting on throughout the holidays.
Andrew Tarantola12.21.2019
Anova's Nano sous vide bundle is $70 off at Amazon
When it comes to culinary adventures from the comforts of home, sous vide is still very popular. If you haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet, we won't judge, but there are some great deals available at Amazon this week that might tempt you to do so. You could also provide the tool necessary for that aspiring chef on your list to try the cooking method. First, the Anova Precision Cooker Nano is bundled with the company's vacuum sealer for $99. That's typically the price just for the Nano alone, so you're getting the sealer for free. Regularly, the pair would cost you $169. You don't need a vacuum sealer for sous vide, but it does make things easier. Plus, you can use it to package food for freezing and storage.
Billy Steele11.24.2019
The popular 8-quart Instant Pot Lux is at its lowest price ever
Instant Pot deals are becoming almost a daily occurrence. But since we're heading into the heart of holiday shopping season, all of them are worth considering for the culinary wizard on your list. Today, Amazon has the Instant Pot Lux 80 8-quart 6-in-1 model for just $55. What's more, that's the best price we've seen on this particular model, which typically costs $80. In fact, it's the lowest price ever on the Lux 80, according to Camelcamelcamel.
Billy Steele11.15.2019
Barsys Smart Coaster tells you how to pour the perfect cocktail
Mixing a cocktail requires skill and precision -- or the Barsys Smart Coaster. The new device is a small disc that connects to the Barsys app. To mix a drink, you simply place a glass or pitcher on the smart coaster and select the drink you'd like to make. The app will tell you which ingredients to add and the coaster will change colors indicating when to start and stop pouring each ingredient.
Christine Fisher11.06.2019
June promises to fix smart ovens that are preheating accidentally
As convenient as smart ovens can be, they also introduce their own hassles -- namely, technical hiccups. June plans to update the software for its signature oven after multiple reports of the devices accidentally preheating overnight. CEO Matt Van Horn attributed them to user errors, such as forgetting to remove food, tapping a button by accident or inadvertently issuing an Alexa command. The company isn't taking chances, mind you, and has both immediate and long-term fixes in the works.
Jon Fingas08.15.2019
PicoBrew shifts its focus from beer to coffee with the MultiBrew
In May of 2018 PicoBrew announced the Pico U -- a universal brewing machine that was supposed to make basically any beverage you could called "brewed", from coffee, to beer to horchata. Well, the story didn't end well for the Pico U. Its Kickstarter campaign was pulled and the device never actually saw the light of day. A little over a year later and the company is ready to try it's hand at an all-in-one system again. The Pico MultiBrew takes the core concept of the U, but refocuses it. The result is a product that might have an easier time finding a home on your counter.
Terrence O'Brien08.05.2019
Instant Pot joins the air fryer craze with the Vortex Plus
Now that Instant Pot is virtually synonymous with pressure cooking for some people, the company behind it is turning to another kitchen trend: air fryers. The recently acquired Instant Brands has introduced the Instant Vortex Plus, a seven-in-one air fryer that promises the company's usual versatility for more cooking modes. On top of its namesake feature, it can also bake, broil, dehydrate, reheat, roast and rotate an included rotisserie spit. You might not need to change devices if you want to make chicken and french fries, and the 10-quart capacity should be enough for many meals.
Jon Fingas07.10.2019
Robotic dishwasher saves restaurants from drudgery
Restaurants and other eateries are facing a shortage of dishwashers, and for understandable reasons -- it's inglamorous work with low pay. Dishcraft, at least, thinks robots can fill that gap. It just revealed a robotic dishwasher intended to clean large volumes of plates in commercial kitchens. Once customers stack plates on a special cart, a staffer just has to wheel that cart into the robot. From there, the machine flips the plate upside-down and uses both cold water and a brush to wipe the surface clean within seconds. AI-guided cameras then scan dishes to see if dishes need another scrub before they head to the dish rack.
Jon Fingas06.19.2019
Instant Pot's creator is merging with the company behind Pyrex
Instant Pot cookers already have a loyal following, and now they're about have some extra clout, too. Corelle Brands, the company behind kitchen brands like CorningWare and Pyrex, has unveiled plans to merge with Instant Pot's creators Instant Brands. The two hope to create a "world-class" housewares company that covers food prep head-to-toe, whether it's the actual cooking or storing leftovers. Instant's CEO, Robert Wang, also touted that this would help foster its "expanding product development pipeline."
Jon Fingas03.05.2019
The kitchen gadgets you should buy (and the ones you can skip)
With so many connected devices making their way into our living rooms and bedrooms and onto our persons, it was no surprise when gadgets started making their way into our kitchens. You can buy so many WiFi- or Bluetooth-enabled widgets to help out with your cooking now, from smart Crock-Pots to app-controlled cooktops. Some are pretty dumb -- who really needs a toaster that pings your phone to say it's done even though it literally takes only three minutes? A smart thermometer that tells you when your pork roast is at optimal temperature after hours and hours of slow cooking makes a little more sense. However, you only have so much counter space, so you'd better choose wisely when it comes to adding new tech to your kitchen. We love to cook here at Engadget, so we've assembled a list of the gadgets and apps that will make your culinary life a lot easier, along with a few boondoggles to avoid.
Kris Naudus05.31.2018
The best tablets for kitchen use
Tablets may not be for everyone, but they're uncannily well suited to the kitchen. They can guide you through recipes or play Netflix shows without taking up as much countertop space as a laptop. And unlike the Echo Show and other screen-equipped smart speakers, you can move them anywhere you like while you prepare your meal. But how do you go shopping for a tablet with kitchen use in mind? It can be tricky, since some of the usual shopping advice goes out the window. Here's what you'll want to consider if you're buying a tablet as a cooking companion.
Jon Fingas04.05.2018
The Tasty OneTop smart cooker ruined my dinner party
It's been quite a drama for me in the kitchen lately: Due to a leak in my building, my cooking gas was shut off for 11 months. It's back now, but for most of last year I had to get by with takeout, microwaveables and oh-so-many salads. Tasty's OneTop seems tailor-made for these type of situations. It's an induction cooktop, which means it goes anywhere you can plug it in. And Tasty's step-by-step instructions make the whole cooking process manageable. It's the kind of thing you'd happily play with in a college dorm. Or, in my case, a small New York City apartment with no working stove. Every year I always have a few people over to watch the Oscars, so that seemed like a good opportunity to give the OneTop a spin. Home-cooked food and a new gadget to play with! Perfect pre-show entertainment!
Kris Naudus03.09.2018
Whirlpool and Yummly will stop you from wasting food
Back in 2017, appliance giant Whirlpool bought Yummly, the smart recipe network that hosts over 2 million recipes. Now, the pair is showing off what the future of the partnership will look like by the second half of 2018, as both try to reverse the trend of everyone getting takeout for dinner.
Daniel Cooper01.09.2018
Yomee turns dissolvable culture pods into fresh yogurt
Yogurt is at its best when it's freshly made and additive-free, which is why the more health-conscious folks prefer making this tasty snack at home instead of buying it. But yogurt-making is a messy job: you have to first heat the milk up to at least 161°F or 72°C for pasteurization separately, as pretty much all yogurt makers can't reach that temperature; and you also have to measure how much bacterial culture to put in. This is where Food-X-backed Hong Kong startup Lecker Labs comes in. Its first product, Yomee, is a machine that takes care of the entire yogurt-making process, covering high-temperature heating (reaching 185°F or 85°C), stirring, culture loading, fermentation and chilling (down to 50°F or 10°C). When ready, simply pop the cup out and enjoy.
Richard Lai09.28.2017