Is this the future of home cooking?

[Chef Odin]

Good day everyone. I happened across this cutting edge product while cruising youtube. I am amazed that cooking appliances have come this far and wonder what is in store for kitchens of the future. I am talking about AI cooking robot platforms. I have no stake in these but I am fascinated by the technology. Currently, there are 2 units I know of that are in preproduction or actual production. The Nosh and the Posha cooking robots. These work by preloading ingredients in hoppers, having spices in a carousel, and oils and water reservoirs. You select the recipe you want to cook. Currently there are over 500 available recipes for these platforms. The cooking platform tells you what ingredients at what quantity to put in the hoppers and what goes in the spice carousel. They can cook up to 4 servings.

Once loaded, you hit go and the ingredients are loaded into the pan when needed and the stirring arm stirs the food as it is cooking. It uses a video camera and AI to determine when food items are browned or sauces reduced, etc. Once it is done, it alerts you and you plate the meal and eat. The platform does have some limitations. One I have seen is that I doubt it could cook ground meat and crumble it for things like chili, taco meat, etc.

I am really curious about the possible impact in home kitchens and possible future models of this being utilized in commercial kitchens. Are these going to be the next food equipment revolution like microwave ovens were in the 70's?

What are your thoughts on this emergent technology? Will these be a boom or bust? Will they transform home cooking in the future?

Thanks for reading.

Chef Odin

 

[HeyItsSara]

I don't think this is an immediate ... threat.

 

[blissful]

I don't think this is an immediate ... threat.

I KNOW! Imaging having to clean that robot after it 'helps' you! lol

 

[Linda0818]

I don't think this is an immediate ... threat.

Threat indeed.

That would be a hard pass from me.

 

[CharlieD]

is the original thread is even legit?

 

[grumpyoldman]

just what i need , another damn machine thats smarter than i am

 

[pictonguy]

Not a chance of this happening the way it's described. AI will never be able to duplicate the human element that in that moment makes decisions based on the look, feel, smell and you know that other olfactory instrument called a tongue.

 

[HeyItsSara]

I've actually seen robot type discussion in ladies magazines. But we're not there yet.

 

[Chef Odin]

Thanks everyone for your responses. An interesting piece of technology for sure. Like nearly everything, I can see pros and cons to this set up. I just found it interesting that folks who can barely cook could make decent quality dishes with a food processor and one of these prep robots. Hope this post finds everyone doing well.

Chef Odin

 

[dcSaute]

who can barely cook . . .
by the time they learn how to operate it, the could have learned to actually cook . . .
just saying....

 

[Kathleen]

I KNOW! Imaging having to clean that robot after it 'helps' you! lol

It should clean itself! Wow....flying cars have to be on the horizon! Perhaps they will be perfected by the time I become a fire hazard in the kitchen. I can program by weight! I'll spend my last few "good" years programming Momma's recipes!

 

[Chef Odin]

who can barely cook . . .
by the time they learn how to operate it, the could have learned to actually cook . . .
just saying....

That is a very good point.

 

[dragnlaw]

who can barely cook

Which brings out in me my big gripe about designs of equipment that has never been used by the designers. Recently I've come across several designs of clothes washers/dryers. I've no doubt their intended use is designed quite well and works... but - what about their usefulness in other aspects.
Here you have two large machines that even while performing their duties are also roped in to doing added chores of folding and stacking your laundry. Placing something on top for a moment while you do something else. How many times have you used the top of either one for some other chore in the laundry room?

Slant tops and rounded edges may look pretty and sleek but are a useless waste of space!

Not everyone has designer dedicated laundry rooms with miles of counter tops and shelving.
Thank you,
stepping down.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I will do my own cooking, thank you. Just give me a robot that does the dishes and cleans the kitchen!

 

[Linda0818]

I will do my own cooking, thank you. Just give me a robot that does the dishes and cleans the kitchen!

Amen to that.

 

[caseydog]

I'm sure the fast food industry is looking at this with belle. Imagine the millions of workers they can replace with these AI bots.

CD

 

[dcSaute]

very likely that very few workers will be displaced with this level of 'technology'
somebody has to "feed" the robot - that person can go to the cooler, get the burger patties, either feed the robot or plop them on a flattop, where's the bun coming from?
who is going to dice/slice/prep all the toppings?
and another section of the machine to assembly and pack the burger.

in theory,,, one could design a machine with bins for four/etc to bake buns, slice it, apply mayo, slice onion, slice cheese, hoppers for mustard/ketchup/relish, slice the pickle.
. . . . and the business will need a full time technician to fix the machine, plus a second machine for when the first one is broken . . . and tell customers they'll have to wait while the standby machine warms up . . .

making science fiction come true is trickier than it looks.

robots that make pizzas exist - coin-op even . . . and their pizza is terrible.

 

[Chef Odin]

I will do my own cooking, thank you. Just give me a robot that does the dishes and cleans the kitchen!

Now you're talking.

 

[Chef Odin]

I'm sure the fast food industry is looking at this with belle. Imagine the millions of workers they can replace with these AI bots.

CD

There are already places that use automated cooking. I think there is a place in Boston that does it. They have spinning woks that do all the cooking and then dumps the food when the server comes to get it. Washes itself and is ready for the next order. I guess the future of work is robot repair?

 

[Chef Odin]

very likely that very few workers will be displaced with this level of 'technology'
somebody has to "feed" the robot - that person can go to the cooler, get the burger patties, either feed the robot or plop them on a flattop, where's the bun coming from?
who is going to dice/slice/prep all the toppings?
and another section of the machine to assembly and pack the burger.

in theory,,, one could design a machine with bins for four/etc to bake buns, slice it, apply mayo, slice onion, slice cheese, hoppers for mustard/ketchup/relish, slice the pickle.
. . . . and the business will need a full time technician to fix the machine, plus a second machine for when the first one is broken . . . and tell customers they'll have to wait while the standby machine warms up . . .

making science fiction come true is trickier than it looks.

robots that make pizzas exist - coin-op even . . . and their pizza is terrible.

That seems like a dark future. Food industry jobs reduced to restocking hoppers on robots. I can see fully automated franchises where workers simply travel around from store to store to restock the robots. It is almost dystopian if we weren't so close to just that. Bzzt... Welcome to Robo-Burger, may I take your order? Bzzt... I'll take the bland and generic Robo-max please with an order of Robo-fries. I also need a Kiddie Robo-meal. That will be $87.49. Please pick your order out of the hopper. Have a Robo day!!! Bzzttt.... Wow.....

This thread has really got me thinking about to pros and cons of automation in food prep. Thanks..

Chef Odin