LAS VEGAS (AP) — Chef-like robots, artificial intelligence-powered appliances and other high-tech kitchen gadgets herald that humans won't need to cook food — or mix drinks — for themselves anymore.
There was a lot new in the food and beverage world at CES 2024 Multi-day business event Developed by the Consumer Technology Association. Demonstrations included a cocktail mixing machine similar to a Keurig machine, and a barista robot whose movements are intended to mimic a human making a vanilla latte.
Here are some of the latest technologies that will change the way meals are prepared, cooked and delivered:
One touch is all it takes
Tech startup Chef AI is unveiling what it calls a “true one-touch” air fryer.
Unlike the air fryer you may have on your kitchen counter right now, Chef AI's iteration of the popular device requires no settings adjustments. Simply place food in the air fryer, press the “Start” button, and it will use artificial intelligence to detect what type of food is being cooked, says the company's CEO, Dean Khormay.
He said the air fryer will turn even the worst cooks into master chefs.
Chef AI will be available in the US in September for $250.
Your personal waiter
What's the secret to the perfect dirty martini? Don't worry about it – the Bartesian Cocktail Mixer takes the guesswork out of bartenders.
Bartesian's newest version, the Premier, can hold up to four different types of spirits. It retails for $369 and will be available later this year.
Use the small touchscreen on the device to choose from 60 recipes, drop a cocktail capsule into the device, and in seconds you'll have a perfect cocktail over ice.
If you prefer homemade beer instead, iGulu's new automated brewing machine lets you make your own beer – pale ale, amber beer, or wheat beer. Simply pour a pre-mixed recipe into the barrel of the machine, add water and scan the label that comes with your beer mix. Within nine to 13 days, you'll have a gallon of beer that you make yourself.
The barista robot moves like you move
Artly Coffee's barista robot mimics the way a human behind the counter at your favorite coffee shop might prepare your typical order.
“What we're really trying to do is preserve the craft of fine coffee,” said Alec Roig, a hardware developer for the Seattle tech startup that now operates 10 locations across the Pacific Northwest and in New York City.
The company's resident barista, who is behind all of Artly's coffee recipes, is connected to motion sensors that record his movements as he prepares each recipe, from loading ground coffee into the filter to frothing milk and pouring latte art, Roig said.
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