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The Spoon

Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

CES

Fast-Growing Restaurant Chain MOTO Pizza Is Building an End-to-End Pizza Robot

Last month in Las Vegas, we sat down with one of our favorite restaurateurs, Lee Kindell of MOTO Pizza, to discuss his vision for the future of restaurants. Lee was in town to speak onstage at CES about the industry’s direction, so we made sure to catch up with him for a one-on-one interview.

One revelation that surprised us during our conversation was that MOTO is developing an end-to-end pizza robot—one that automates the entire process, from dough preparation to boxing the finished pizza.

“Our robot is going to be fully autonomous,” Kindell explained. “It takes the pizza from refrigeration, brings it out, proofs it, tops it, cooks it, finishes it, cuts it, and boxes it. So that’s what we’re building right now. It’s truly end-to-end, and that’s what excites me the most.”

As someone who loves both pizza and robotics, I was intrigued by MOTO’s move to develop its own technology. To clarify, I asked Kindell directly about his plans. He confirmed that MOTO is indeed building a fully automated pizza-making solution—one that could potentially integrate with existing automation partners, such as Picnic (Picnic’s pizza robot adds sauce, cheese, and toppings but doesn’t handle cooking, cutting, or boxing).

MOTO has been expanding rapidly, entering new cities and sports venues. Kindell, who started as a hands-on pizzaiolo mixing dough by hand, became a firm believer in automation after an arm injury forced him to adopt a mixer. That moment reshaped his perspective—he realized that automation wasn’t just about efficiency; it was a tool to scale his business while maintaining quality.

Now, Kindell and MOTO are taking that mindset a step further, developing an end-to-end pizza robot to help the fast-growing chain keep up with demand and reach more customers than ever before.

You can watch our full conversation below.

Moto's Lee Kindell on Using AI & Robotics to Make Pizza

With American’s Growing Focus on Microbiome Health, Will Fiber Gain Starring Role Next to Protein in Diets?

At CES last week, The Spoon hosted a panel of experts to discuss the role of personalized nutrition in addressing critical global health challenges, including obesity, diabetes, and chronic diseases.

Moderated by nutrition expert Carolyn O’Neil, the panel featured Noosheen Hashemi of January AI, Ranjan Sinha of Digbi Health, and Matt Barnard of OneBio. Together, they delved into how innovations in artificial intelligence, microbiome science, and biotechnology are transforming how we eat and improve our health.

O’Neil began the session by highlighting the significant impact of diet-related illnesses on public health and the increasing reliance on pharmaceutical interventions, such as GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic. While these medications offer effective solutions for managing conditions like obesity and diabetes, the panelists stressed the importance of addressing root causes, including poor dietary habits, fiber deficiencies, and the lack of personalized guidance.

Ranjan Sinha, founder of Digbi Health, emphasized the critical role that genetics and the gut microbiome play in metabolic health.

“Food has been the cause of many illnesses, but it can also be the cure,” Sinha explained. Digbi Health leverages advanced technology to analyze genetic data, gut microbiome profiles, and telemetry from wearable devices to create customized wellness plans.

Sinha also underscored the untapped potential of microbiome research, describing it as the “next pharmaceutical frontier.” He likened its trajectory to the evolution of electronics, predicting that microbiome-based treatments will dominate healthcare in the coming decades.

“Think about where electronics were in the 1990s, and then the leap to smartphones in the 2000s,” he said. “That’s where microbiome science is headed. In the next 15 to 20 years, your gut could effectively function as a pharmaceutical factory, producing compounds to prevent and treat illness.”

Both Sinha and Matt Barnard highlighted the essential role of fiber in health, directly linking it to the microbiome’s function. By nourishing the microbiome with the fibers it requires, they argued, we could unlock its potential to prevent and even reverse chronic diseases.

Barnard compared the importance of fiber to the early discoveries of vitamins and minerals, signaling a paradigm shift in how fiber is viewed in relation to health.

“One hundred years ago, we didn’t know the importance of vitamins and minerals,” Barnard noted. “Now, deficiencies are rare. The same transformation is happening with fiber. As we learn more, it will revolutionize our approach to chronic disease and metabolic health.”

Noosheen Hashemi, CEO of January AI, agreed with Barnard and Sinha on fiber’s vital role in supporting the human microbiome.

“One of the biggest drivers of inflammation in our collective microbiome is the lack of fiber,” she explained. “Our ancestors, just 12,000 years ago, consumed 100 to 150 grams of fiber daily. Today, our intake is drastically lower. Add to that antibiotics and other factors, and we’re collectively in a state of dysbiosis. It’s essential to ensure people get enough fiber.”

Hashemi also shared insights into January AI’s innovative technology, which predicts a food’s impact on blood sugar using a simple photo of the meal. By analyzing millions of data points, the AI can forecast blood sugar responses to meals, even without requiring wearables like glucose monitors.

The panelists collectively predicted a future where pharmaceutical interventions are complemented by greater reliance on dietary strategies. These strategies will increasingly be informed by technologies capable of analyzing a person’s biomarkers in near real time.

This panel left me wondering if we might see a more significant emphasis on fiber by Americans who, by nearly all accounts, have become overly obsessed with maxing out their protein as a way to feel full and hopefully lose weight. With all the emphasis on gut health and the clear connection to fiber, I think there’s certainly a chance some of it break through for everyday consumers looking for ways to stay health and maintain a healthy weight and microbiome.

That said, it’s likely Americans’ fixation won’t end soon. As Mike Lee said on a (separate) panel recently, “Protein is the Tom Cruise of the American diet.”

In other words, protein’s starring role won’t end anytime soon, but maybe there’s a chance fiber may someday get equal billing.

You can watch the full CES panel on personalized nutrition below

The Future of Personalized Nutrition in the Era of Ozempic

Video Game Pro? Why Not Join Our Farm: Farmers Seek New Skills to Attract Workers

It’s no secret that farmers face a significant labor crunch, one that’s expected to worsen over the next few years.

One major reason is farmers’ heavy reliance on migrant labor. Unfortunately, there may be far fewer workers available from this vital labor pool in the coming years. Threats of mass deportations under the Trump administration have left many in the agriculture and food industries concerned about the potential impacts on their partners and the broader food supply chain.

“Our ability to feed ourselves as a country is completely jeopardized if you do see the mass deportations,” said Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, in a recent interview.

Compounding this issue is the reality that the average farmer is getting up there in years, with the current average age being 58. Many of these farmers have no succession plan, as younger generations from farm families often show little interest in taking over the family business. As a result, many farms currently producing food may be sold off to developers within the next decade.

But what if new technology could make farming jobs more attractive? According to Tim Bucher, CEO of Agtonomy, one way to address the labor shortage is to reframe farming jobs to appeal to workers with skills gained from unexpected areas, such as video games.

At last week’s CES Ag Tech Summit, hosted by The Spoon, Bucher shared the story of one of Agtonomy’s farming partners who faced a crippling labor shortage. Traditional job postings for tractor drivers had failed to attract candidates, so the partner took a bold step: they adjusted the job description to emphasize “video game experience” for the role of an “AgTech Operator.” The results were remarkable.

“The resume flow exploded,” said Bucher. “They hired ag tech operators who had never set foot in a tractor but were able to operate them and accomplish incredible work.”

This move to leverage new skills goes beyond farming. Some startups are creating platforms specifically optimized for integrating video games and virtual reality expertise. For example, Carbon Origins, a company The Spoon covered at CES three years ago, developed a system that uses virtual reality to operate a bulldozer called “Bobby.” These innovations highlight how skills traditionally seen as unrelated to agriculture or construction are now becoming valuable assets in reimagining labor-intensive industries.

AI and Data Are the New Tractor

In addition to using technology to attract new workers, the technology itself—such as AI and automation—may ultimately be the key to saving many farms that operate on razor-thin margins and struggle to survive in the face of accelerating climate change. During the CES panel, participants highlighted how farmers are leveraging autonomous equipment, precision agriculture tools, and AI-enabled decision-making platforms to better manage their operations.

Jacqueline Heard, CEO of Enko, likened the transformative impact of AI and data-driven tools to that of the tractor, which revolutionized agriculture over the past two centuries.

“If you think about any industrial revolution, that’s what it was—a tractor and autonomy causing this incredible acceleration and making what farmers do easier,” said Heard. “The same goes for AI. Data is the new tractor. I think AI will accelerate just about everything we do, from creating better inputs to solving the massive optimization challenges farmers face on-farm and driving profitability.”

You can watch the entire session below.

AI or Die? Why Farms Must Embrace the AI Revolution to Survive

CES 2025 Food Tech Preview

Welcome to The Spoon’s CES 2025 Food Tech Exhibitor Preview!

We’ve scoured through the exhibitor guide and press releases to find some of the products that will be on display at CES 2025 that may interest you. We’ve categorized the different products so you can easily find what interests you—from food robots like Apecoo’s automated waffle and flatbread-making machines to smart ovens and kitchen appliances. This year’s beverage tech lineup includes kombucha makers, home coffee robots, and more. Big names like Kirin are also making an appearance with innovative (and slightly quirky) ideas like their salt-detecting spoon. Unsurprisingly, AI is being incorporated into everything, from the latest smart ovens to nutrition coaches.

Be sure to check out our CES Food Tech walk-around guide for a clickable and sortable list of all the food tech products on display at CES! And if you’re in Vegas, The Spoon is putting on a happy hour for smart home and smart kitchen industry folks. Please drop by!

Now let’s get to the products…

Food Robots

Apecoo Robotic Waffle Maker

Apecoo, based in Silicon Valley, will show of its Roti/Tortilla Robot Baker at CES 2025. This appliance automates the process of making various flatbreads, including roti, chapati, tortilla, tawa, and dosa. It measures and mixes flour, oil, and water, kneads the mixture into dough balls, and then flattens and cooks them to the desired consistency. The device features noise reduction technology for quiet operation, infrared shortage detection for smart monitoring, and an “Auto Alert & Stop” function for enhanced safety.

The company also makes a robotic waffle maker, which has sensors to detect the doneness of the waffle, and cooks the robot from start to finish.

FrazyBot

The FrazyBot is a countertop home beverage robot that makes specialty drinks ranging from cocktails like spicy margaritas to boba tea and coffee drinks. The robot, first introduced at last year’s CES, is available for preorder for $399. FrazyBot is modular and comes with a base module that has a touch panel and water reservoir. Users order their drink boxes from the website and once-inserted, the Frazybot will mix them. The company behind them, Frazy, is known for its coffee and beverage concentrates it ships to consumers via a DTC model and this appliance looks like a way for them possibly create another line of business for their beverage mixes. The biggest downside, in my opinion, is that the robot makes single-use drinks from each package – which seems like a big waste of packaging and cost for a home robot.

Artly Coffee Robots

Amazing Robotic A.I. Drinks and Coffee at Artly Coffee in Downtown Seattle, WA

Artly makes AI-powered barista bots that use deep learning and computer vision. The company says its robots are trained by award-winning professionals to perform complex tasks, including precise latte art. The company already has its robot barists operating in multiple locations across the U.S. and Canada and says its robots have served over half a million cups of specialty coffee, contributing to a significant revenue increase from $100,000 in 2021 to $1.8 million in 2023.

Health & Nutrition Tech

The Kirin Salt Spoon

We first saw Kirin making the rounds with its weird but intriguing Electric Salt Spoon in early 2024, and it looks like they’ll be bringing it to Vegas for CES. The device amplifies food’s saltiness by applying an electric current to the tongue. According to the product’s co-developer, the product works by using the current to draw more sodium into contact with the tongue, which in turn enhances the perceived saltiness of the food.

Netri’s Organ-on-Chip Platform Will Meaure for Food Toxicity Analysis

NETRI’s technology leverages its NeuroFluidics Care platform, which integrates advanced neuroscience and bioengineering to assess the toxic effects of compounds, including those used in the food industry. NETRI uses “organ-on-a-chip” systems, small devices engineered to mimic the structure and function of human organs, and these chips replicate aspects of the nervous system, enabling researchers to observe how compounds interact with neural tissues. The platform creates functional neural networks that are exposed to food-related compounds. By simulating human neural responses, it provides insights into the potential effects of these compounds on human health.

OrthoFoodie

The OrthoFoodie platform is a personalized nutrition and health optimization tool that integrates multiple features to deliver tailored dietary insights. According to the company’s website, users can log their meals or select from a database of foods and recipes. The platform analyzes the nutritional content of these inputs, providing detailed feedback on how they align with individual health goals. Based on user-specific data such as age, activity level, health objectives, and dietary preferences, OrthoFoodie generates recommendations to improve energy, immunity, and cognitive function.

Jelly Drops

Jelly Drops are sugar-free water candy that boosts independent hydration, support health and aid brain function. Made with 95% water, plus added electrolytes and vitamins. Originally created to assist individuals with dementia who often face challenges in maintaining adequate fluid intake, these treats have gained popularity among a broader audience seeking to boost their hydration.

Home Beverage Tech

The Kombu

KOMBU The Fermenstation

While kombucha is a little less trendy than just a couple years ago, those still on board the kombucha train can look to make it at home with the KOMBU Fermenstation countertop kombucha maker. The Fermenstation features a dual-compartment system: a 3.5-liter front glass jar for primary fermentation and a rear section holding four flavoring and secondary fermentation bottles. Each compartment is equipped with temperature-controlled heating pads to maintain optimal fermentation conditions. Users can monitor and control the brewing process via a mobile app, which allows for setting timers and adjusting temperatures remotely. This appliance is appealing mostly because it would allow would-be home kombucha brewers to sidestep the traditional method that requires keeping big piece of mold in a jar called a ‘mother’ alive.

Medipresso Smart Tea Maker

[MEDIPRESSO] IoT-Based Tea & Coffee Dual-Nozzle Capsule Machine

Medipresso’s Medino is a connected tea and coffee capsule machine focused on healthy beverage experiences. The machine, which is compatible with Nespresso capsules, uses dual nozzles to extra both tea and coffee. The device uses an app called Medina which the company says uses AI to make healthy tea recommendations.

Vinxper Electric Wine Decanter

The Vinxper Expert is a 4th-generation electric wine aerator which patented technology that allows precise adjustment of decanting times from 0 to 240 minutes, effectively replacing traditional glass decanters. Designed to enhance the flavor of young wines aged 3 to 7 years, it addresses common issues found in existing electric aerators, such as battery leakage and unstable aeration, by incorporating Type-C charging and a water-resistant design.

Grad Wine Cooler

GRAD, established in 2015 and based in Denmark, makes the Grad No.1, is a 100% portable and rechargeable wine cooler that maintains precise temperature control for any wine. The Grad has a battery life of up to 15 hours and a full recharge time of 2.5 hours,

OviBar Water Bar

Ovi le bar à eau économique, pratique et écologique

The OviBar is yet another water dispensing system. Still, this one connects directly to your home’s water supply and provides instant access to purified water at hot, cold, or room temperature. It has a three-stage filtration system, which includes two filters and UV sterilization, which the company claims effectively removes impurities while preserving essential minerals. It has a dedicated baby bottle mode that delivers water at an optimal 37°C, making it quick and efficient for infant feeding preparations.

Coffee Tech

Flavor Craft AI

Flavor Craft AI: The Ultimate Custom Coffee Experience Created by AI

The Flavor Craft AI system is a home food coffee blending appliance that uses AI to create personalized coffee mixes based on five flavor preferences (acidity, bitterness, astringency, richness and coffee strength.

Outin Portable Espresso Machine

How To Make Espresso With The OutIn Nano Portable Espresso Machine (Ground Coffee)

Want your Joe on the go? The Outin Nano might be for you. The Outin Nano Portable Espresso Machine is a compact, self-heating espresso-making appliance that allows you to brew espresso in your car, while camping or wherever you want to go. It weighs approximately 670 grams and standing about 9 inches tall, and the company claims it can make a rich crema and robust espresso comparable to traditional machines. It has a rapid heating system that brings water to optimal brewing temperature in 200 seconds, and the 7500 mAh rechargeable battery supports up to five extractions with cold water or over 200 with preheated water on a single charge.

REAL9 Fit Stepper Lever Home Coffee Robot

REAL9 FIT: Next-Generation Sustainable Espresso Machine

The REAL9 Fit home espresso maker from Zeroth Law utilizes a stepper motor instead of a boiler to extract espresso, which the company claims results in 97% less energy consumption compared to traditional machines. Its precise pressure control minimizes unwanted chemical reactions, ensuring non-rancid, full-flavored coffee. With a compact design, intuitive interface, and shareable extraction profiles, the REAL9 FIT empowers users to create barista-level coffee effortlessly, making it a versatile and eco-conscious choice for both professionals and enthusiasts.

AstroBrew

AstroBrew is an innovative countertop appliance that revolutionizes cold brew coffee preparation by reducing the traditional 12-24 hour steeping process to just minutes. Astro Brew says it uses patent-pending thermodynamic semiconductor technology, which combines pressure, turbulence, and recirculation to extract coffee flavors efficiently, resulting in a smooth, less acidic brew. The company says it can brew up to 34 ounces of cold brew coffee and keep it fresh for up to 30 days without refrigeration.

Beer Tech

Beer-o-Meter Portable Beer Testing Lab

We bring the LAB to you with Beer-o-Meter

The Beer-o-Meter is a portable lab testing tool for brewers. Compact and portable, this cube-shaped measures key brewing metrics like pH and ABV with no chemicals required. The company says the device has already undergone pilot testing with Dutch breweries, provided feedback that has been integrated into its ongoing development. Initially tailored for the craft beer market, the Beer-o-Meter leverages bioassay technology to ensure precise and reliable results, and the company plans to expand its applications into the point-of-care market.

Laxppy Automated Beer Dispenser

According to the company, the Laxppy Automatic Beer Dispenser is an automated beer dispenser for food service environments. It features two automatic outlets capable of dispensing two glasses of beer in just 12 seconds. Additionally, a manual outlet is available for more traditional pouring methods. The dispenser accommodates beer glass sizes ranging from 300cc to 500cc, making it versatile for various serving preferences. A 7.1-inch touch display provides an intuitive interface for easy operation and monitoring.

Smart Ovens

Agari Kitchen

Agari is developing a cooking robot designed which is says uses ” 3D scanning, remote temperature sensing, and precision algorithms. While more specific details about its features and capabilities are not yet publicly available, the company is preparing for an upcoming launch and encourages interested individuals to subscribe for updates.

DaanTech’s Fantastic Oven

Daan Tech is showcasing its Fantastic Oven at CES, which it first debuted at last year’s CES. The oven, which also goes by Joe (following the same naming convention as it had with its Bob dishwasher), is available for pre-sale now and will be available first in Europe. The oven features a microwave, steam, air fryer, convection and grill/toaster capabilities.

Chef AI

Chef AI, which debuted its oven at CES 2024, will be showing off its intelligent cookware system that utilizes thermal, weight, and dimensional data to monitor and control the cooking process. This advanced technology ensures precise cooking without the need for constant monitoring or external probes and has the capability to cook over 100 different foods.

Smart Kitchen

Spicerr Smart Spice Dispenser

If you’re looking for something a little different in smart kitchen this year at CES, check out the Spicerr smart spice dispenser that optimizes food flavoring and nutrient intake. The connected device uses interchangeable spice capsules and an app to provide precise seasoning tailored to the user’s taste preferences. The company says it has 100 high-quality spices, herbs, and extracts available in sealed capsules. The dispenser’s touchscreen interface allows for manual or automated dispensing, while the accompanying app uses AI to offer personalized recipes, flavor suggestions, and nutritional tracking.

Lissome R1 Tiny Dishwasher

LISSOME R1 Dishwasher: Clean, Dry , and Disinfect in One! 🌟

The Lissome R1 is a compact dishwasher designed for small apartments or homes where traditional dishwashers are impractical. The R1 is 11 inches wide, and uses ‘Sweeping Jet Technology’ with two bottom-rotating and two patented vertical spray arms, the R1 uses high-speed jets at 45,000 Pa to thoroughly clean dishes in just 15 minutes.

Versaware

A Visit With Versaware at CES 2023

We first saw VersaWare at CES in 2023, and they are back this year with their AI-powered smart cooking assistant designed to provide nutritional insights and personalized meal planning. With voice-activated commands, it offers features such as Nutrition Awareness, allowing users to monitor their intake of calories, carbohydrates, and vitamins. The Meal Building tool helps users craft recipes tailored to their dietary preferences, providing nutritional information for each ingredient. Recipe Discovery suggests dishes based on available ingredients, while Pantry Management keeps track of a person’s food inventory, alerting users to low-stock items and monitors expiration dates.

LG

LG will unveil the 36-inch Smart InstaView French Door Refrigerator, which as a fully transparent T-OLED display embedded in the upper right door, serving as both a touch interface and a Dual InstaView panel. This display allows users to view the fridge’s contents without opening the door and showcases hologram-like visuals. For some reason, the fridge provides a curated music playlist.

The company will also show off its ThinQ Food management system, powered by a built-in AI camera, which the company says will automatically identify stored items, suggest recipes based on ingredients and preferences, and track inventory and expiration dates.

Finally, LG will show off its new SIGNATURE microwave with entertainment and smart home integration. Equipped with three built-in cameras, it enables real-time cooking monitoring, time-lapse creation, and tracking of meals’ heating progress. Paired with the induction range powered by Gourmet AI, the microwave identifies ingredients and suggests recipes. The microwave has a 27-inch Full-HD touchscreen with InstaView, built-in speakers, and Wi-Fi connectivity, and LG says it can double as a hub for managing smart home devices through the LG ThinQ Smart Home Dashboard, supporting LG AI appliances and Matter/Thread-compatible devices.

Rejuvenate Fog-Powered Smart Garden

No, the Rejuvenate by Plantaform this isn’t a steam punk garden, but instead a smart garden that uses something called fogponics—a method of delivering nutrients to plant roots via nutrient-rich fog—to grow a variety of herbs, vegetables, flowers, and plants year-round. Designed for ease of use, it accommodates 15 plant pods and requires refilling only every 2-3 weeks, thanks to its efficient water usage. The system is managed through the Plantaform App, which allows users to monitor plant health, adjust light schedules, and receive care guidance.

Restaurant and Food Retail

PickPad

We’ve seen many smart checkout systems in recent years at CES, but Pickpad is a little different in that it is tailored for restaurants as a smart order pickup system. It enables restaurants to put orders-to-go on a smart pad. The modular system utilizes sensors and machine learning to integrate into existing food service environments and their point-of-sale systems without altering current processes. It automatically double-checks order accuracy, updates order statuses in real time, collects comprehensive data points, and personalizes the customer experience by displaying customer names when orders are ready.

The CES 2025 Food Tech Walk-Around Guide

Welcome to the CES 2025 Food Tech Walk-Around Guide!

If you’re at CES (or even if you’re not) and want to see what cool new food tech products will be on display this week, this is your go-to guide. You can also check out our CES Food Tech Preview, which takes a look at some of the companies we’re excited to see this week in Vegas.

Not only have we scoured the CES exhibitor guide, company websites, and all the press releases that have hit our inbox, but we’re also walking the show floor here in Vegas to bring you all the food tech news coming out of Vegas this week.

You can use the handy table below to read a description of what each is showing off at CES, as well as find a link that shows a map with the location of each company’s booth. The embedded airtable guide is also sortable, and you can pop out each company to get more information about them.

We’ll be keeping this list updated. If you don’t see your company on here (and you have a product to show), drop us a line.

It’s All But Official: The June Oven is Cooked

If you’ve been paying attention to the June Oven website lately (and really, who hasn’t?), you may have noticed that it’s been a bit difficult to order a new smart oven from the company for most of the past 12 months. That’s because every single model listed (standard June, June Premium, and June Oven Plus) has been marked as “sold out.”

If June were a capital-starved startup scrimping up to start its next production run, there’s an outside chance we may see more inventory at some point. But, somewhat paradoxically, since June was acquired by grill giant Weber in January 2021 – a company that no doubt has relatively easy access to manufacturing services – that there have been no June ovens for sale doesn’t bode well since, presumably, this was a decision made by management.

And now, according to Andru Edwards, a tech influencer and writer for GearLive, the Weber team told those who asked at CES last month that the June oven is no more.

From a post made by Edwards on Reddit:

Just got the word from Weber themselves here at CES. The June Oven will continue receiving software updates, but no plans for a new model. The tech from June is now being integrated into the new Weber grills. Was hoping for June Oven Gen 4, but it’s not in the cards, unfortunately!

My own outreach to Weber has gone unanswered, so this, combined with a lack of inventory and what they were telling folks at CES, it’s probably safe to say that June is cooked.

This will no doubt come as a bummer for those hoping for a fourth-generation June. It will also raise the question of why Weber bought June in the first place. The answer is probably as simple as, at least at the time of the deal, Weber saw June’s expertise in building high-tech cooking platforms as something they could build on for their own technology roadmap.

From then-CEO of Weber, Chris Scherzinger: “June has been an invaluable partner in developing our Weber Connect platform. Adding June’s expertise and technology to our own allows us to accelerate our connected innovation programs and better address grillers’ needs with new products and services that offer simplicity and fuel grilling discovery through enhanced capabilities.” 

Since then, Scherzinger has left the company. And, while Weber went public in 2021 (after the June acquisition), it wasn’t long before the company’s stock was pulled from public trading after accepting a buyout from private equity firm BDT Capital Partners, which had been its majority shareholder at the time of the IPO. That all makes for a lot of internal turbulence, so it’s probably not all that surprising that the company pulled back a bit from its future roadmap. Add to this the fact Weber is, in essence, an outdoor grilling company, and indoor smart ovens really aren’t a core focus (maybe they should have been focused on an indoor smoker like GE Appliances?).

While June looks like it’s done shipping new ovens, those in the market for a high-tech countertop cooking appliance can still buy a Brava (now owned by cooking equipment giant Middleby), Tovala, or Suvie. And, if you’re willing to wait a little bit, you could pick up a Macrowave from Revolution Cooking (which uses infrared and microwave heating) when it ships later this year.

Fresco Deal With Panasonic Brings Device Control & AI-Powered Planning to HomeCHEF Multi-Oven Lineup

At CES 2024, Panasonic announced that it had struck a deal with smart kitchen OS startup Fresco to integrate the Fresch kitchen OS platform with the Japanese brand’s multi-oven countertop cooking appliances.

The deal covers the US market and will see Fresco’s technology bring a new set of connected features to Panasonic’s multi-oven products, the first being the HomeCHEF 4-in-1 multi-oven. According to the announcement, the Fresco AI assistant will reside within the Panasonic app, allowing users to tailor recipes according to their dietary needs, substitute ingredients based on pantry availability, and change serving sizes and cooking preferences. Users can control cooking modalities, enabling steam cooking, air frying, and more through the app and get alerts about cooking status.

The deal marks a significant win for Fresco with one of the leading microwave manufacturers in the world, one that has been relatively aggressive about adding new cooking capabilities through its HomeCHEF multi-oven line. The partnership is interesting because it’s one of the first partnerships by a major microwave company to bring device control and AI-assisted cooking to their lineup.

According to Fresco, the HomeChef 4-in-1 will first be released in the US market in late 2024.

Check Out NXP’s Presence-Sensing Cooktop Demo Powered by On-Chip AI

We’re still sifting through some of the cool product demos from CES last month, and one that caught my eye was the demo by NXP of a presence-sensing cooktop powered by an embedded MCU. According to the company, the system used a Neural Processing Unit that runs the machine learning and facial-recognition algorithms within the system rather than relying on a cloud-based compute. The demo featured a device control interface from Diehl Controls.

As can be seen in the video below (taken by TIRIAS Research Principal Analyst Francis Sideco), NXP spokesperson Thomas Herbert shows that you can turn on the burner with either touch or motion sensing (including motion sensing with cooking mitts on). From there, the system is using facial recognition to detect if a person is within local proximity of the cooktop. According to Herbert, presence detection comes into play in a scenario where there is a critical state, such as the pan getting too hot and there is water boiling over. If the system detects a critical state and no one is standing around the stove, it will shut off the heat and can send an alert to the person via a Matter (an open-source smart home connectivity standard) enabled device to alert the cook that the system has intervened on their behalf.

CES 2024 - INVITE ONLY- Part 3 of 3 NXP Autonomous Home Showcase Based on Matter

The demo is interesting to me in a couple of contexts. One is that, as we’ve written about here on the Spoon, the number one reason for fires in the home is due to cooking mishaps, and enabling your stovetop or other cooking appliances to recognize both anomalies as well as the presence of someone could be a real gamechanger, akin to the dip in automobile accidents in recent years due to the widespread prevalence of blindspot detection systems in modern cars.

The second context that’s interesting is that it could become a significant technology in assisting aging-in-place scenarios, particularly for seniors who become a little more forgetful as they age. One of the key determinants of whether folks can continue to live independently is their ability to feed themselves, and by providing “blind spot” detection like this, my guess is this could extend many seniors’ ability to live independently for years.

January AI’s New App Uses Generative AI to Predict How Food Will Impact Your Blood Sugar

If you’ve been diagnosed with a metabolic health issue, you might have used a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) at some point to track the impact of your food intake on your blood sugar. However, as of March 2023, only 2.4 million people used a CGM in the U.S., and because of the relatively small adoption rate of this technology, the vast majority of folks with diabetes or who are in danger of metabolic health issues may not have access to real-time insights into what the impact different foods may have on their glucose levels.

January AI aims to change this with its latest innovation: a free app that performs predictive analysis on the impact of various foods on blood sugar. The company, which unveiled its newest tool at CES last week, has developed an AI-powered app that analyzes meal photos and offers users immediate feedback on glucose impacts, macros, and healthier meal alternatives.

January says its app uses generative AI to automatically generate accurate food titles and estimates of ingredients and ingredient quantities within complex meals.

“It uses three kinds of generative AI to tell you your blood sugar response,” said Noosheen Hashemi, CEO of January, speaking at The Spoon’s CES Food Tech Conference last week. “It uses our own generative AI for glucose, and then it uses a vision generative AI to pick what’s in the food, and then it uses that language model to give it a title.”

According to the company, its AI-driven predictions are based on millions of data points, including wearable data, demographic information, and user reports. The company says this approach enables the app to provide personalized glucose level estimates and insights, making metabolic health management more accessible and actionable.

“It’s as simple as scanning a food,” said Hashemi. “You can also scan a barcode. You can also do a search. And we can tell you all the macro, its total calories, how much fiber, protein, fat, and carbs it has. And we can also show your blood sugar.”

According to Hashemi, the company’s platform can be customized and trained for specific users by taking data from a wearable such as a smartwatch, a person’s glucose monitor, or even food logs. With that data, the app can create highly customized predictions around a person’s biomarkers and dietary preferences.

“One out of three people in America has pre-diabetes, and 90% of them don’t know it,” said Hashemi. “And one out of nine people has diabetes, and 20% of those people don’t know it. So blood sugar is something we should all be managing, but we just don’t know that we should.”

Given the increasing popularity of GLP-1 medications, my guess is that more Americans will start to consider how their diet affects their blood sugar in the coming years. And, even if they don’t use a glucose monitor or get a prescription for a medication like Ozempic, increased awareness will push many to use apps like this one to help them better understand how a given food will impact their blood sugar and overall health.

You can hear Hashemi discussing the app and showing a demo in the video below.

January AI CEO Talks About New Generative AI App at CES

Revolution’s New Smart Toaster Will Have Wi-Fi and Tell You The Weather

Last week at CES, Revolution Cooking, a company that’s made a name for itself by creating the world’s most high-end, tech-enabled toaster, gave us a sneak peek at its latest-generation bread crisper.

The new Revolution toaster, which the company says will ship on May 1st, not only has the same recognizable touchscreen and proprietary and patented InstaGLO heating technology that powers the first generation toaster (and the new Macrowave oven), but it will be the company’s first Internet-connected edition.

So, why add Wi-Fi to a toaster? According to Sean Robbins, Revolution’s head of marketing, one obvious reason is to enable over-the-air feature rollouts and improvements to the product’s heating technology. However, perhaps the most significant reason relates to the role a toaster plays in a toast-lover’s daily routine.

“People who love to toast, it’s kind of a daily ritual for them,” said Robbins. “So we talked to our best customers and asked them what would you love to have on the home screen. We heard things related to what their daily routine is. ‘I want to start my day and make my toast, and I wonder what the weather is that day.'”

According to Robbins, the Revolution connected toaster is also the first to get the green light from UL. The product safety standard company, well-recognized for its certification stamp of approval, had previously frowned upon Internet-connected toasters. This is because adding connectivity to a product with an open heating element was considered a significant safety concern. Because of this, Robbins says that owners of their new toaster still won’t be able to remotely control the heating element, but they will have the comfort (and perhaps more importantly, retailers will have the comfort) that UL says this thing is safe.

While the Internet-connected toaster has become something of an Internet meme, often used to ridicule over-engineered products and an Internet of Things gone awry, there have been relatively few attempts to add connectivity to toasters. While some have taken a swing (and the tech press commentators have reacted predictably), the reality is since Revolution essentially kickstarted the whole high-end touchscreen toaster craze (there are a bunch of copycats on Amazon now) and has built a loyal customer base for its tech-enabled toaster, my guess is that they’ll likely find a receptive audience for those who also want their toaster to tell them whether they should bundle up for the day.

You can watch my interview with Robbins below.

Revolution Talks About Its Latest Smart Toaster at CES 2024

The Kara Pod is a Coffee Machine That Refills Itself by Pulling Water from Thin Air

This year at CES, Kara Water debuted the Kara Pod, a combo coffee brewer and air-to-water countertop machine. The Kara Pod takes company core technology, which turns humidity from the air into drinking water, and combines it with a coffee machine that can produce up to almost a gallon of water (3.2 liters) per day, which can be used as drinking water or for brewing coffee.

Kara Water was founded in 2017 by Cody Sooden and Michael Di Giovanna. The two wanted to create a machine that could produce clean drinking water free of contaminants. Sooden’s interest in the technology started after he began experimenting with capturing water from air while studying architecture. He eventually wrote a research paper on harvesting moisture from the air, which ultimately became the genesis of the company’s technology.

Kara Water isn’t the first company to show off water-from-air technology at CES. We’ve seen Watergen debut a working model in 2020, and Zero Mass Water, which uses solar power to capture moisture and turn it into drinking water, showed off its machine at CES 2019. But this is the first countertop appliance model we’ve seen and the first time we’ve seen air-to-water combined with a coffee machine.

According to Sooden, the Kara Pod will start shipping in March for $299. You can watch our interview with Sooden below.

The Kara Pod Coffee Maker Gets Water Refilled From Out of Thin Air

The CES 2024 Food Tech Exhibit Walk-Around Guide

Welcome to the CES 2024 Food Tech Walk-Around Guide!

If you’re at CES (or even if you’re not) and want to check out all the cool new food tech products on display this week, this is your go-to guide.

Not only have we scoured the CES exhibitor guide, company websites, and all the press releases that have hit our inbox, but we’re also walking the show floor here in Vegas to bring you all the food tech news coming out of Vegas this week.

You can use the handy table below to read a description of what each is showing off at CES, as well as find a link that shows a map with the location of each company’s booth. The embedded airtable guide is also sortable, and you can pop out each company to get more information about them.

We’ll be keeping this list updated. If you don’t see your company on here (and you have a product to show), drop us a line.