First, there was industrial automation which took complex machinery and put it on factory lines to make manufacturing more streamlined and safe. Then came warehouse automation and robots that took care of some of the more complex requirements of logistics. Next, we were introduced to marketing automation, which takes the processes of some of the more routine and monotonous marketing tasks and automates them, making marketing management easier, more streamlined, and more cost-effective. And now, we have kitchen automation.

In the next few months, we’ll be talking about what the Kitchen of the Future will look like, and kitchen automation will certainly be a part of that. But what’s available now?

We’ve taken a look at some of the latest kitchen automation trends, and hand picked the coolest, most useful, and most likely to transform cooking at home. Let’s take a look!

All-in-One Cooking Devices

Food Advertisements by

In Europe, the Thermomix has been available for quite some time. We’ve continually scratched our heads wondering why it hasn’t found any distribution yet in the U.S., but there are a few other devices that are trying to catch up. The Phillips Home Cooker neXt is a prototype that was debuted at CES earlier this year. The prototype integrates an auto-stir technology, along with heating elements to help with prep and cooking. It also has attachments for chopping and slicing.

Individual “Smart” Appliances

A little more low-tech, these smart appliances take individual aspects of cooking (or brewing coffee) and make them automated. For instance, the Smart Crockpot allows you to remotely control the device (thus cooking remotely or starting a dish while you’re still at work) through an accompanying iPhone app. Another example is the Pantelligent Smart Skillet that integrates with a phone app to help you saute or fry meat and vegetables at the perfect temperature and for the perfect length of time – essentially taking the guesswork out of cooking.

Individualized Multi-Tasking Devices

While the kitchen appliances of the last decade or so have made it easier to cook, they have brought with them a whole new set of requirements for use. You have to roast or grind your coffee beans before your coffee pot will brew a delicious cup of joe. You may need to chop up ingredients into smaller sizes before dumping them into a food processor to puree. New kitchen devices, however, are working to take the extra steps out of using kitchen appliances. Machines like the Bonaverde aim to take all of the individualized steps out of something like making coffee, and do it for you – all within one device.

Kitchen automation still has a long way to go before it’s truly taking the prep work and focus necessary to create an entire meal. Though, we have come quite a long way and individual smart kitchen appliances and tools are becoming more and more helpful in the kitchen.

What would you like to see automated in YOUR kitchen? Is there a part of cooking that you don’t enjoy? What does your idea kitchen automation scenario look like? Let us know in the comments!