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Cooking Robots Have Flopped. Will the Nosh One Be Any Different? Here's My Take

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Why This Matters

The launch of the Nosh One highlights ongoing challenges in the consumer robotics market, especially in the US, where autonomous cooking appliances have struggled to gain widespread adoption. Despite advancements, high costs, limited functionality, and space concerns continue to hinder their appeal, raising questions about the future of kitchen automation for everyday users.

Key Takeaways

Autonomous cooking tools and kitchen appliances have largely flopped in the US. While culinary robots like the Thermomix have made some inroads in Europe and elsewhere, adoption in the US has been slow. Super smart ovens, including the June, Suvie and Brava, have likewise struggled to connect with consumers.

Nosh Robotics, a smart home robotics company based in Bengaluru, India, is giving it a go with the commercial launch of the Nosh One, a $1,499 AI-powered cooking robot seven years in the making that the company says "can handle the entire cooking process autonomously: ingredient selection, sautéing, plating and self-cleaning."

The June Oven was the most promising smart oven we tested. It quietly stopped production in 2023. June

I saw it in preview at CES earlier this year and spoke with reps about the Nosh One. While CEO Mira Patel calls it "the first consumer robot that truly cooks for you," I was less certain of its potential. Up close and even with a deep explanation from the reps on-site, the pricey machine doesn't seem worth the cost and the space it takes up on your counter, at least for most home cooks.

Read more: I Tried a Scan-to-Cook Meal Delivery Service. I'm Completely Obsessed

The Nosh does a few things that a slow cooker or Instant Pot doesn't, namely, add the right amount of ingredients, cooking oils and spices from small chambers. But you still have to load the right ingredients for a given recipe into cartridges every time you cook.

The Nosh One has launched on Kickstarter for a cool $1,499. Nosh One

The cooking functionality is also limited. While the Nosh can portion, chop (roughly -- no mincing or dicing), cook and stir food in its built-in pot using highly programmed recipes so you can walk away while the recipe completes, it can't bake, roast, boil, sear or steam, making it limited in what it can effectively make.

The Nosh One is similar to a Thermomix. The Thermomix offers more cooking modes and functions, but it can't automatically deliver precise ingredient amounts to the chamber like the Nosh. Verwerk

If your dinner menu consists mostly of stews, soups, stir-fries and curries, the Nosh should be able to shoulder a good deal of cooking. Most other foods will have to be cooked the old-fashioned way.

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