We might not be living in a Jetsons-easy robot-powered future yet, but we’re getting there. From talking barbecues to candy-making printers, we’ve rounded up some of the kookiest high-tech kitchen devices announced at this year’s Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show. Hey, some of them might even prove useful.
Goji Smart Lock
Goji Smart Lock
Meet the Goji Smart Lock. Put simply, it’s a lock that links to your mobile, sending you a photo of who’s at your front door, allowing you to choose whether or not you let them in at the press of a button. Useful? To an extent, if you’ve got your hands full in the kitchen. Necessary? For those who can manage to down tools long enough to get to the door, maybe not so much.
Voice-command barbecue
Voice-command barbecue
Need someone to talk to? How about a barbecue? The Lynx Smart Grill responds to voice commands, and can reply, telling you how to cook your food, where you should place it on the grill and more. We’re holding out for the software update that teaches it to open bottles, tell you you’re an awesome cook and make appreciative noises while you hold forth on the Ashes.
Grill-cleaning robot
Grill-cleaning robot
Forget beer and newspaper, America’s Grillbot has invented a device that does all the dirty barbecue-cleaning work for you. All you need to do is press a button, shut the lid, pop the top on a tinnie and let the bot scrub away.
A solar-powered chilly bin
A solar-powered chilly bin
Beach trips are about to get a whole lot cooler thanks to this smart new Esky from Solar Cool. It harnesses the power of the sun to refrigerate your drinks and food, and provides extra power for charging electronic devices.
A kitchen thermometer that tells you when dinner is ready
A kitchen thermometer that tells you when dinner is ready
Ever wished you could cook from your lounge room? Now you can. This kitchen thermometer from iDevices uses wireless probes to monitor cooking temperatures, which are then linked to your smart phone or tablet so that you can keep an eye on your food from any room of the house. Best of all, it’s got two probes, so you can watch the turducken and the brisket at the same time.
3D Systems Chefjet
3D Systems Chefjet
For all those times when you wished you could eat food out of a printer, the 3D Systems ChefJet Pro has you covered. Its printer uses a combination of sugar, water and food colouring to print confectionery in all kinds of shapes and sizes. It’s yours from the second half of the year for an easy $10,000. Who’s up for edible 3D selfies?
A fridge that helps you with the shopping
A fridge that helps you with the shopping
Shopping lists – who needs them? LG‘s latest fridge, part of their new Smart Home collection, is so intelligent it syncs to your phone to alert you when food is a day or so from going off and when you’ve run out of essentials like eggs and milk. Any more advanced and it’d be running the world.