Adding sensors and connectivity to kitchen devices lets amateurs use tools that were once reserved for pros. Examples include the sous vide cooker, beer brewing equipment and now, steam ovens with the Tovala oven. I’ve been waiting for this $400 oven ever since I met the founder last October at the Smart Kitchen Summit.
The Tovala oven cooks pre-assembled meals that you purchase for $12 through a subscription service. The pitch is that the meals taste homemade but are as easy to prepare as microwave meals. David Rabie, the founder of Tovala, assured me when I met him last year that the Tovala will cook other foods too, although that seems to be downplayed in many of the current reviews.
As we see more of these smaller appliances hit the market, I’m left wondering where the big kitchen appliance makers are. Electrolux purchased Anova, the maker of a sous vide cooker. All of the big brands are busy adding Wi-Fi, but I’m still wondering when we’ll see higher-level expertise and more sensors built into our appliances. This kind of innovation feels much more interesting to the mainstream consumer than a smart thermostat.
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