Do ‘smart’ appliances make us better cooks?

It is becoming increasingly common for new kitchen appliances to be ‘smart’ devices: ovens that ‘think’, internet-connected refrigerators, and microwaves that operate with voice commands. All the gadgetry is cool in a ‘we are living in the future’ kind of way, but does it really help us be better cooks? Joe Ray at Wired doesn’t think so. He says that the ‘smart kitchen’ is really dumb.

Ray argues that unlike other tasks that technology can improve, the art of cooking has been honed for centuries in both home and restaurant kitchens. He says: “The French alone have been refining their craft for hundreds of years; nobody in Paris ever thought, ‘You know what this dish needs? A Bluetooth-enabled tarte tatin pan.'”

Devices that require an app to control them get extra criticism from Ray. While these appliances make look sleek and smooth without knobs or buttons, those old-school controls make them easy to use. If you are required to use an app to turn on your appliance, says Ray, “you pay for the perceived convenience with your time.” This is especially true in the kitchen, because you usually need your hands for other tasks and it takes time to clean your hands, swipe your phone or enter a password, open the app, and click the appropriate icon.

There are a few devices that get grudging admiration from Ray, including The Hestan Cue, the ThermoWorks Smoke, and the Thermomix. Most of these are pricey, however. A good Dutch oven, sharp knives, and time spent in front of the stove are better investments.

The problem I see is that all of this gadgetry gets in the way of learning in the kitchen. If you are relying on an app instead of your senses, what happens if the internet goes down or the device becomes unresponsive? Better to learn visual, auditory, and olfactory cues supplied by the food itself. I am not a Luddite – I own a sous vide device – but I will give that up in a heartbeat before I’ll part with my Staub.