A Grill That Makes Perfect Steaks Using Satellite AI
Margaret Rhodes
"Sometimes we talk about this as the third generation of precision temperature cooking," the creator says.
Cinder-Vegie-Product-R2 [CONFIDENTIAL]
This is the Cinder Sensing Cooking, a new software and sensor-powered appliance that promises perfectly cooked meat.
Grilling a steak isn't rocket science, but that doesn't mean a little rocket science couldn't improve the process. At least, that's the thinking behind the Cinder Sensing Cooking, a new software and sensor-powered appliance that promises perfectly cooked steaks.
Smart kitchen gadgets have proliferated in recent years with the ubiquity of sensors that are infinitely faster and more accurate than old-school meat thermometers. But most of these products are thermometers, which only do part of the legwork. The Cinder---which is shaped like a panini press and has a lid that seals securely shut---has one of those, of course, but it also has thickness sensors and software programmed with algorithms that mimic the mind of a brilliant sous chef. "The done-ness of food equates to the maximum temperature you reach," says Cinder CEO Eric Norman. "This pulls it back right when it hits medium rare." (Or well done, if you're like that.)
This is where rocket science comes into play: Cinder's CTO once worked at Lockheed Martin, and programmed Cinder to behave something like satellite positioning software. To explain, Norman compares satellites to airplanes: Airplanes can fly a bit too far east, or west, and can course correct as they go. Satellites, unlike airplanes, run off a more limited fuel supply, and therefore can't afford even slight navigational errors. A good cut of meat requires the same kind of finesse, so the same kind of predictive algorithms that prevents satellites from going too far adrift also keeps Cinder's temperatures from jumping even a little bit too high, into an error. "There's no overshoot," Norman says.
Cinder's controls live within an accompanying iPad app. A grid of images guides users through the type of meat (or fruits and vegetables---Norman mentions using Cinder for getting onions just right, or for baking apple pie filling), the type of cut, and how well, or not, it should be done. Cinder even comes programmed with photos of cross sections of meat cooked at various levels of done-ness, so users can tap on a more nuanced picture rather than just specifying "medium rare." The machine's temperature precision, combined with the airtight lid, means that you could pop in a steak, let it cook, and then leave it for a couple hours before even tending to it again. All in all, it sounds remarkably hands off.
The idea is to get sous-vide results, without the labor-intensive process of sealing meat in a bag and slowly cooking it in precisely hot water. The Cinder can get to 135 degrees in a few seconds, cook a medium rare steak to the same temperature in 28 minutes, and then sear it in 45 seconds. "Sometimes we talk about this as the third generation of precision temperature cooking," Norman says. "You had a crock pot, to cook at a low temperature over time but it's not as precise, and sous vide, which has very nice results." Cinder promises the best of both. "What we've done is keep the precise temperature, but kept it very approachable and convenient."
Interested at-home chefs have a while to wait: the Cinder Sensing Cooker costs $499, and is available for pre-sale here, but isn't expected to start shipping until early in 2016.