After returning home from spin class, your mind might be as exhausted as your body. What if instead of having to hunt for a recipe for a replenishing drink, your kitchen could offer one up, along with the complete nutrition information, right when you got home?
Orange Chef has launched Countertop, an app-enabled system that syncs with appliances already found, as well as your fitness wearables. The company has already partnered with Vitamix and Crock-Pot to make respective blender and slow cooker dishwasher adaptors that turn the appliances smart. Once attached, the adaptor “talks” to your Countertop device through near field communication technology, allowing the two appliances to work together to make meal prep a little easier. It’s basically acting a “hub” for your smart kitchen.
The Countertop operates like a food scale and offers step-by-step recipe instructions on your Bluetooth-paired iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, with accompanying nutritional breakdowns of what you’re placing on the scale. Place your Vitamix on the Counterop, and it’s ready to customize a soup or beverage that fits your diet. In “genius” mode, the Countertop app offers sequential guidelines for making meals without pre-measuring. Just add in the required ingredients, and the system alerts you once you’ve dumped in the right amount of flour or tomatoes.
The device also links to fitness trackers such as Jawbone UP to track workouts, activity levels, and sleep patterns. Just returned from a marathon training session? The app may suggest a hydrating protein recovery shake. With frequent use, Countertop learns your likes and dislikes, so it won’t keep suggesting recipes with your least-favorite veggies.
Countertop’s battery-powered base can withstand up to twenty pounds and is 9.4 inches wide by 6.6 inches deep by 1 inch tall. If you already have Orange Chef’s Prep Pad, it will get some new capabilities when Countertop launches but won’t be able to communicate with your slow cooker or blender. As the Countertop partner network grows, Orange Chef plans to make it compatible with more commonly used appliances. Right now, you can get the scale for $100, $100 off its expected retail price, as well as a discount on the Vitamix and Crock-Pot adaptors for $10 and $5, respectively.
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