This idiot-proof frying pan uses sensors to help you cook like a pro

By Drew Prindle November 19, 2014

pantelligent smart frying pan skillet kickstarter

There are two kinds of people in this world: those that can cook, and those that tend to burn anything they put on the stovetop. If you’re one of the latter, making your own meals is a struggle — especially when you’ve constantly got to run out of the kitchen to wave a blanket at the smoke alarm. But there’s still hope for you.

Pantelligent is a freshly launched Kickstarter project that aims to make stovetop cooking completely foolproof. On the outside it looks and feels just like any other frying pan, but under the hood it’s got a few tricks that make it smarter than your average skillet. In addition to a temperature sensor embedded in the center of the pan, Pantelligent is also equipped with a Bluetooth LE radio in the handle, so it can relay temperature data to your phone or tablet.

Related: Jet-inspired fins help this ultra-efficient cookware heat up 40% faster

Once you’re all synced up, the pan’s accompanying mobile app can tell you how hot the pan is, how hot it should be, and even let you know when it’s time to add ingredients, stir, or flip. All you’ve got to do is follow the alerts and adjust the heat of your stove as directed. Pantelligent’s software knows the ideal cooking times and temperatures for a myriad of different foods, so as long as you can follow directions, you’ll end up with a perfectly cooked dish every time.

The pan’s creators have already produced several working prototypes, and after beta testing their product for the better part of 2014, the Pantelligent team has finally taken to Kickstarter to raise money for volume production. If you back the project now during the crowdfunding stage, you can lock down one of these sensor-studded frying pans for a pledge of about 200 bucks. Barring any hiccups in the manufacturing process, and assuming the campaign meets its $30,000 funding goal, the Pantelligent team expects to ship the first units to backers as early as August 2015.

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Deals

You aren’t too late to shop this KitchenAid Black Friday mixer deal

A blue KitchenAid Pro 5 Plus mixer sits on a kitchen counter mixing dough next to a flatbread pizza.

It is almost universally acknowledged that the holy grail of all kitchen appliances is the KitchenAid stand mixer, so chances are you've got one of these on your holiday wish list, or you're hoping to bring one home for someone you love. If that's the case, today is your lucky day because, even though Black Friday is already over, the retailer is still knocking $200 off the original price of $450, meaning you can bring home a brand new KitchenAid Pro 5 stand mixer for only $250. At nearly half off, this is one of those Cyber Monday deals that simply can't be beaten. You'll definitely want to scoop up one of these KitchenAid mixers before this deal disappears for the season.

But just because this deal is still around even after Black Friday, that doesn't mean you'll have forever to buy it. There's no guarantee this deal will still be around on Cyber Monday and we've seen other great deals sell out already. So if you need a stand mixer, don't delay and grab one today!

Smart Home

Smart ways to save on your utility bills during the holidays

Twinkly smart lights set up around Christmas tree.

Once the holidays swing into full gear, you'll be pretty busy. There are plenty of meals to cook, visitors to entertain, and lights to fire up. Keeping your home utility bills under wraps during this time can be a bit of a challenge, but with a few changes to your smart home, you can squirrel away a few extra dollar bills and put them towards your gift shopping instead.
Update your smart thermostat schedule

You may be home more often close to the holidays, so it's worth going into your smart thermostat's settings to manually set schedules based on when you're planning on being in the house. Doing this allows the algorithm to maintain an efficient home heating plan even though you're changing up the routine that it's come to expect. Conversely, if you're getting out of town for the holidays, it's helpful to keep your smart thermostat informed so the furnace isn't blasting while you're away. Take a gander at some of the settings you'll want to change.
Switch to LED bulbs

Deals

This Ninja Foodi pressure cooker is $90 off for Black Friday

A woman loads the Ninja Foodi 6.5-quart pressure cooker with food.

Walmart Black Friday deals have started early, with the retail giant offering a chance to beat the rush and still claim Black Friday pricing. This is great news if you’re in search of a discount on some of the best smart kitchen appliances, as the Ninja Foodi 6.5-quart pressure cooker is just $110 today. This high-quality pressure cooker would normally cost you $200, whichl makes for a savings of $90. Free shipping and free 90-day returns are included with your purchase.

Why you should buy the Ninja Foodi 6.5-quart pressure cooker
The Ninja Foodi 6.5-quart pressure cooker is a versatile and feature-packed pressure cooker. It will make cooking and meal prep as convenient as it gets, as it has an impressive 14 cooking functions. Among them are pressure cooking, steaming and crisping, steaming and baking, air frying, broiling, sautéing, and slow cooking. Like all of the best pressure cookers, the Ninja Foodi 6.5-quart pressure cooker allows you to take advantage of all of these different cooking functions with ease and with the convenience of modern smarts.