With the power of AI and the vision capabilities of a camera, many countertop devices are already automating the kitchen as we know it. A new high-tech swing at that is the Agari Cooker, which intends to fix what every home cook knows but often gets wrong because of too much guesswork involved.
By combining sous vide, steam, and searing into a single countertop device, Agari wants to eliminate the guesswork in cooking that leads to overcooked meat and dry fish. And if its ongoing Kickstarter campaign is anything to go by; David Velan and team behind the Agari may have just nailed it.
By how it appears, the countertop cookware uses AI, 3D scanning, and a pressure-steam system that promises desired cooking result, at just the push of a button. At its core, the device is designed to scan and identify what you put inside. It builds a precise 3D model of it using its dual cameras and an infrared sensor, and then determines exactly how long and how hot it needs to cook.
On calculating the exact cooking time and temperature, Agari runs a low-temperature pressure cycle to keep everything juicy. It automatically cranks up the heat to get that golden crust. All of this is done in under a minute. The company claims its sub-boiling pressure system cooks food up to three times faster than a conventional steam oven, more precisely than pressure cookers or sous vide on their own, while preserving the juices and tenderness of the food.
Thus, with its patent-pending double-wall technology, Agari aims to merge the best of sous vide precision with the speed of pressure cooking. The result, according to the company, is consistently juicy inside and restaurant-style golden crusts on the outside. No flipping, no monitoring, no manual intervention, only put the food (meat, fish, poultry, vegetables) inside, press the button, and forget about it.
It’s not just for precise cooking; the device is also designed for convenience. A stainless-steel chamber with two cooking levels hides inside of a solid steel body, which comes in black and yellow colors for now. More colors are promised down the line. A 7-inch built-in touchscreen provides controls, while Wi-Fi connectivity enables app support and OTA updates. Agari – for its pressure system – has a 3-liter water reservoir inside, ready out of the box without plumbing requirement.
Agari runs between 1500 and 2400 watts depending on the model, spans a wide 110°F to 550°F range, and weighs about 41 pounds. Slightly hefty for a countertop appliance but on point to keep its promise of cooking food that’s never dry or burned, but always golden and juicy. If you think there’s merit, you have a chance to pre-book it for an early bird price of CA$900 (approximately $655).
