Pair fresh ingredients with the Nosh One – an AI robotic chef currently on Kickstarter – and the busy professional may never need worry about meals, aside from choosing a recipe from a menu of over 500 dishes spanning 11-plus international cuisines.

Time, skill and effort are the bane of the busy active person or family wanting healthier meal options beyond the TV dinner or meal delivery service. Even with the convenience of delivered meal prep kits that supply the necessary ingredients all prepared and portioned, there is still the requirement (gasp) of actually cooking it.

A team of engineers that “love food and saving time” from India's Euphotic Labs came up with an automatic personal robot chef after a period of seven years of design and testing, with “over 1,500 meals in 65 user trials.”

The Nosh One AI Robot Chef reportedly streamlines the drudgery of fresh tasty home cooking by handling the intricacies of balancing perfect timing with an AI-enhanced camera that monitors color and texture changes plus moisture levels, thus freeing the user to concentrate on other duties or chores.

It decides when to adjust heat levels, when and how often to stir, until the dish is complete.

With the programming set to suit desired preferences of flavor intensity, texture and spice levels, the Nosh unit intuits when to add the next ingredients or seasonings. Cooking times will vary depending on the type of dish.

Sized at 20.6 in (523 mm) wide by 16.7 in (424 mm) high by 22.2 in (565 mm) deep, and with a weight of 57 lb (26 kg), the Nosh One contains six ultra-precision motors and consistent ceramic heating technology. It also boasts smart calibration with 1/4-tsp (1.25-ml) accuracy for the eight spice containers that hold 100cc each, located on the top portion of the machine.

There are five slots that can hold up to 85 oz (2.5 l) each of either solid, semi-solid or liquid meal ingredients – enough for four adult servings – and a ceramic pan with a 135-oz (4-L) capacity that attaches to the back along with a stirrer attachment for sautéing and stirring. The oil (33 oz/94 ml) and water (60 oz/1.7L) containers can dispense 1 tsp (5ml) accurately, and are visible to gauge remaining liquid levels.

Exhaust fumes are carbon filtered for less odor, and are vented either to the left or right side by adjustment of the directional chimney. As for cleanup, it definitely sounds easy.

There are two options, with Daily mode which requires just wiping the cooking chamber with a semi-wet cloth, or Monthly mode which is a self cleaning function that flushes out the internal oil and water hoses. The oil and water containers, spice tray, chimney and exhaust filter can be removed easily for hand washing, while the pan and stirrer attachment can safely go in the dishwasher.

The most time-saving aspect is the AI-enabled Nosh app that allows the user to select recipes and remotely schedule cooking start times – over time, the app learns the user’s food preferences. Weekly notifications are sent to check and refill spices, which last about approximately 10 days with continuous cooking dependent on personal tastes. The user can easily plan ahead and prep weekly groceries with the Nosh app.

There are some limitations, however, as the Nosh unit cannot manage dishes that require flipping such as roti, pancakes or a whole fish.

As well, if a meat protein meal is scheduled for a later cooking time there is the concern of bacterial formation … though I wonder if a workaround might be to use frozen meat to mitigate possible bacterial growth. I can only foresee short intervals for pre-programmed cooking time, such as heading out for a brief errand but getting back just in time for a ready meal. Though the user can program the unit to delay cooking time, I would caution about leaving animal proteins out unrefrigerated for long periods of time.

Pending if all funding and production follows through, the Nosh One unit is set for delivery later this year within "certain countries only" including the US and Canada. Kickstarter pledges start at US $1,499, which includes a lifetime free subscription worth $180 per year. The planned retail price is $2,000.

Sources: Kickstarter, Nosh