The Julia countertop appliance from CookingPal comes with its own kitchen-proof smart display.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Plenty of cooking products aim to “do it all” in the kitchen. While some, like the Thermomix line of all-in-one cookers have taken off in Europe, we haven’t seen much of this trend in the states. Enter the Julia. This all-in-one cooker from CookingPal showed off its skills at CES and we got a chance to take a look.
The Julia appliance can weigh, chop, steam and more. It comes with a custom 8-inch smart display called the Smart Kitchen Hub, with a digital recipe book and appliance controls to help Julia make your meal. Once you’ve selected the recipe and added the ingredients, the Julia does the rest.
Recipes are customizable and there is a manual mode for creating your own dishes. A camera in the Smart Kitchen Hub can recognize the food it sees and suggest recipes with those ingredients. There are also step-by-step video guides and the option to order ingredients from participating partners.
The touch-screen Android tablet features a large physical jog dial for familiar haptic feedback or you can use Alexa voice commands to move through the cooking process. There’s also a CookingPal mobile app where you can remotely monitor and control Julia’s cooking.
The Julia includes a stainless steel bowl, as well as this plastic steamer bowl set and accessories for mixing.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
The Julia appliance has a dozen modes and can weigh ingredients with a scale built into the base. It can regulate its own heat settings through the cooking process and self-time every step of the meal prep so you don’t have to continually tap “next step.”
It will retail for just under $1,000 (about £760 or AU$1,440) and is scheduled to go on sale in late 2020. The company plans to release more smart kitchen products in the future, including a smart oven and smart pressure cooker, all compatible with the CookingPal app. Here’s a quick rundown of the Julia’s most important specs:
- 17.3×12.2×14.6 inches (440x310x370 mm)
- Stainless steel three-liter bowl
- Scale accurate to five grams
- 10-speed motor with up to 5,200 RPM
- Cooking up to 265 degrees Fahrenheit
- 12 modes: Chop, mix, blend, knead, weigh, boil, emulsify, steam, grind, grate, whisk and cook
- Connect the Smart Kitchen Hub and Julia appliance via Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi
- Dishwasher-safe cooking bowl
- Self-clean option with dish soap and water in mix mode
- 8.9-inch touchscreen Android tablet with physical dial and portable stand