Smart Gadgets That Practically Cook for You: The 2025 Edition

The All-in-One Champions

Thermomix TM7: The German Engineering Marvel

If there's one device that makes professional chefs nervous about job security, it's the Thermomix TM7. This thing doesn't just cook—it replaces over 20 kitchen appliances in one sleek black unit.

What it does: Chops, beats, blends, whips, weighs, mills, kneads, minces, slow cooks, sous vide, ferments, steams, sautés, and more. The 2.2L stainless steel mixing bowl handles everything from butter chicken to banana bread. The built-in scales measure ingredients up to 3kg. The 10-inch touchscreen walks you through 100,000+ recipes step-by-step through the Cookidoo app.

The TM7's party trick? Open cooking mode that lets you use it like a traditional stovetop—lid off, stirring manually, for reducing sauces or caramelizing onions up to 160°C. The browning mode goes even hotter for searing meats. It's like having a sous chef, stand mixer, food processor, and multi-cooker merged into one machine.

The catch: Price. In Australia it's AUD $2,649. In Europe, €1,599. In India, you're looking at importing it yourself since Vorwerk doesn't officially sell here yet—expect ₹1.5-2 lakhs all-in. Also, the Cookidoo recipe subscription costs $89/year after the free trial. That's steep for access to recipes you technically could find free online.

Reality check: User reviews are polarized. Some people swear it changed their lives and use it daily for years. Others say it's noisy, takes up massive counter space, and feels like overkill unless you're cooking for a family regularly. One reviewer nailed it: "It's either your favorite kitchen appliance or an expensive dust collector. No middle ground."

Available in India: No official distribution. Import only.

Upliance.ai: India's Homegrown Smart Chef

India's answer to automated cooking comes from a Bangalore startup, and honestly, it's impressive. Upliance calls itself an "AI Cooking Assistant," and for once, the AI label isn't just marketing hype.

What it does: Automates 12+ cooking functions including chopping, stirring, and cooking complete meals in one jar. The 8-inch touchscreen has built-in recipes with step-by-step instructions. The patented Omni Blade handles everything from chopping vegetables to making dough and batter. Algorithms control heat and blade speed automatically.

The magic is in how little you do. Load ingredients, press start, walk away. The device notifies you when it needs manual input between steps—adding the next ingredient, stirring once, whatever. Then back to autopilot. It makes South Indian, North Indian, Asian dishes, smoothies, mocktails, rice, dough, and dosa batter.

Pricing: ₹39,999 (down from ₹79,999 launch price). That's roughly half what a Thermomix costs, making it actually accessible for Indian middle-class families.

The catch: Requires constant WiFi connection to function. No internet = no cooking. Some users report the recipe library isn't as extensive as imported competitors. And unlike Thermomix's proven decades of refinement, Upliance is relatively new with software still being optimized.

Reality check: For Indian cooking specifically, this wins over imports. It understands dosa batter consistency, dal tadka timing, biryani layering. Thermomix recipes are heavily European-focused. If your daily meals are roti-sabzi-dal, Upliance makes more sense than importing German tech.

Available in India: Yes, direct from their website with free shipping and cash-on-delivery.

Instant Pot Smart WiFi: The Budget-Friendly Entry Point

The Instant Pot basically invented the modern multi-cooker craze, and their Smart WiFi model brings app control to the classic formula.

What it does: Pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, make yogurt, sous vide, and can food—all controlled from your phone via the Instant Brands Connect app. You can monitor cooking progress remotely, get notifications when food is ready, and browse thousands of recipes optimized for the device.

Unlike the fancier options above, this doesn't chop or stir. But for hands-off pressure cooking? It's reliable, proven, and way more affordable. The 5.7L capacity feeds families easily. Preset programs take the guesswork out of rice, beans, meat, stews, and more.

Pricing: Available in India for ₹11,000-15,000 depending on size. International pricing around $130-180.

The catch: It's not truly "cooking for you." You still prep all ingredients manually, load them in, and clean up after. The smart features are nice but not essential—plenty of people happily use regular Instant Pots without WiFi. This is "assisted cooking," not automated.

Reality check: For most people, this is the sweet spot. Affordable, reliable, actually saves time on slow-cooked meals and pressure cooking. The WiFi is a bonus, not the main attraction.

Available in India: Yes, through official retailers and Amazon.

The Specialty Smart Cookers

June Oven: The AI-Powered Smart Oven That Watches Your Food

The June Oven is what happens when Silicon Valley engineers ask "what if an oven had a brain?"

What it does: This 12-in-1 countertop convection oven uses an internal HD camera and computer vision to literally watch your food cook. It recognizes what you put inside (chicken, pizza, cookies), selects optimal temperature and cook time, and sends you notifications when food is almost done—based on internal temperature, not just timers.

Alexa integration means you can preheat by voice. The camera streams live footage to your phone so you can check on dinner from another room. Over 400 guided recipes from professional chefs and partner brands like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are pre-programmed.

Control each of the six heating elements individually for zone-style cooking. The device creates virtual rotisserie by rotating heat around food. It air fries, bakes, broils, slow cooks, dehydrates, toasts, and roasts.

Pricing: $799 in the US. Not officially available in India.

The catch: It's big—takes serious counter space. The AI food recognition isn't perfect (sometimes confuses similar items). And at this price, you're paying a premium for camera features many users admit they rarely check after the novelty wears off.

Reality check: Home cooks who bake frequently love it for consistent results. The precision temperature control genuinely improves success rates on tricky recipes. But casual users might find a good air fryer toaster oven for ₹15,000 does 90% of what this does without the AI markup.

Available in India: No. Import only, and voltage converters required.

The Indian Smart Kitchen Ecosystem

Let's talk about what's actually easy to buy in India without importing headaches.

Wonderchef Smart Appliances

Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor's brand has gone all-in on smart kitchen tech made for Indian homes.

Automatic Roti Maker: Press a button, get perfect round rotis. No rolling, no watching the tawa. Sounds gimmicky until you're making 20 rotis for a family dinner and your hands aren't cramping. Priced around ₹5,999-7,499.

Smart Air Fryers: App-connected models with preset Indian recipes—samosas, pakoras, tandoori paneer. Uses 90% less oil than deep frying. Models range ₹4,499-14,999 depending on capacity.

Smart Soup Makers: Blend and cook soups automatically in minutes. Add ingredients, select program, done. Around ₹10,999.

Cold Press Juicers: Slow-squeezing tech preserves nutrients better than high-speed blenders. ₹5,999-14,999.

These aren't as flashy as Thermomix, but they're practical, affordable, and actually designed for how Indians cook.

Haier Smart Built-In Appliances

For those building or renovating kitchens, Haier's smart built-in range is worth considering.

Smart Microwave Oven (76L): App-controlled with 10 heating modes, 3D heating system for uniform cooking, and smartphone monitoring. Around ₹45,000-50,000.

WiFi-Enabled Smart Refrigerators: Control temperature remotely, get alerts when door is left open, monitor what's inside via app. Prices start ₹60,000+.

These integrate into smart home ecosystems (Alexa, Google) for voice control and automation.

What Actually Works vs. What's Marketing Hype

After researching dozens of products and reading hundreds of user reviews, here's the honest breakdown:

Genuinely useful automation:

Multi-cookers with pressure cooking (saves actual hours on dal, beans, stews)
Air fryers with presets (consistent results without deep frying mess)
Automatic roti makers (huge time saver for Indian households)
Smart ovens with precision temperature (improves baking success dramatically)

Nice but not essential:

App control and WiFi (convenient but not game-changing)
Recipe libraries (you'll use it for a month, then cook your usual meals)
Internal cameras (fun to watch once, then you forget it exists)

Actual hype:

"AI" that's just preset programs with fancy names
Voice control for simple tasks (faster to press a button)
Social sharing features (nobody's posting their pressure cooker on Instagram)

The Real Question: What Should You Actually Buy?

It depends on what you're trying to solve.

If you're cooking Indian meals daily: Upliance.ai or Instant Pot + Wonderchef Roti Maker. Total investment ₹40,000-50,000. You'll use them constantly.

If you're into baking and precision cooking: Import a June Oven or wait for similar tech to launch in India. Or get a quality air fryer oven like Philips or Inalsa (₹15,000-25,000) that does 80% of what June does.

If money is no object and you want the best: Thermomix TM7. Yes, it's expensive. Yes, it's overkill for many people. But it genuinely does replace multiple appliances and the build quality is decades-proven.

If you're just starting: Instant Pot Smart WiFi. Learn pressure cooking, slow cooking, yogurt making. If you love it, upgrade later. If you don't, you're only out ₹12,000 instead of ₹2 lakhs.

The Future of Automated Cooking

We're just scratching the surface. Coming soon: robot arms that actually flip food on stovetops. Refrigerators that detect what you have and suggest recipes through voice assistants. Ovens that coordinate with your smart calendar to have dinner ready when you arrive home. Full meal prep robots that go from raw ingredients to plated food with zero human intervention.

The tech exists in labs and high-end restaurants already. Give it 3-5 years to trickle down to consumer prices.

Bottom line? Smart cooking gadgets in 2025 actually deliver on their promises—if you pick the right ones for your actual cooking style. A Thermomix won't magically make you love cooking if you hate it. But if you're already cooking and want to cut the tedious parts (chopping, stirring, watching pots), the right smart device genuinely helps.

Start with one device that solves your biggest kitchen pain point. For me, it was the Instant Pot cutting pressure cooking from hours to minutes. For my friend, it was the Wonderchef Roti Maker saving 30 minutes daily. Figure out yours, invest in quality, and ignore the gimmicks.

Your kitchen won't run itself yet. But it's getting pretty damn close.