The wan AIChef Extremely made its CES 2026 debut with a daring declare: it isn’t only a sensible equipment—it’s an AI cooking agent. On paper, that concept is compelling. The system guarantees to plan meals, personalize recipes, create grocery lists, and even think about diet targets—fairly a listing! For busy households or anybody making an attempt to eat extra deliberately, the attraction is clear.
The {hardware} itself appears deceptively easy—extra like an outsized microwave than a futuristic robotic chef—however inside, wan AIChef runs its proprietary Zhurong Cooking Mannequin. It makes use of AI to personalize and automate cooking. All it’s important to do is load the substances, decide a aim, and let the system do its job. In principle, this implies much less time enthusiastic about dinner and fewer last-minute takeout orders.
The place my skepticism is available in
On the finish of the day, that is nonetheless a microwave-based system, not a robotic chef chopping, stirring, or sautéing for you. The AI can optimize temperature (±3°C), monitor energy, and fine-tune outcomes—however it will possibly’t escape the equipment’s bodily limits.
There’s additionally the dedication issue. The complete promise of wan AIChef Extremely solely actually works should you’re prepared to let it deal with most—or all—of your meals. That may make sense in senior residing, hospitality, or wellness-focused households. It’s a tougher promote for residence cooks who take pleasure in selection, spontaneity, or utilizing a number of home equipment.
The place AI cooking shines
Nonetheless, it might be a mistake to dismiss this as simply one other sensible microwave. The wan AIChef is pondering long-term, treating the kitchen as a data-driven system somewhat than a group of remoted devices. If that is model considered one of a broader clever cooking ecosystem, it’s an intriguing begin.
Who is that this AI microwave really for?
The wan AIChef Extremely isn’t for individuals who love cooking from scratch or improvising. Should you’re like me and chopping, seasoning, and experimentation are your pleasure, this method will possible really feel restrictive.
It does make sense for individuals who see cooking as an issue to be solved: busy professionals who need meals with out day by day planning, households centered on diet monitoring, or anybody seeking to make their residence simpler to handle. It additionally matches nicely in managed environments, like senior residing communities or industrial kitchens—the place consistency and effectivity matter greater than creativity.
For on a regular basis residence customers, wan AIChef Extremely is an early-adopter product. It’s not the way forward for cooking for everybody—at the very least not but. It does give a glimpse of how AI might ultimately transfer past recipe options and handle your complete cooking course of, finish to finish. Whether or not that future sounds interesting to you in all probability will depend on how you’re feeling about letting an AI resolve what’s for dinner.
Lauren has been writing and modifying since 2008. She loves working with textual content and serving to writers discover their voice. When she’s not typing away at her pc, she cooks and travels together with her husband and two daughters.
