From the mighty whistle of the ubiquitous pressure cookers and food processors to modern app-controlled fridges and even countertop ‘chef’ robots, Indian kitchens have been low-key tech labs all along. Artificial intelligence is the next frontier. But with AI infiltrating the kitchen, suggesting recipes, tracking nutrition, and stocking the pantry, the question is: will it simply make life easier for shortcut-loving cooks or take over the generational wisdom of Indian kitchens?
Traditional Indian kitchens have stereotypically been the household matriarch’s domain, which have always been at the heart of a home. The role of technology to simplify life is undeniable. Driven by the need to reduce time spent on the dull and repetitive side of cooking, technology has helped home cooks reclaim time while making kitchens hubs of efficiency and creativity. Kitchens, as a space, have also evolved, where there is more participation from the family with contemporary and open layouts.
“We see this in the shift to flawless design systems that hide clutter and optimise workflow, making the space effortless to use. These advancements reduce the time spent on deep cleaning and maintenance, ensuring the kitchen’s high-performance aesthetics are preserved daily and allowing the homeowner to focus on cooking, not chores,” shares Sukriti Sharrma, Partner, Plüsch.
The perception of food has also evolved from sustenance to a lifestyle experience. The culinary horizons of an average Indian have expanded beyond the roti-sabzi, leading to more load on the home kitchen and the home cook to constantly innovate and push creative thresholds. AI offers variety to diners who want more. Samsung’s 809L Family Hub AI refrigerator, for instance, allows users to manage their food inventory through internal cameras that recognise 33 food items, while AI technology provides personalised recipe suggestions. The latest upgrade also provides the personal assistant, Bixby, with a voice ID. Additionally, when these AI-based refrigerators were launched in India, Saurabh Baishakhia, Senior Director, Digital Appliances Business, Samsung India, shared, “By utilising the AI Energy Mode, consumers can achieve energy savings of up to 10%.” Similarly, refrigerators equipped with LG’s Smart Care+ analyse usage patterns to deliver more personalised service, lower energy costs and keep food fresh longer by automatically setting the ideal temperature and entering power-saving mode.
This sets the precedent of how AI operates in kitchens and goes beyond task-based automation. Mahek Mody, Co-founder of Upliance.ai, a homegrown smart cooking companion brand, explains, “If you watch a lot of cooking videos, when you learn how to cook, and the YouTube video says, ‘Cook till it’s done.’ This is a strange instruction to give somebody cooking for the first time, because like, hey, if I knew what was done, I wouldn’t watch this video. So, the intelligence element here would take all the guesswork away.” Upliance comes equipped with an advanced touch screen and a smart jar that not only heats and cooks but also performs precise chopping, stirring, and other culinary tasks. Its connected, AI-driven system gives users access to an ever-growing library of guided recipes that can be fully customised to suit individual tastes.
The cognitive element that AI serves as an invisible co-pilot in the kitchen. “It gives confidence, makes it easier to try new things and reduces the fear of making mistakes. It makes daily cooking steadier and enjoyable,” adds Gopal Dwivedi, Global Chief Design Officer, Livspace. It is not about replacing the joy of cooking but simplifying it. AI can optimise the behind-the-scenes tasks that eat into creative time. Smart appliances that auto-adjust temperatures, guide you through timings, or prepare complex dishes with precision control, understand how ingredients behave, record their own recipes, improve techniques through feedback and enhance plating, texture and balance.
AI can adjust cooking techniques based on ingredient variations, recommend substitutions for missing items, and even optimise nutrition while ensuring flavour integrity. For someone experimenting with new cuisines or managing dietary preferences, AI provides real-time guidance, reducing the trial-and-error process. Two of the primary challenges that these tools and systems focus on are time scarcity and health consciousness. Smart appliances with features such as digital timers, automated temperature control, and ingredient measurement take care of routine tasks, allowing residents to focus on preparing meals quickly and accurately.
“Beyond efficiency, these technologies provide personalised guidance on nutrition and cooking techniques, making it easier to maintain a balanced diet and experiment with new dishes,” shares Rakesh Patil, Co-Founder and CTO, Beyond Appliances. Devices like the Beyond Appliances Orion Chimney, with interactive touchscreens, access to diverse recipe libraries, and intuitive step-by-step guidance, showcase how innovation is reshaping the modern cooking experience.
There is also a case to be made for AI assisting in recreating intricate regional or international dishes and experimenting confidently with new flavour combinations. But there is an intangibility in cooking and food where we want to replicate the flavours from our childhood and the nostalgia that it evokes. AI cannot and should not aim to preserve, not replace, the emotional and cultural essence of home-cooked food. They can assist in recreating traditional flavours, reviving heirloom recipes, and minimising errors, but the human touch, care, storytelling, and shared experience remain irreplaceable. For Upliance, which intends to replace the Indian kadai, the connected app allows sharing recipes amongst the user community. “If one appliance can figure out how to cook a great dal makhani, it just comes to me as a user. What we’ve found is that when expert cooks use the appliance, they share the recipe and the learning by engaging in our community. This constant engagement and knowledge sharing have led to constant innovation and product implementation that is beyond what I imagined when we started,” explains Mody.
For India, this is the next frontier for using AI in home kitchens—enabling people to contribute, collaborate, and discover. “Kitchen tech will shift from being just a tool for convenience to becoming a platform for cultural preservation and collective learning, bringing ‘grandma’s kitchen wisdom’ into the digital era,” shares Patil.
