Raising the steaks! World’s first AI-powered grill promises to cook the perfect steak in just 90 seconds – but it has an eye-watering $3,500 price tag
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Whether it’s too tough, burnt to a crisp or just dripping with grease, cooking steak on the outdoor grill rarely does the cut of meat any favors.
Luckily, a British company has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) powered grill that it claims produces a perfect steak in just 90 seconds under controlled conditions.
Perfecta, from Birmingham-based company Seergrills, cooks the meat while holding it vertically in place, like a piece of bread in a toaster, with ultra-hot grills on either side.
It features AI-powered software called NeuralFire, which relies on data collected by sensors in the machine and cooking preferences entered by the user.
However, if you want to get your hands on one, you better start saving; the device has an eye-watering price tag of $3,500.
Perfecta cooks a steak while holding it vertically in place, like a piece of bread in a toaster, with burners on either side
Seegrills was founded by Suraj Sudera, an engineering graduate from Aston University in Birmingham, who was dissatisfied with conventional steak cooking methods.
‘We have noticed that there are often difficulties and inconsistencies in preparing food; it’s usually always overcooked and dry, and it takes a long time,” he said.
“So we decided to use our skills and knowledge to apply AI to prepare the perfect steak and set up Seergrills.
“We developed our first product called Perfecta, the world’s first AI-powered grill.”
With conventional grills, the fat usually drips from the steak into the flames and causes flare-ups, which dry out the meat and give it an inconsistent texture.
Perfecta, on the other hand, cooks a steak while holding it vertically in place, like a piece of bread in a toaster.
This means that water vapor and gases flow out of an exhaust while the grease drips into a removable drip tray below.
To use Perfecta, the customer first clamps the steak of his choice in a metal rack, which is slid vertically into the machine.
Seegrills was founded by Suraj Sudera (pictured), an engineering graduate from Aston University in Birmingham
To use Perfecta, the customer first clamps the chosen steak in a metal rack, which is slid vertically into the machine
Once the meat is in, users can tap buttons on the touchscreen to select the cut type (e.g., strips of steak), the well-being level (rare to well-done), and the sear level.
Meanwhile, sensors allow the AI to detect the size of the cut, how thick it is, as well as the fat content.
From all this information, the machine knows at what temperature the steak should be prepared and for how long.
Burners on either side – powered by propane – cook the meat evenly, so there’s no need to flip.
Perfecta’s vertical burners emit infrared rays, which generate much higher temperatures than normal gas burners and therefore cook the steak up to 10 times faster.
The infrared burners reach temperatures up to 900°F, while a gas burner typically reaches a temperature of about 500°F to 600°F.
According to the company, Perfecta optimizes the conditions in which a steak can form the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction between proteins and sugars that gives browned food its unique flavor.
The software and sensors know when to stop cooking, preventing overheating and fire hazards.
When the user is done, he or she can rate the quality of the food, and the technology can use this information to adjust cooking methods in the future.
Once the meat is in, users tap the touchscreen to select the cut type (e.g., strips of steak), the well-being level (rare to well-done), and the sear level
Perfecta can also be used to prepare other types of proteins, such as chicken and fish, and even pizza
Perfecta can prepare a range of different foods and adjust cooking methods accordingly – not just beef, but also lab, chicken and fish.
Fortunately, the AI knows that it takes a little longer to cook chicken, so users don’t get poisoned by salmonella.
Users can also remove the vertical metal rack and place their pizza inside, replicating the ultra-hot conditions of a pizza oven for beautiful, even cooking.
Suraj’s Birmingham-based company now employs 48 people, many of whom are Aston University alumni.
Its product is available for pre-order in the US, while UK availability is planned for the third quarter of next year, he said.