We’ve all heard about robot food delivery services, but what about robot cooks? Now, students at Florida International University are already living in the future — eating fresh meals prepared by a state-of-the-art robot. Deco’s food critic, Alex Miranda — meaning he eats all food — has more.
Could a robot be the next Julia Child? Could it cook better than that cousin of yours who thinks they’re the next Julia Child?
Well, maybe, and students at FIU are finding out, with a Jetsons-style kitchen that even cleans up after itself.
The future is now.
Alex Miranda: “How good is the future?”
Collin: “Arguably, better than a regular chef. It’s good, it’s good!”
Alex Miranda: “Ahh! Those are fighting words!”
Dennis: “Hold on, hold on. You’re telling me that this is like Gordon Ramsay over here? That is not Gordon Ramsay.”
Collin: “I don’t know about Gordon Ramsay, but it’s good, it’s good.”
Even in the kitchen, right here at FIU.
Roger Clegg: “The Beastro is a self-contained, commercial, fully robotic kitchen. It manages the process from start to finish.”
Where cutting-edge artificial intelligence can now cook you a hot plate.
Roger Clegg: “A student walks up, orders at the interface kiosk. It prepares the food, it cooks the food, it serves the food, and it even washes and sanitizes afterwards.”
Huh?
Chef Denisse Castillo: “I’m a chef. I’ve been doing this for 17 years, and it was like, what is this? I’ve been cooking, and now I’m telling a robot to cook for me.”
Denisse is basically Beastro’s boss, creating new recipes for it every two weeks.
Chef Denisse Castillo: “The students like a lot the stir fries and the pasta; that’s our main thing. We’re feeding like 650 students per day.”
But he can be demanding.
Chef Denisse Castillo: “So when an ingredient is out, the machine will tell us to feed it again, and it’s called feeders.”
Alex Miranda: “Feed me!”
Chef Denisse Castillo: “Yes.”
This beast is the most advanced robotic kitchen in the world.
Roger Clegg: “It’s the first one on any college campus, which is absolutely amazing, so this has been in addition to our dining portfolio here at our dining hall. We’ve actually added staff and added menu items.”
Turning FIU’s Eighth Street campus kitchen into a modern smart kitchen.
Roger Clegg: “You put in your name and your phone number, and you get a text when your order’s ready, so a student doesn’t have to wait in line anymore.”
Alex Miranda: “Pickup time: 2 o’clock. What time is it now, Sophia?”
Sophia: “1:50.”
Alex Miranda: “Ten minutes!”
Sophia: “Ten minutes. You can’t beat that, guys.”
Alex Miranda: “Look, you can get it, run to class and still not be late.”
Sophia: “See, when you go into Chipotle, $13. When you buy a meal plan…”
Beastro is included, but Denisse, we’ve got some ideas for next week.
Alex Miranda: “Is there a double meat option? Is there guac? I mean…”
Sophia: “There is no guac, guys, unfortunately.”
Alex Miranda: “Yet! yet!”
Sophia: “Yet! yet!”
Oh, and it can whip up 75 personalized dishes in one hour.
Alex Miranda: “I can’t make one meal in one hour, so 75 is quite impressive, I have to say.”
Chris Valdes: “Me neither, so I depend on this for lunch and dinner.”
Delicious! And eating in the dining hall kinda makes you feel like a cool college kid again.
Alex Miranda: “Do you listen to Billie Eilish, too?
[Student says nothing.]
My review: It’s not Julia Child yet, but, that Alfredo tasted good. Although, I did want a bigger portion.
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