No Time To Cook? This Smart Oven Promises to Make Food Prep Easy

If you love fresh food but don’t love cooking, this new smart oven and corresponding subscription food service from the startup Tovala may be the answer to your dinner dilemma. In the past, there have been few satisfying options for those of us without the time—or inclination—to cook. Microwave dinners too often turn out soggy, while the recipes in healthy food subscription services can end up being surprisingly time-consuming. With its multi-function smart oven and multiple food delivery plans, however, Tovala claims to have solved those problems, creating a service that makes healthy food prep easy and delicious (if not inexpensive).

According to Business Insider, Tovala’s plans for revolutionizing dinnertime are twofold: First, the company has created a tabletop cooking appliance that looks a bit like a microwave, but can operate as a broiler, steamer, oven, and toaster. The company claims its smart oven is better at re-heating food than a microwave and can be used to replace most major cooking appliances. Second, Tovala has developed a food subscription plan tailored to work in conjunction with its smart oven. Subscribers will receive healthy pre-prepared meals that can be cooked in the Tovala oven without additional prep. Each meal will have a scannable barcode, ensuring the Tovala oven prepares your food correctly (switching between methods like steaming and broiling when called for). Business Insider calls it the “Keurig for food.”

Tovala is currently raising money for its product on Kickstarter, where you can also place a pre-order for the currently unreleased oven.

Whether you think the Tovala program is a great time-saver or a waste of money—the machine costs between $199 and $279 and food plans cost an estimated $10-$15 per meal—the company's disruptive solution to a common problem sets it apart from its competitors. Says company founder David Rabie, “Our goal is to sit on every countertop in America and bring fresh food to everyone.”