The smart kitchen revolution: Why automation may be the next big health breakthrough

In an age of rising diet-related chronic diseases, how we eat matters just as much as what we eat. Research published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, in fact, shows that meal preparation itself plays a decisive role in shaping long-term health. 

Many turn to restaurants, led by seasoned cooks and chefs, wanting to “eat well”. Yet, most restaurants use the cheapest cooking oils, meats, vegetables, and other ingredients and instruments they can find to keep costs down – a trade-off that often comes at the expense of nutritional quality. The result is convenient meals that may be quietly undermining long-term health. 

By contrast, a 2017 Cambridge University study linked frequent home cooking with a healthier diet, lower body fat, and reduced risk of obesity and metabolic disease. 

These findings have helped fuel a growing movement across both technology and healthcare: treating home cooking not as a lifestyle preference, but as a powerful medical intervention – linked to better quality diets, weight management, and diabetes prevention. 

Cooking at home offers unmatched transparency. People can choose to use the freshest and highest-quality ingredients, while also knowing exactly what they are feeding their bodies, and how much of it. 

That control matters. A long-term study published in Public Health Nutrition followed nearly 1,000 adults over the age of 65 and found that those who cooked at home five times per week were 47% more likely to still be alive after ten years. 

But despite these advantages, home cooking requires two resources many lack: time and money. Between demanding work schedules, long commutes, and rising grocery prices, preparing fresh meals every day has become an increasingly idealistic goal for many households.

That tension – between health goals and real-world constraints – is where a new wave of smart kitchen technology is stepping in. Smart kitchen innovations are aiming for what seemed utopian not long ago: fresh, home-cooked meals accessible without hours of daily labor required. 

Automation reaches the countertop

Liffo, the world’s first fully automated AI-powered kitchen, represents one of the most compelling developments in this space. Designed to prepare complete dishes without supervision, Liffo tackles the central barriers to cooking at home: time, consistency, and convenience.

Using advanced mechatronics and artificial intelligence, the robot can autonomously follow complex recipes without need for user supervision; meals can be scheduled in advance to be ready exactly when needed, and every step of the cooking process can be monitored remotely through an integrated camera and mobile app. 

Over time, the Liffo system learns individual taste preferences and automatically adapts recipes, ensuring that personalized versions of favorite dishes are always available and continuously refined with each use.

The innovative cooking robot was created by Massimiliano Delsante and a team of entrepreneurs and high-tech pioneers from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region – known for both its engineering expertise and rich food culture. 

Drawing on decades of experience in digital transformation and process automation, the founders built the system around a simple idea: combine technological precision with culinary tradition to make healthy, home-cooked meals effortless and repeatable. 

Liffo is not alone in spearheading the food preparation revolution. Products like Tovala Smart Oven, which scans barcodes and automatically executes multi-stage cooking programs, and the June Smart Oven, which uses built-in cameras and AI to identify ingredients and select optimal cooking settings, represent a broader shift toward countertop automation. 

Beyond the counter: storage 

Even before cooking, however, how food is stored also plays a significant role in taste, nutrient loss, freshness, and reducing food waste. Poor storage accelerates spoilage, and the growth of harmful bacteria – all of which undermine the benefits of home cooking. 

Smart refrigerators address this often-overlooked stage of the food cycle. With automatic temperature adjustments, humidity controls, and real-time monitoring, these appliances help preserve freshness and slow nutrient degradation. Proper cold storage also reduces foodborne illness risk – a key concern for elderly and immunocompromised individuals. 

Beyond the immediate health benefits, when ingredients are well preserved, those who cook at home are more likely to maintain balanced diets, which correlates with better metabolic and long-term health outcomes. Smart fridges also support meal planning and inventory management, making it easier to rely on fresh produce, lean proteins, and whole foods. 

Products like Samsung’s Bespoke 758 L Side‑by‑Side Smart Refrigerator, considered by Forbes as one of the smartest refrigerators on the market for 2025, offers a new “Family Hub” – a built-in touchscreen that manages groceries, displays recipes, helps organize meals, and integrates well with other smart-home devices. 

Pairing a smart refrigerator with an automated cooking system thus creates a powerful synergy: freshness and preservation upstream, precision and automation at the cooking stage. Together, they maximize not only convenience and consistency, but long-term health, too. 

Robots that cook 

At the high end of the market, a more futuristic vision is also emerging: fully robotic kitchens capable of preparing Michelin star-level dishes with restaurant-like precision. 

Italy-based startup Moley, for instance, has introduced a robotic kitchen system adapted from professional culinary robotics into the luxury residential market. While not explicitly health-focused – yet – such systems allow users to control ingredient quality, portion sizes, and cooking methods with state-of-the-art technology – resulting in the redefinition of the standard of culinary living. 

For busy families or individuals with limited mobility, robotic cooking can both boost independence and reduce dependence on processed foods and takeout. The predictability and consistency of automation may also lower stress around meal preparation, and support healthier eating habits over time. 

That said, these systems remain inaccessible for most consumers. Moley’s full robotic kitchen reportedly costs over $300,000 USD, with simplified versions still exceeding $100,000 USD once installation is included. 

For now, however, they function more as signals of where kitchen technology is heading than as mass-market solutions. 

The future of at-home cooking 

As the smart-kitchen ecosystem accelerates, the future of home cooking is shifting from a chore to a powerful health optimization tool. 

Automation, intelligent appliances, and AI-driven meal planning are converging to make nutritious, home-cooked meals more accessible than ever — even for busy individuals, aging adults, or those managing chronic conditions.

By automating the most time-consuming steps of home cooking while preserving freshness, precision, and safety, Liffo represents the next leap forward: a kitchen device that doesn’t just make meals easier, but meaningfully supports longer, healthier lives. It signals a future where smart cooking isn’t necessarily a luxury, but a crucial step for everyday wellbeing.

Featured image: Getty Images via Unsplash+

Disclosure: This article mentions clients of an Espacio portfolio company.