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The unfiltered joy of Christine McConnell's 'Mortal Kombat' cake
Rose is an obese, Frankenstein raccoon with a pink bow on top of her ratty head and a bent fork where her left hand should be. She's blindly self-possessed, spending her days devouring sweets and torturing men -- and often vice versa. She's died at least twice, and each time, she's been lovingly brought back to life by her creator, Christine McConnell.
Instant Pot makes Google Assistant your new sous chef
It was only a matter of time, really. Instant Brands has announced that its Instant Pot Smart WiFi pressure cooker now supports Google Assistant, making it possible to start cooking or check on the status without pulling out your phone or peeking at the tiny display. It's the height of culinary luxury, but it could be incredibly helpful if you'd rather not drop what you're doing to start your rice or check on your brisket.
The best deep fryer
By Michael Sullivan This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full deep fryer guide here.
June's smart oven adds Whole Foods meals to its library
Healthy eating without the tedious fuss of preparation -- that's the dream, right? Well, things are set to get a lot easier for lazy cooks looking to improve their diet, thanks to a partnership between Whole Foods Market and June, the do-it-all smart oven. From today, foods sold at the store will be integrated into the oven's custom cook programs.
GE's Alexa microwave cooks when you scan a barcode (updated)
Want to know just how connected even a relatively ordinary microwave has become? Just ask GE Appliances. The brand has unveiled the Smart Countertop Microwave with Scan-to-Cook, which touts both Alexa voice control compatibility and its namesake scanning feature to speed up your culinary duties. The Alexa support is fairly self explanatory (you can use an Alexa device to add time or stop cooking), but Scan-to-Cook could be particularly helpful if you hate interpreting instructions on food boxes. You just have to scan a barcode on the packaging with a mobile app and it'll choose the appropriate time and power levels. In other words, you shouldn't risk ruining your macaroni the first time you nuke it.
Netflix will keep streaming Anthony Bourdain's 'Parts Unknown'
Netflix's deal to carry Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown in the US was due to expire on June 16th, and that was understandably distressing if you wanted to pay tribute to the late chef by streaming his last series. You won't have to rush through them after today, however. The service has extended its arrangement to keep Bourdain's food and travel show available in the US "for months to come." The firm hasn't named a new expiry date, but you now have the freedom to watch at a more relaxed pace.
The kitchen gadgets you should buy (and the ones you can skip)
With so many connected devices making their way into our living rooms and bedrooms and onto our persons, it was no surprise when gadgets started making their way into our kitchens. You can buy so many WiFi- or Bluetooth-enabled widgets to help out with your cooking now, from smart Crock-Pots to app-controlled cooktops. Some are pretty dumb -- who really needs a toaster that pings your phone to say it's done even though it literally takes only three minutes? A smart thermometer that tells you when your pork roast is at optimal temperature after hours and hours of slow cooking makes a little more sense. However, you only have so much counter space, so you'd better choose wisely when it comes to adding new tech to your kitchen. We love to cook here at Engadget, so we've assembled a list of the gadgets and apps that will make your culinary life a lot easier, along with a few boondoggles to avoid.
Traeger Timberline 850 review: BBQ goes high tech
Between chopping or hauling wood, shoveling coals and moving around large cuts of meat, it can be exhausting. But a little technology can help ease the relentless grind.
Sony and Carnegie Mellon team up to research cooking robots
Robots might not be a novelty in the kitchen for much longer if Sony and Carnegie Mellon University have their way. They've struck an agreement that will have the two collaborating on AI and robotics research, initially focusing on food prep, cooking and delivery. They'll start by augmenting manipulation robots and will eventually develop robots customized for specific food types and the limited spaces of kitchens.
The best tablets for kitchen use
Tablets may not be for everyone, but they're uncannily well suited to the kitchen. They can guide you through recipes or play Netflix shows without taking up as much countertop space as a laptop. And unlike the Echo Show and other screen-equipped smart speakers, you can move them anywhere you like while you prepare your meal. But how do you go shopping for a tablet with kitchen use in mind? It can be tricky, since some of the usual shopping advice goes out the window. Here's what you'll want to consider if you're buying a tablet as a cooking companion.
The Tasty OneTop smart cooker ruined my dinner party
It's been quite a drama for me in the kitchen lately: Due to a leak in my building, my cooking gas was shut off for 11 months. It's back now, but for most of last year I had to get by with takeout, microwaveables and oh-so-many salads. Tasty's OneTop seems tailor-made for these type of situations. It's an induction cooktop, which means it goes anywhere you can plug it in. And Tasty's step-by-step instructions make the whole cooking process manageable. It's the kind of thing you'd happily play with in a college dorm. Or, in my case, a small New York City apartment with no working stove. Every year I always have a few people over to watch the Oscars, so that seemed like a good opportunity to give the OneTop a spin. Home-cooked food and a new gadget to play with! Perfect pre-show entertainment!
Amazon Alexa now controls your microwave
Alexa's smart home skills aren't just for turning on the lights or locking your door these days -- now, they can help fulfill your culinary ambitions. Amazon has added cooking abilities to its Smart Home Skill framework, letting you control microwaves (and eventually conventional ovens) with your voice. Instead of pressing umpteen buttons, you can simply ask Alexa to "defrost 3lbs of chicken." Suffice it to say this could be helpful if you don't want to start cooking right away, or if you just hate your microwave's interface.
Smart bakeware tells you when your cheesecake is ready
Temperature is everything when you're baking, but it's not all that fun to keep poking your dessert with a thermometer or toothpick to make sure it's truly finished. You might not have to before long: GE Appliances' FirstBuild community has unveiled a Precision Bakeware concept that alerts you through a mobile app when your baked goods reach their ideal temperature. Instead of hanging around the kitchen out of fear that your cheesecake is overdone, you can walk away and finish watching that favorite show.
Pinterest Lens finds recipes based on your weekend brunch pics
Pinterest announced its image recognition tool back in February, but the company has already added a number of improvements since then. Today, the company is revealing the latest addition to Lens: full dish recognition. This means that when you snap a pic of your plate with the Pinterest app, the software will find full recipes for complete dishes rather than just options based on single ingredients. This update to Lens isn't all the company is doing for aspiring cooks though.
The Morning After: Thursday, April 27th 2017
TV dinners for foodies? The beginning of the end for net neutrality? Someone beating up a poor robot? Must be a Thursday. We also hear more on the next Call Of Duty title and Amazon's new fashion camera. Really.
Runtastic's video recipe app feeds your fitness regime
It makes sense that the folks behind a running app would launch a new video recipe app. Cooking clips from Tasty and Delish seem to be taking over everyone's Facebook feed lately, so now is the time to hop onboard. Runtastic has already filled its YouTube channel with the top-down videos, so including them in its new mobile app, Runtasty , isn't too much of a stretch for the fitness company.
The Engadget Podcast Ep 33: Losing My Edge
Managing editor Dana Wollman and host Terrence O'Brien are joined by a new face on this week's episode: social media manager Evan Rodgers. They'll talk about Engadget's Adult Week -- a collection of articles about growing up in the digital age. Sure, we all know that what you say on social media can really come back to bite you in the ass (and possibly cost you a job). But, the internet is both an obstacle that needs to be navigated and a powerful tool that can teach you to be an independent and self sufficient adult. Without it Terrence and Evan would have never learned how to properly invoice companies during their freelancing days. And Dana has turned to the web to learn how to cook. They grow up so fast... sniff.
'Final Fantasy XV' is actually a cookbook
Food is plays a central role in Final Fantasy XV -- and it's not just obvious Cup Noodle product placement, either. Meals add to your vitality and strength, increase magical resistances and even offer the chance of more experience points to grow your team. They're integral to your near-daily camp-outs, when you recover from battles and thumb through all the photos your bros took. Each dish has different benefits, and there are a lot of ways to learn new meals, from eating your way around the restaurants of the world of Eos to buying cookbooks and even just being "inspired" by poetry and random ingredients (often monster body parts) you pick up along the way. FFXV also attempts to offer some sort of regional differentiation in cuisine as you road-trip across states and towns. Some dishes are more elaborate twists on meals you've already eaten, but they're nonetheless different, with different local fish or delicacies. But is it actually possible to cook such varied cuisine, from rice balls to delicate sweet pastries, on (Coleman-sponsored!) cooking equipment? I took my high-school home-economics skills to my kitchen to see how I stacked up against Ignis, the game's designated cook. He's a glasses-wearing, English-accented, car-driving butler type. And now, my eternal rival.
Anova acquisition could mean a sous vide chicken in every pot
You might see even more smart cooking gadgets at your favorite retail outlet soon thanks to industry giant Electrolux's purchase of popular sous vide maker Anova.The $250 million acquisition allows the smaller company to continue as a brand with Electrolux's resources and reach.
South Korean 'World of Warcraft' cooking show goes live tonight
The seminal MMORPG World of Warcraft may have dwindled from its peak of 12 million players back in 2010, but Blizzard's still supporting the 12-year-old game with content and events. To celebrate the latest expansion, Legion, the studio built an elaborate cafe at Germany's Gamescom convention that served themed food and cocktails. But for everyone who couldn't fly out to Europe for some nerd cuisine, they've lined up the next best thing: A cooking show debuting tonight hosted by Choi Hyun-seok, a famous chef known for appearances on South Korean television.
