When microwaves first appeared, people didn’t trust them. Some feared they were unsafe, and others dismissed the food they heated as artificial. Today, however, microwaves are a kitchen staple, and no one thinks twice. The same holds true for blenders, sous-vide machines, and even air fryers.
The global market for kitchen robotics is already on track to hit more than $8 billion USD by 2032. AI in the kitchen feels like the next chapter; it’s not just smart timers or gadgets that guide every step, but also fully autonomous machines that take ingredients, cook them, and plate them.
In Boston, MIT grads built Spyce, a restaurant where robots served grain bowls without cooks. In China, an automated noodle shop delivers a steaming bowl in under a minute. Los Angeles’ Tigawok runs a wok robot that never misses a stir. And then there’s IBM’s Chef Watson, a program that generates recipes by crunching data and mixing ingredients most chefs wouldn’t dare, producing dishes that range from brilliant to bizarre.
The technology is spreading, and fast. But, what happens when it collides with cuisines that are more than just food?
Italian cooking may be the toughest test. It’s tied to family, region, and memory, depending more on intuition than mere measurement. A risotto or tomato sauce isn’t just about following steps- it’s about feeling. Can a robot possibly replicate that? Or will AI turn a cultural cornerstone into something measured, plated, soulless?
One of the most visible attempts is Liffo, a kitchen robot built in Italy by Robomagister. Unlike most smart appliances, Liffo cooks, handles ingredient storage, and mixes with no human intervention. And it learns: prefer your pasta a little more al dente? Next time you use it, the robot will know.
What sets Liffo apart is its partnership with the Accademia Gualtiero Marchesi, named after Italy’s first three-Michelin-star chef. Such a seal of approval guarantees credibility, with recipes carrying the weight of one of the gastronomical masterminds.
Beyond its certified recipe collection, Liffo also leverages generative AI, enabling it to learn and replicate virtually any recipe- whether it’s a dish you discovered on your favorite cooking website or recent trip, or a family recipe passed down for generations, Liffo can adapt, interpret, and bring it to life, transforming personal and cultural food traditions into fully autonomous machine-prepared meals.
Founder and co-CEO Massimiliano Delsante, frames it this way:
“Liffo isn’t just another kitchen appliance — it’s a world first. We are the pioneers of fully autonomous cooking. Unlike multifunctional devices that still require constant user intervention, Liffo is disruptive: you load the ingredients and set when you want to eat, and it handles everything — dosing, mixing, stirring, cooking, and even keeping ingredients fresh for up to 24 hours before preparation.”
“It’s the first product that truly gives people back their time without compromising food quality,” Delsante added.
Now widely received across Italy, Liffo is now preparing a U.S. launch through Kickstarter, with power systems and recipes adapted for American homes.
For Italian families, the implications of a robot cook go beyond convenience. Meals often last for hours, serving as moments of connection rather than chores to complete. If AI tools can take care of the repetitive parts- chopping onions, stirring risotto, and boiling pasta- families may spend more time together at the table. Ironically, the robot could help revive something many households are losing: the long, shared, family dinner.
And Liffo isn’t alone. Globally, AI is already changing food culture in different ways. In the U.S., startups are using it to forecast demand and reduce food waste. In Japan, AI-powered bartenders mix cocktails based on customer preferences, even pulling from social media data.
Also, Singapore, labs are applying machine learning to plant-based proteins, working on texture and flavor to get closer to real meat. In France, Michelin-starred chefs are experimenting with AI tools that suggest new ingredient combinations, using the system to support creativity rather than replacing it.
If a robot can make a risotto while a family spends more time together, maybe that’s not the loss of tradition, but a different way of preserving it. From Italy’s Liffo to China’s noodle shops, from Japan’s bartenders to Singapore’s labs, AI is already in kitchens. The question is no longer if it will change how we eat, but how we define authenticity when it does.