CES 2015: Connected Kitchen Gadgets Proliferate With Scales, Food Printers, and Coffee Makers

2015's Consumer Electronics Show is just getting started, and one of the major themes this year appears to be connected smart gadgets for the kitchen. While some of the devices shown off this week have been around for some time already, their focus on a hassle-free kitchen experience is a major presence at this year's show.

Pure Imagination showcased its smart scale device, the Perfect Bake, to start off the week. Already available from a number of retailers such as Brookstone, the device is a smartphone-connected scale that uses weight adjustments to correctly measure recipe requirements without use of a traditional measuring cup.

Including three mixing bowls of varying size, an oven thermometer, and a tablet/phone stand, the Perfect Bake can not only be used with personal recipes, but its iOS/Android app comes pre-loaded with hundreds of new baking ideas for users to try out. The comprehensive app allows recipes to be scaled to quantity, pan size, and even adjusts the ingredients in real time when you accidentally over-pour a particular ingredient. The Perfect Bake can be purchased now, most notably from Brookstone, and retails for $69.99.

Elsewhere in the show, XYZPrinting unveiled its new Food Printer that turns various ingredients into uncooked food. XYZ focused on showing off how ingredients like chocolate or dough can be printed into cookies or decorations for cakes, all of which require the need to be baked before consumption, of course.

As noted by CNET, XYZPrinting's Food Printer has a touchscreen that allows users to choose pre-set design shapes for their food, with additional options available for download. Customers can even upload their own design makings via USB. Though the food printers have received a bit of coverage in recent months, XYZPrinting appears to be one of the early entrants: the company says its Food Printer will be available as early as the second quarter of 2015.

British-based startup Smarter is announcing its latest take on a smart coffee machine, following 2013's iKettle, with the simply titled Smarter Coffee machine. Billed as "the world's first bean to cup, wifi enabled coffee machine," the device syncs with a free iOS/Android app that, amongst other things, wakes users with a pre-scheduled morning cup of coffee, sends a reminder when it needs a refill, and, thanks to a "Welcome Home" mode, can ask a user if they want to start a pot going when arriving at their house.

The machine, which can sync with various fitness bands and adjust the strength of morning cups of coffee alongside a user's overnight sleeping data, also allows customers to adjust coffee strength manually within the app. The carafe that comes with the device can be used for up to 12 cups and allows for single-mug use as well. The Smarter Coffee machine will cost £129.99 and is set to be released next month, although no confirmation on release outside the UK has been given.