The Kickstarter kitchen gadget scene has been flooded with “smart” devices that promise to revolutionize home cooking, but most end up being overpriced versions of things we already have. Air fryers with apps, pressure cookers with Bluetooth, ovens with touchscreens. They’re fine, but they’re incremental improvements at best. The Agari AI Cooker breaks that mold entirely by combining multiple cooking methods into something that’s genuinely different from anything else on your counter.
Agari feels like a fair amount of overkill when compared to your regular oven, but then again, microwaves were fairly overkill when they launched too. However, it’s been half a century since microwaves became a thing, and now the new buzzword is AI. Agari, however, doesn’t use AI the way you expect it to. It performs a quick 3D scan of your food to judge its size, shape, and even understand what the food is, using AI. It then automatically executes a two-stage cooking process that mimics what high-end restaurants do but with zero input from you. It pressure-cooks at precise temperatures (often around 84°C for vegetables, or 50-65°C for meats) to get that edge-to-edge doneness you’d expect from sous vide, then instantly transitions to a 285°C (550°F) sear that delivers a perfect crust in under a minute. The result is restaurant-quality reverse searing without the skill, timing, or multiple pieces of equipment that process normally requires.
Designer: David Velan
Click Here to Buy Now: $699 $1099 ($400 off). Hurry, only 121/200 left! Raised over $847,000.
The technical approach is what separates Agari from the pack. Traditional reverse searing involves cooking something low and slow in an oven, then finishing it with high heat on a grill or cast iron pan. It’s a technique that produces incredible results, but it requires you to monitor temperatures, time the transitions perfectly, and have the experience to know when each stage is done. Agari automates all of that decision-making by using 3D scanning to detect the food’s type, shape, thickness, and starting temperature. The AI processes this data and calculates the exact cooking time and temperature needed for both stages.
The pressure cooking element is crucial here because it’s what allows Agari to achieve sous vide-like results without the plastic bags and water baths. By cooking under pressure at that precise 84°C temperature, it locks in moisture while cooking faster than traditional sous vide methods. The double-wall design is equally important because it enables the device to transition from gentle pressure cooking to intense searing heat in under a minute, something that would be impossible with a standard oven or even most combi units.
This isn’t just about steaks, either. Agari’s approach works particularly well for vegetables, which are notoriously difficult to get right at home. The precision low-temp cooking followed by that 285°C sear creates vegetables with a crispy exterior and tender interior, the kind of texture that requires serious technique when done manually. Carrots, Brussels sprouts, even thick asparagus benefit from this treatment in ways that simple roasting or steaming can’t match.
Agari essentially combines five different cooking methods: it has the precision of a sous vide circulator, the speed of a pressure cooker, the convection capabilities of a fan oven, the low-temperature control of a smoker, and the high-heat finishing power of a salamander broiler. Most home cooks would need separate devices and considerable skill to coordinate all these elements. Agari does it automatically based on what it sees when it scans your food.
The device appeals to different types of cooks for different reasons. For experienced home cooks, it eliminates the guesswork and timing challenges of manual reverse searing while delivering more consistent results than they could achieve by hand. For novice cooks, it provides access to advanced techniques without requiring any knowledge of temperature curves, resting times, or searing methods. You literally put food in, press a button, and get results that would normally require years of practice to achieve consistently.
The automation aspect goes beyond simple presets. Most “smart” cooking devices still require you to select what you’re cooking, how thick it is, or what doneness you want. Agari’s 3D scanning removes even those decisions. It identifies what you’ve put inside and makes all the calculations automatically. The AI component isn’t marketing fluff; it’s actually doing the work of analyzing the food and determining optimal cooking parameters based on physical characteristics rather than user input.
Beyond the technology, Agari addresses the practical realities of modern life. For busy professionals and parents, it offers genuine time savings. You can place food inside, press one button, and walk away without monitoring, flipping, or stressing about timing. This convenience helps families reduce their reliance on restaurant meals and takeout, which costs the average family thousands per year. It also tackles the challenge of getting kids to eat healthier; the perfectly crispy-yet-tender vegetables it produces can win over picky eaters, and the low-temperature pressure cooking preserves more vitamins and minerals than traditional high-heat methods.
Unlike the Dreo ChefMaker or Anova Precision Oven, which rely on precise dry heat, Agari uses pressure to accelerate low-temperature cooking before searing. This pressure-assisted approach significantly reduces cooking time compared to methods like sous vide, which can take hours, while maintaining the same moisture retention. The device is built around reverse searing, but its hardware and AI make this single technique accessible to anyone and applicable to all proteins and vegetables.
What’s particularly interesting is how Agari democratizes a technique typically reserved for high-end restaurants. Reverse searing requires a mastery of heat management and timing that most home cooks struggle with. Agari removes that barrier, promising Guga-quality steaks every time without the collection of paraphernalia and slow B-roll footage.
Agari is designed to fit into most kitchens without dominating the counter space. At 19.9″ L × 14.4″ W × 16″ H, it’s roughly the size of a large microwave. The 10-inch diameter cooking chamber with 8.4-inch depth provides dual cooking levels, so you can handle multiple items or larger cuts. The 1500-1800W power requirement works with standard North American outlets, though a 2400W option will be available for homes with 20-amp kitchen circuits. The device operates across a wide temperature range of 110°F to 550°F (43°C to 299°C) with fast transitions between those extremes.
For the nerds, the AI technology uses dual 3D cameras with food recognition algorithms, controlled through a built-in 7-inch tablet interface. The 15 PSI pressure system handles the low-temperature cooking phase, while a 3-liter internal water reservoir means no plumbing connections are required. At 41 pounds, it’s substantial but not unmovable, and the food-grade stainless steel cooking chamber should handle daily use without issues. Wi-Fi connectivity enables app integration and firmware updates, keeping the device current as the AI algorithms improve.
The device represents a noticeable shift toward true cooking automation rather than just connected appliances. Instead of adding remote monitoring or voice commands, it actively reduces the steps you need to take. It’s a fundamentally different philosophy from most smart kitchen devices, which tend to add features rather than remove complexity. The Agari handles the ‘thinking’ before the cooking, and for seasoned chefs, the app still promises granular control to fine-tune custom cooking algorithms.
For anyone serious about home cooking but frustrated by the time, skill, or equipment barriers to achieving restaurant-quality results, Agari offers a compelling solution. It won’t replace every cooking method, but for the specific technique it’s designed around, it delivers results that most home cooks simply can’t achieve manually. That focused approach, combined with genuinely innovative automation, makes it one of the more interesting kitchen devices to emerge in years.
Agari is currently available through Kickstarter with early bird pricing starting around $699 for backers, with retail pricing expected to be significantly higher once the campaign ends. The device is scheduled to ship globally in late 2025, with black and yellow color options available initially and four additional colors planned.
Click Here to Buy Now: $699 $1099 ($400 off). Hurry, only 121/200 left! Raised over $847,000.
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