techkitchenGet the Weekly
pasta dish plate
Photo: Pexels / Pixabay

The Weekly · November 13, 2026

Robot kiosks serve hot meals, your TV takes food orders, and air fryers go glass

This week was about machines that cook, serve and deliver on their own. A robotic kiosk on a Long Island campus is heating restaurant meals in minutes and outselling the vending machine it replaced tenfold, LG and SoundHound are bringing voice food ordering to smart TVs in December, and Serve Robotics opened its sidewalk robots to any developer. At home, air fryers are turning to glass and appliances are going colorful, and our Weekend Recipe is a one-basket air fryer chicken dinner for two.

This week's stories

pasta dish plate
Photo: RitaE / Pixabay

In the Pro Kitchen

Robotic hot-meal kiosk sells 10 times what a campus vending machine did

Molloy University on Long Island replaced a vending machine with a Primepick kiosk that heats frozen restaurant meals in three microwaves using two robot arms, ready in 5–7 minutes. It averages about $1,000 a month in sales versus roughly $100 for the old machine, and the school paid nothing for the unit or upkeep. Primepick says sites in Huntsville, Chicago and Dallas are being prepared, with more states by early 2027.

Our take: Two robot arms and three microwaves turn frozen restaurant meals into hot food in 5–7 minutes, in the footprint of a vending machine. Ten times the old machine's sales is one campus, but it's the clearest sign yet that robotic kiosks can earn their spot in places that can't staff a kitchen.

Read it at Fast Casual →

pizza slices wooden board
Photo: marker_photography / Pixabay

In the Pro Kitchen

LG and SoundHound will let diners order restaurant food from their smart TVs

LG Electronics and SoundHound AI plan to launch restaurant ordering on US LG Smart TVs in December, reaching about 20 million sets. Viewers can order by talking to a voice AI agent or by browsing on screen and scanning a QR code to pay on their phone. Restaurants pay a standard pickup or delivery commission, with no subscription or new in-store hardware; the first participating brands are due to be named toward year end.

Our take: A voice AI agent on the living-room TV is a new way for guests to find you, with no new hardware in the store. Restaurants pay a standard commission, so the question to ask once the first brands are named is whether TV orders bring new customers or just move existing ones.

Read it at Fast Casual →

pizza slices wooden board
Photo: falovelykids / Pixabay

In the Pro Kitchen

Serve Robotics lets any developer dispatch its sidewalk delivery robots

Serve launched an AV Delivery Developer Portal on Nov 11 with a public API and a sandbox of simulated robots; sending real robots needs Serve's approval. Until now its 2,000-plus robots, which deliver for more than 4,000 restaurants in 20 US cities, were only reachable through delivery-app partners. Jobs are limited to its service areas, hours and items that fit the cargo bin; no pricing was given.

Our take: Opening a public API means a restaurant's own app or ordering system could someday dispatch a sidewalk robot directly, without going through a delivery app. Service areas and cargo-bin size still decide what's possible, so it's worth checking whether Serve covers your neighborhood before planning around it.

Read it at Serve Robotics via GlobeNewswire →

vegetable stew pot
Photo: congerdesign / Pixabay

At Home

Magnifique's $249.99 glass-pot cooker pairs an air fryer lid with a multicooker

Magnifique has launched the Combo 12-in-1 Air Fryer and Multi-Cooker, built around a 4.5-quart glass pot with stainless steel and no coatings. An AirCrisper lid adds four air-frying modes, while the base handles eight more, including slow cooking, steaming, rice and pasta. It sells for $249.99 in oatmeal or sage and is not sold in the UK.

Our take: Glass is the air fryer trend of the season. Magnifique's pitch is a coating-free glass pot that also slow-cooks and steams, which could replace two appliances if counter space is tight.

Read it at T3 →

french fries bowl
Photo: Pexels / Pixabay

At Home

Cuisinart's ClearView glass air fryers arrive in Australia in two sizes

Cuisinart has launched its ClearView range in Australia: a 3.8L glass air fryer at $199 RRP and a 9-in-1 8.5L model at $229. Both are 1,800W, reach 230°C and use PFAS-free ceramic-coated crisper plates, with two viewing windows and interior lights; the 3.8L's glass bowl comes with a lid for storing leftovers. They're on sale now through appliance and kitchenware retailers and direct from Cuisinart.

Our take: Cuisinart is going glass too, with two viewing windows and lights so you can watch food crisp without opening the basket. The 3.8L bowl doubling as a leftovers container is a small, smart touch.

Read it at Appliance Retailer →

toast breakfast table
Photo: congerdesign / Pixabay

At Home

Cuisinart brings 11 countertop appliances out in six new colors

Cuisinart has started rolling out a Color Collection of 11 countertop appliances in shades such as Tahini, Sage, Bayside and Blush. The line covers a 4-quart glass air fryer, a 6-quart basket air fryer, a compact toaster oven air fryer, two ice cream makers, a 5-cup food processor, retro toasters and a kettle. They're sold at Cuisinart.com and other retailers including Amazon and Target, with more products and colors arriving through early 2027; no prices were given.

Our take: Countertop appliances are being sold on looks as well as function. Cuisinart hasn't given prices yet, so it's worth seeing what the colors cost before choosing a toaster for its shade.

Read it at PR Newswire → · Find it on Amazon → (paid link)

Weekend Recipe · Air fryer

Air-Fryer Coriander Chicken Thighs with Roasted Cauliflower and Shallots

Two bone-in chicken thighs rubbed with toasted coriander and paprika roast right on top of cauliflower, shallots and cherry tomatoes at 400°F, so the vegetables cook in the drippings. A squeeze of lime and some cilantro finish a whole dinner for two from one basket.

See the recipe
roasted chicken thighs cauliflower
Photo: RitaE / Pixabay

Written with AI assistance. How we make TechKitchen · All Weeklies