Bosch's kitchen machine combines a scale and a stand mixer
The OptiMum Kitchen Machine is a stand mixer with a scale in the base so you weigh out your ingredients without moving your mixing bowl.
A good baker knows that weight, not volume, is a more precise way to measure ingredients in a recipe. Bosch wants to save that baker some counter space and time with the OptiMum Kitchen Machine, a stand mixer with a digital scale built into the base so you don't have to move your mixing bowl to weigh out ingredients. The German appliance manufacturer introduced it Wednesday at the IFA trade show here in Berlin.
Prices for the OptiMum Kitchen Machine start at 700 euros -- roughly $780, £595 or AU$1,040 converted. This is more than double the cost for the cheapest stand mixer from KitchenAid, a brand that has become synonymous with luxury stand mixers. Various models of the OptiMum will start appearing in stores in September. The appliance isn't scheduled for release in the US, Bosch representatives said.
Small countertop appliances that use digital scales have become an easy way to introduce precision, along with technology, to cooking. Smart scales such as the Perfect Bake and the Drop scale connect to apps that provide recipes, detect the weight of your ingredients and make sure you're adding the right amounts. It's worth noting that Drop announced it will provide Bosch the software for the appliance maker's Series 8 connected ovens.
Unlike the smart scales, you have to use your own recipes and know how much of an ingredient you'll need to use the OptiMum. You enter your target weight on the scale, and it counts backward as you put your ingredients in the mixing bowl. The machine also includes sensor features to help with mixing, such as automatically stopping when creams, egg whites or yeast dough reach the right consistency.