Will SmartyPans teach cooking know-it-alls something new?

The SmartyPans app-connected skillet, which debuts at CES this week, will calculate the nutritional info of the food you cook -- if the product's crowdfunding campaign is a success.

Ashlee Clark Thompson Associate Editor

Ashlee spent time as a newspaper reporter, AmeriCorps VISTA and an employee at a healthcare company before she landed at CNET. She loves to eat, write and watch "Golden Girls" (preferably all three at the same time). The first two hobbies help her out as an appliance reviewer. The last one makes her an asset to trivia teams. Ashlee also created the blog, AshleeEats.com, where she writes about casual dining in Louisville, Kentucky.

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Ashlee Clark Thompson

Jan. 4, 2016 1:09 p.m. PT

2 min read

Think you know everything about cooking? SmartyPans begs to differ. This $299 connected skillet (that's just over £200 or about AU$415 at current rates), which debuts at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, uses voice commands, weight and temperature sensors along with an app to provide you with nutritional information about the food you're cooking.

The SmartyPans is one of a growing number of small kitchen appliances that use connected apps to guide you through recipes and tell you more about the food you are preparing to help you be healthier. For example, the Perfect Blend, which will also debut at CES 2016, uses a connected scale and app to help you build better smoothies and give you nutritional data about your drink.

The SmartyPans is made of two parts. The bottom part with the handle holds a scale that measure the weight of your dish. The top part can be removed and used as a baking dish or serving dish.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET

The SmartyPans company will launch an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign January 18 for the pan. If funded, the SmartyPans will set you back $299 (it runs $169 if you buy the pan as part of the Indiegogo campaign).

Food gadgets at CES 2016

To use the SmartyPans, you tell the app what ingredients you're adding to the pan. The app uses those voice commands along with the pan's weight and temperature sensors to calculate calories and other nutritional data. The app will also document the time, temperature and weight of your ingredients to create recipes you can share.

"SmartyPans will make you conscious cook," SmartyPans co-founder Rahul Baxi said. "Think of it like a FitBit for food."

If the SmartyPants gets funded, its closest competitor will be the Pantelligent, a $200 connected frying pan that guided me through some excellent steaks, salmon and grilled cheese sandwiches when I reviewed it last month. Though the Pantelligent is cheaper, the specs of the SmartyPans show more flexibility. Unlike the Pantelligent, the SmartyPans is dishwasher safe, and the top of the pan comes off for use as a serving bowl or oven-safe pan.

Features

Connects to app via Bluetooth
12-inch diameter
3.75 pounds
Works on gas and electric cooktops (cooks slower on induction cooktops)
Aluminum body
Dishwasher-safe