Inside a restaurant-ready oven
BY NADINE PELZER
(Published in The Produktkulturmagazin issue 2 2016)
A chef’s biggest challenge when cooking is to know the exact moment a dish is done. Many options exist to help determine it. American start-up June and its oven of the same name offer a solution that is elegant, easy to use, and one which promises to lighten up the life of any amateur chef.
June is a young and modern manufacturer of kitchen appliances based in San Francisco who set out to make our kitchens smarter. Since the microwave in the seventies, there has not been another game changer in the segment. Both founders of June, Matt Van Horn and Nikhail Bhogal, have a remarkable Silicon Valley background and seem to be just the right persons to fulfil this ambition.
What they did is to design a new furnace from the bottom up. The result is the June Intelligent Oven, a precision instrument equipped with innovations hitherto unseen in a countertop oven. With a width of less than 55 cm, it does not take too much space and integrates stylishly and unobtrusively into any kitchen. The internal design of the kiln includes LED lighting, weight sensors, a stainless steel panel with insulation shield and two hot-air fans. The heating elements are made of carbon fibre and heat up from room to target temperature in only five seconds. So preheating was yesterday. Yet, there is more to June like the integrated core temperature sensor, which has been added upon the advice of Michelin chef and restaurateur Michael Mina. This sensor enables users to monitor internal temperature of the meat, while the oven can adapt the degree of heat for cooking based on the information accordingly.
The most intriguing feature however is probably the built-in camera that can withstand temperatures of up to 260 °C. The image recognition software inside the camera is the real clou of the June. The device not only detects whether one is making cookies or muffins but also measures the amount of food and thus automatically calculates the baking time and right temperature. The stove can be controlled with a smartphone via wireless connection. An app states the current status and also delivers live video footage, which can of course be shared with friends and followers. A push notification signals as soon as the food is ready to eat and to enjoy.
The Californian start-up counts Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher among its investors. In a recent TV interview, he called the oven a game changer in food preparation. Pre-orders are now being taken for 1,495 dollars. Shipping is expected to begin this Christmas season.
Picture credits © June
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