“SMART COOKING”: Australians could save over $4,000 per year by meal prepping

• Samsung’s Cooking Research Report shows 93% of Australians are interested in AI kitchen solutions to aid efficient meal planning and preparation
• Samsung’s cooking ambassador, Andy Allen, is on a mission to help Australians save time and money through ‘smart cooking’ with AI

As Australians continue to embrace and benefits of AI in the home, a new Smart Cooking Research Report[1] issued from Samsung Electronics Australia has unveiled the cooking challenges facing modern households. The research coincides with the launch of Samsung Cooking, the first, smart-connected kitchen, which includes a robust line-up of intelligent, AI-powered kitchen appliances designed to make cooking smarter.

Despite the cost-of-living crunch, time-poor Australians are turning to takeaway lunches during the working week to satisfy their lunchtime cravings. Opting for convenience over cost and spending an average of $17 each time, Australians are parting with over $4,000 per year on takeaway lunches, alone.[2] 

The reliance on convenience comes as the Smart Cooking Report reveals Australians wish they had more tools to help them cook more easily and efficiently at home. Australians are embracing AI, with over 9 in 10 (93%) Australians express an interest in AI assistance for meal planning and preparation. [3]

The need for convenient lunches and more intelligent solutions within the kitchen reflects some of the challenges at play in Australian households. Met with time pressures, the most common frustration experienced and the reason many are choosing to avoid preparing meals ahead of time, is the time it takes to cook multiple dishes simultaneously (44%)[4].

Jeremy Senior, Vice President, Consumer Electronics, at Samsung Australia, said:

“Over the past decade, Samsung has been investing in AI and the connectivity of our products, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to enhance Australians daily lives through our innovative and connected home solutions.

“The launch of our new built-in cooking range, marks a significant expansion in Samsung connected home experience with Australians now able to enjoy the benefits of connectivity across all major Home and Entertainment categories. It is no secret that many Australians’ today are time poor, and this is reflected in the findings and their focus on convenience in tackling the key tasks around the home. 

“Our built-in cooking range is the latest addition in Samsung’s AI connected-home ecosystem and, through the power of Samsung’s innovative technology and AI, we are excited to provide home chefs of all levels with innovative technology to combat pain points faced in the kitchen, and to ultimately bring meaningful innovation to Australian homes.”

Samsung’s cooking ambassador and Australian chef, Andy Allen, says that technology in the kitchen could have a ‘profound impact’ on the way we live and eat in the future, and adds that:

“As a chef, I’m always interested in solutions that make the cooking experience more efficient and enjoyable. Australians lead busy lifestyles, and cooking at home is one activity that people can struggle to prioritise. Samsung’s innovative technology is here to help home chefs get the most out of cooking at home, and I’m looking forward to helping Aussies explore new recipes and produce professional results in the kitchen.”

The Samsung Smart Cooking report also found that when they are not impacted by time pressures of everyday life, other barriers facing Australians looking to cook at home include a lack of inspiration when planning meals (43%) and forgetting ingredients at the grocery store (42%)[5].

To help combat these feelings and make their time in the kitchen more efficient, over half (53%) of Australians agree that they would benefit from an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered device in the home, and that it would be most useful in the kitchen. With the power to help Australians cook more efficiently, Samsung’s built-in cooking range works seamlessly with the Samsung Food app, which is a personalised AI-powered app that creates tailored meal plans from a range of over 160,000 recipes, empowering busy households to effortlessly streamline their daily routines.  

As Australians become increasingly aware of building sustainable habits in the home, the rising interest around how AI can enable these practices is evident in the findings. Almost half (46%) of Australians are interested in using AI to reduce their food waste output, aiming to reduce the 7.6m tonnes of food wasted each year[6].

Optimised by Samsung’s SmartThings[7],the built-in cooking range is set to make cooking, from meal preparation to hosting, more enjoyable, personalised and impactful for Australians.

Key technology included in the Samsung Built in Cooking Range includes:

• Wi-Fi Connected: Allowing Australians to remotely monitor and control their oven, from their compatible smartphone – whether it be to pre-heat on the way home, through to auto-cook settings from the comfort of their couch[8].
• AI Pro Cooking: With a built-in AI camera, end-to-end professional quality cooking will be made easy, fun and shareable. Without needing to open the oven door, cooking can be optimised through recipe selection, and post-cook highlight videos created to share with friends or across social media[9].
• View Inside: The internal camera[10] lets you monitor the entire cooking process from your smartphone[11] so you can check the status of your dish. You never need to wait by the oven or peek into the foggy glass wondering if your dish is ready. By not constantly opening the oven door, it also helps to prevent heat loss, so your dishes turn out better.
• Dual Cook Flex: Select oven models will include two compartments that can be set to two different temperatures to enable home cooks to cook a variety of recipes in the same oven at any one time. Dual Cook Flex also includes a flexible door meaning one zone can be checked without interrupting the other – providing both time and heating efficiencies (when only using the top half).
• Steam Cooking: There’s two types of steam cooking that can be tailored to your specific dish. Full Steam injects hot steam into an included glass steam tray to surround your dish and retain their natural flavour and prevent foods from drying out. Add Steam adds bursts of steam in the oven to lock in moisture, to help keep your food tender and soft inside, but still deliciously crisp outside.
• Samsung Food: A personalised, AI-powered food and recipe app, to support Australians plan their weekly meals. Samsung Food offers more than 160,000 recipes, acting as a personal assistant that helps Australians discover new dishes, create tailored meal plans and order ingredients online. The service also helps users control their cooking appliances and access to guided cooking experiences[12].

Samsung’s built-in cooking range is available now from Samsung.com/au and select retailers including Harvey Norman and The Good Guys.

[1] Samsung Cooking Report, conducted by Nature market research: Cooking & Meal Prep. Total sample 2024 – Australians aged 18-65 (n=1,020).

[2] Samsung Cooking Report, conducted by Nature market research: Cooking & Meal Prep. Total sample 2024 – Australians aged 18-65 (n=1,020).

[3] Samsung Cooking Report, conducted by Nature market research: Cooking & Meal Prep. Total sample 2024 – Australians aged 18-65 (n=1,020).

[4] Samsung Cooking Report, conducted by Nature market research: Cooking & Meal Prep. Total sample 2024 – Australians aged 18-65 (n=1,020).

[5] Samsung Cooking Report, conducted by Nature market research: Cooking & Meal Prep. Total sample 2024 – Australians aged 18-65 (n=1,020).

[6] The Australia Institute Report, published 18 September 2023. https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/food-waste-in-australia/

[7] All devices should be connected to Wi-Fi or other wireless network, and registered with a single Samsung account.

[8] A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required.

[9] Only available on 60cm 76L Built-in Pyrolytic Flex Door Oven with AI Camera.

[10] The camera is only operating when the light is on.

[11]  The SmartThings App is available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required.

[12] Requires a wireless network, a Samsung account and the Samsung SmartThings App. The Samsung SmartThings App supports Android OS 8.0 (Oreo) or later, which is optimized for Samsung smartphones. This App also supports iOS 13 or later for iPhone models. The SmartThings App is available in the App Store and Play Store. Available in certain languages, including English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.