Suvie, a Boston startup, wants a countertop machine to handle dinner from start to finish. Its kitchen robot stores the ingredients cold, cooks them and has the whole meal ready at the same moment, while the owner is still at work.
The appliance is split into four zones. One is for protein, one for vegetables, one for starch and one for sauces. Each zone uses its own method, so the protein can cook sous vide while the vegetables steam and the starch cooks in water. A broiler finishes the dish. Because the zones are synced, every part of the meal is done at once.
The trick is what the company calls cool to cook. Food stays chilled inside the machine all day, thanks to a small custom compressor that sends cold water to jackets around each zone. Then the owner starts the cooking from a phone app, and dinner is ready on arrival.
Suvie also plans a food side to the business. Instead of packing meals itself, it works as an open platform for food packers and distributors. Its meal kits are put together with a Dorchester organization that hires economically disadvantaged workers.
Robin Liss and Kevin Incorvia cofounded the company. Liss started the product review site Reviewed.com in her basement at 13 and sold it to USA Today in 2011. Suvie spent more than two years in stealth and raised $3.75 million in seed money.
The public launch came on Kickstarter in February 2018. The campaign set a goal of $100,000 and beat it in less than half a day. By that evening it had raised $323,943, and the first tier, a discounted machine at $429, had sold out. Later backers could still get one for $479, with delivery expected in December 2018. The planned retail price was $599.