As an avid home baker with a penchant for recipes found on blogs, we frequently bring the laptop into the kitchen. We try our best to avoid spills, and getting our beloved MacBook Pro covered in flour fingerprints, but have often toyed with the idea of having tech that was built specifically for the purpose that our laptop now serves in the kitchen, tech that we would not be afraid to get dirty and could handle the rigors of our baking regimen. So when we spotted the Qooq today, we were immediately intrigued...
The Qooq, which is pronounced "cook" hails from France and was created by Jean-Yves Hepp. It is a computer built for the kitchen with an easy to clean glass touch screen. The device comes loaded with 500 recipes and 10 videos. Although the device lacks a web browser, monthly recipe updates are available for around $20. The Qooq has an 8 gig hard drive,a rechargeable lithium battery, built in wi-fi, ethernet, USB and a SD card slot.
The Qooq retails for around $515 and is currently only available in French. For more information head over to Qooq's website (just a note, like the device, it is also in French).
So what do you think? Is this device worth $515? Is a computer built specifically for the kitchen the new "must have" in appliances?
There's room for this product if it's a tablet with internal specs equal to that of a netbook, at a minimum. But I think it's a nonstarter as a subscription device at that price point.
posted by
mattyl
on November 5th 2009 at 3:17pm view
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Great idea, except for the built-in subscription model. For $515 I'd rather spend a few extra dollars, get a tablet PC (or the mythological Apple Tablet were it to exist) and use the Internet for free.
posted by
sstrudeau
on November 5th 2009 at 3:19pm view
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This seems awfully expensive for a glorified laptop, with no browser. So the wifi is just for the monthly updates, and built-in weather reports (???). Couldn't you just buy a cheap Dell?
Plus, even if you don't mind the (rather expensive) monthly update fee, if the company goes under you're really out of luck.
posted by
island_monkey
on November 5th 2009 at 4:56pm view
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As I was researching the Qooq for this post, I was wondering why they would include wifi if there were no internet browsing capabilities (wifi just for monthly updates and the weather?). I am curious if it is something that they perhaps plan to add on later with a device update.
posted by
joellemarie
on November 5th 2009 at 5:12pm view
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personally, i'm hopeful for a mac touch tablet device with a third party accessory that allows quick mounting/releasing from a wall bracket of sorts...
posted by
aneelee
on November 6th 2009 at 11:08am view
aneelee's
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You can buy really cheap laptops these days for under $400. And an ASUS touchscreen tablet is $500.
posted by
verily
on November 9th 2009 at 8:43am view
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This would be a no go for me! $515 for a subscription appliance is unreasonable. I received a netbook for $400 this summer and its been a godsend for not only the kitchen but all around the house too.
posted by
Melissa23
on November 9th 2009 at 9:23am view
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Yeah, that would be a no go for me, too. Devices that do one thing don't make a lot of sense.
I also can't wait for a mac tablet that has some kind of wall mount, or that can be propped up on a cookbook stand!
In the meantime I usually use my ipod touch in the kitchen (I store recipes in Evernote)-- it works well and I have a case that covers the screen so I don't worry about finger prints or spills too much.
When I use my macbook in the kitchen, I cover the keyboard with siren wrap to avoid spilling on it.
posted by
geekgirl
on November 9th 2009 at 10:01am view
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So what exactly is the difference between this $515 appliance, and a $300 netbook running a recipe managing program? Other than the ability of the netbook to run other programs and play music?
It's a nice thought, and I'd definitely go for it if it were closer to the $150 mark. But $515 is outrageous for something with such a limited use case.
posted by
Oneisco
on November 9th 2009 at 10:04am view
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No web browser = FAIL.
Seriously, I have seen a bunch of similar products lately, which purport to be a "kitchen computer", but instead are glorified subscription-based recipe boxes. That's not the same thing.
Any device locked into a subscription model will fail, unless it's absurdly cheap (not the case here!!!). What people would want is a netbook-level machine with form factor suited for kitchen use, and perhaps some finger-friendly recipe software.
The alleged forthcoming iPod tablet would probably work well for this, but I'm unsure if the price will inspire kitchen usage.
posted by
neilw
on November 9th 2009 at 10:05am view
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i, like geekgirl, simply cover my keyboard with plastic wrap to protect it. silly to spend $500 on something like that.
posted by
traceymariel
on November 9th 2009 at 10:10am view
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I love the idea of it, but couldn't you also just print out the recipe before going to the kitchen? Cheaper, and then you can add it to your book if you like it, or toss it in the compost bin if you don't.
I do love the idea of this though, were it less expensive.
posted by
Aimeeroo
on November 9th 2009 at 10:15am view
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Sure, these devices are expensive and hobbled compared to a general purpose computer, but for those of us who love to cook, it won't be the first overpriced piece of kit we've got in there (Le Creuset, anyone?) I've been eyeing the Demy http://www.mydemy.com/, which has a touchscreen. Has anyone seen it? (B&N is selling online, but it's not in any stores.)
posted by
libraryhead
on November 9th 2009 at 1:59pm view
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There's room for this product if it's a tablet with internal specs equal to that of a netbook, at a minimum. But I think it's a nonstarter as a subscription device at that price point.
view mattyl's profile
Great idea, except for the built-in subscription model. For $515 I'd rather spend a few extra dollars, get a tablet PC (or the mythological Apple Tablet were it to exist) and use the Internet for free.
view sstrudeau's profile
This seems awfully expensive for a glorified laptop, with no browser. So the wifi is just for the monthly updates, and built-in weather reports (???). Couldn't you just buy a cheap Dell?
Plus, even if you don't mind the (rather expensive) monthly update fee, if the company goes under you're really out of luck.
view island_monkey's profile
As I was researching the Qooq for this post, I was wondering why they would include wifi if there were no internet browsing capabilities (wifi just for monthly updates and the weather?). I am curious if it is something that they perhaps plan to add on later with a device update.
view joellemarie's profile
personally, i'm hopeful for a mac touch tablet device with a third party accessory that allows quick mounting/releasing from a wall bracket of sorts...
view aneelee's profile
You can buy really cheap laptops these days for under $400. And an ASUS touchscreen tablet is $500.
view verily's profile
This would be a no go for me! $515 for a subscription appliance is unreasonable. I received a netbook for $400 this summer and its been a godsend for not only the kitchen but all around the house too.
view Melissa23's profile
Yeah, that would be a no go for me, too. Devices that do one thing don't make a lot of sense.
I also can't wait for a mac tablet that has some kind of wall mount, or that can be propped up on a cookbook stand!
In the meantime I usually use my ipod touch in the kitchen (I store recipes in Evernote)-- it works well and I have a case that covers the screen so I don't worry about finger prints or spills too much.
When I use my macbook in the kitchen, I cover the keyboard with siren wrap to avoid spilling on it.
view geekgirl's profile
So what exactly is the difference between this $515 appliance, and a $300 netbook running a recipe managing program? Other than the ability of the netbook to run other programs and play music?
It's a nice thought, and I'd definitely go for it if it were closer to the $150 mark. But $515 is outrageous for something with such a limited use case.
view Oneisco's profile
No web browser = FAIL.
Seriously, I have seen a bunch of similar products lately, which purport to be a "kitchen computer", but instead are glorified subscription-based recipe boxes. That's not the same thing.
Any device locked into a subscription model will fail, unless it's absurdly cheap (not the case here!!!). What people would want is a netbook-level machine with form factor suited for kitchen use, and perhaps some finger-friendly recipe software.
The alleged forthcoming iPod tablet would probably work well for this, but I'm unsure if the price will inspire kitchen usage.
view neilw's profile
i, like geekgirl, simply cover my keyboard with plastic wrap to protect it. silly to spend $500 on something like that.
view traceymariel's profile
I love the idea of it, but couldn't you also just print out the recipe before going to the kitchen? Cheaper, and then you can add it to your book if you like it, or toss it in the compost bin if you don't.
I do love the idea of this though, were it less expensive.
view Aimeeroo's profile
Sure, these devices are expensive and hobbled compared to a general purpose computer, but for those of us who love to cook, it won't be the first overpriced piece of kit we've got in there (Le Creuset, anyone?) I've been eyeing the Demy http://www.mydemy.com/, which has a touchscreen. Has anyone seen it? (B&N is selling online, but it's not in any stores.)
view libraryhead's profile