Researchers from Columbia University have developed a system that is capable of cooking food with the help of lasers and leverages 3D printing technology to assemble foods. Researchers on the Digital Food team from the Creative Machines Lab are working to create an autonomous digital personal chef.

The team says that printers are capable of producing ingredients at a millimeter precision, but there was no heating method with the same level of resolution. The team dedicated itself to create a system that can 3D-print the foods and use lasers to cook them at the same time.

Less shrinking more moisture

For the study, the team used chicken as their model food system and tried out several cooking methods by exposing it to blue light and infrared light. During their test, the chicken was printed in a chunk that was 3mm thick and approximately one inch square.

During the experiment, several cooking parameters were investigated, such as cooking depth, color development, moisture retention, and flavor differences between food cooked with the help of laser and meat cooked on the stove.

The team discovered that the food cooked with a laser shrunk 50 percent less than stove-cooked meat, and had twice the moisture content. While shrinking less and not letting a lot of moisture go away, the meat had a similar flavor compared to meat cooked using a conventional stove.

Still many hiccups to overcome

Moreover, the team found out that during blind taste tests done during the experiment was that two testers preferred meat cooked with a laser to the meat cooked on a stove. While 3D printing and laser cooking tech seem promising, researchers admit there are still hurdles to be overcome.

One of the biggest challenges is something the team likes to call “Food CAD,” described as a type of Photoshop for food. The researchers say systems like theirs require high-level software allowing nonprogrammers to design foods they wish to consume.