Yet along came the smart-kitchen products. Devices debuted with apps instead of manual controls, forcing cooks to look at their phones instead of the food. It started to feel like tech was being crammed in for tech's sake. Selling ancillary products like subscriptions to meal kits to make in the device felt like a higher priority for companies than helping people make better food. The content—aka the recipes that show you how to put your new machine to good use—often felt wholly inadequate. You might never fully understand the machine and how to integrate it into your cooking routine. You also might stick it in a cupboard and forget about it.