Rotimatic Review – An Incredible Appliance That Saves Time, Energy, And Power
Zimplistic’s kitchen robot is packed with high-tech features that make cooking unleavened flatbreads a breeze, and consumes surprisingly less power!
This is a story with a twist. Recently, my friend threw a quinceanera party for her daughter and I was asked to help organize it. The guest list had eighty names, and my friend was hell-bent on not hiring a caterer. Apart from rice and beans, green salad, guacamole, and tamales, a big part of the menu were tortillas and nachos. Now, making tortillas and nachos at home is tedious and therefore one can guess my surprise when a process that normally takes hours was completed in a small fraction of the time by Rotimatic – the first fully automatic robot designed to, well, make rotis.
Little more about Rotimatic
Honestly, this was the first time I used a kitchen appliance this futuristic and have been spellbound by it ever since. Zimplistic – the company that makes Rotimatic – came out with the prototype of the robot in 2009. After years of further research and several patents by founders Pranoti Nagarkar and Rishi Israni, Rotimatic is now recognized as the first fully-automatic roti maker created for use in the domestic kitchen available in international markets. The appliance is a massive hit with over 60,000 units already sold the world over and has crossed USD 60 million in sales in just two years after the Rotimatic’s launch. This can be attributed to its global appeal – not only does it make delicious and fresh rotis, but it also makes puris as well, and flatbreads such as pizza base ad tortilla, as seen in cuisines other than Indian.
Rotimatic saves time and energy
The traditional method of making a roti takes about half an hour, and can stretch more depending on the number of rotis bring made. The process involves kneading dough from a mix of dry and wet ingredients which are added in a specific proportion. Paying attention to the proportion here is important because human error leaves open scope for the consistency of the dough to differ each time, affecting the quality of the flatbreads. The dough ball is divided into smaller segments, flattened into even discs and then roasted on an unoiled skillet or directly over a flame for a perfect cook time.
Rotimatic takes less than ten minutes to warm up and then replicates the entire process in a matter of 90 seconds. But does this mean you’ll have zero control over how your roti turns? Absolutely not! A user can select from a provided range of flours, choose the number of rotis to be made in a batch, its oil content, thickness, flavors to add if any, and the level of roasting. Once these parameters are set, Rotimatic proceeds to make flatbreads of identical quality every time until the settings are changed. The amount of time it frees for the user, especially on a hectic day is remarkable!
Add to this its ease of maintenance. The kneader and the plate where Rotimatic rolls the dough balls can be taken out without any hassle and can be rinsed off or put in a dishwasher. The ingredient-holders are just as easy to clean. Rotimatic comes with cleaning accessories such as brushes as well. And since Rotimatic is IoT and AI-enabled, issues in its performance can be fixed from a remote location as well and won’t require to be carried to any service station. This is a relief considering the 39-pound weight of the robot.
Rotimatic’s technology saves power
One needs to consider the gamut of sophisticated technological features Rotimatic is equipped with and their range of functions to fully appreciate the comparatively small magnitude of electricity it consumes to run them. Rotimatic is AI and IoT-enabled can share data between synced smart devices through Wi-Fi, and upgrades automatically.
A 32-bit microprocessor controls the 10 motors, 15 sensors, and 200 moving parts of Rotimatic to accurately measure and dispense flour, water, and oil for the dough, flatten it to the exact thickness specified, and roast it on heating plates till it puffs. The finished product slides out onto a tray attached to the front of the appliance.
Surprisingly, the power consumption of Rotimatic is not much different from that of a high-volume microwave oven. It draws in the ~1500W range to warm up the required components and water to make 10 Rotis, with the least thickness and 3/4 roast level. The power consumption dips post this stage, rising again during the production of individual flatbreads. In any case, the power consumed is between 1.6kW – 1.8kW. The USA and Canada model has 110V voltage, and the UK, Singapore model, 220V.
Rotimatic is a must-buy gadget of the day
The automatic roti-maker is a blessing for times when you simply do not have the time or inclination to make fresh rotis, puris, tortillas, or pizza bases, but do not wish to each frozen or restaurant-bought alternatives either. Rotimatic is already a buzzword among the younger crowd of professionals and homemakers and is catching on in the older circles as well for the ease it brings to an essential kitchen chore. Domestic spaces are steadily infusing AI into its design, and the Rotimatic is just a glimpse of what an intelligent kitchen would comprise.