I tried Tovala’s smart oven for two weeks — here’s whether it beats takeout

The Tovala Smart Oven can cook store-bought frozen items by scanning their barcodes, meaning you can use it for more than just Tovala's meal kits.

Tovala, a company founded by David Rabie, offers a smart oven system designed to provide a home-cooked meal experience with the convenience of takeout. The system includes a countertop smart oven, available for $299 (regular) and $349 (Pro with steam), and a meal delivery service. Customers receive pre-portioned, mostly prepped ingredients that are cooked automatically by the oven. Users scan a QR code with the Tovala app, and the oven adjusts its temperature and cooking modes (bake, broil, air fry, toast, reheat) to prepare the meal. The service offers over 45 weekly meal choices, with plans ranging from 4 to 16 meals per week, and options for single-serving, two-serving, and family-sized meals. Meal prices start at $13.99 for single servings and $8.99 per serving for two-serving meals, plus a $10.99 shipping fee. The oven also features a grocery-food recognition function, allowing it to automatically set cooking parameters for compatible store-bought products like frozen waffles by scanning their barcodes, extending its utility beyond Tovala-branded meals.

Tovala's approach highlights a growing trend in smart kitchen appliances that integrate hardware with proprietary meal services, aiming to capture consumer convenience at home. By automating the cooking process and offering a curated meal selection, Tovala positions itself as a competitor to both traditional meal kits and takeout services. The added functionality of scanning grocery product barcodes suggests a strategy to retain users even if they opt out of the subscription meals, thereby increasing the long-term value proposition of the appliance itself.

This dual-functionality, serving both its own meal kits and standard grocery items, could redefine user expectations for smart ovens. It signals a market where devices are not just single-purpose tools but adaptable platforms for various food-related tasks. For consumers, this means potentially justifying the investment in a smart oven based on its versatility, offering a blend of convenience and control over home cooking that existing solutions may not fully provide.