The Cinder is a bulky, heavy duty (about 27 pounds, and somewhat awkward to lift if you’re not a grown man) device, first and foremost, that works to precisely control the temperature of your food and thus cook it to an exact degree of doneness. Suffice to say, a Cinder Grill can theoretically cook just about any piece of meat, but some are more appropriate than others. I had both successes and failures making a variety of meat dishes, but I came to realize throughout that the key to getting the most out of the device was in recognizing what it actually does well, and what it does not. What I found in my own testing of Cinder was a mixed bag. Although the price tag is steep, at $400-500 per unit, there’s definitely a market out there for people who want a simple device that can, at the push of a button, cook them a steakhouse-caliber piece of meat. Backed by a monumentally successful IndieGoGo campaign that achieved more than 500% of its original $50,000 goal, it promises to deliver a sous vide-style cooking device, without any need for water or vacuum-sealed bags. Nevertheless, I was intrigued when I first started seeing videos of the Cinder Grill in action. In a sense, crowdfunded campaigns have become the new Ron Popeil-style infomercials. Kickstarter and IndieGoGo have become a breeding ground in recent years for cooking devices that continuously promise to either demystify home cookery or promote healthy eating, but the results too often fall far short of what is promised. As a home cook with a basic understanding of most of the culinary techniques one needs to produce “restaurant-quality” food at home, I have a tendency to look at crowdfunded kitchen gadgets with a fair amount of skepticism.
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