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The Weekly · November 6, 2026

Prime meets Uber Eats, drive-thru voice AI scales up, and Ninja builds a microwave

This week was about who brings you dinner and who takes your order. Amazon Prime members got free Uber Eats delivery, and in the drive-thru, Yum! Brands now has voice AI taking orders at more than 900 restaurants while Starbucks tests its own. Behind the counter, Solink raised over $100 million to turn security cameras into service data. At home, appliances keep doubling up: Ninja’s first microwave is also an air fryer, and we’ve got an easy sous vide pork chop for the weekend.

This week's stories

takeout food containers table
Photo: viarami / Pixabay

In the Pro Kitchen

Amazon Prime members can now order Uber Eats with $0 delivery fees

Amazon and Uber have launched a Prime perk that waives Uber Eats delivery fees in nearly 10,000 US cities, covering hundreds of thousands of restaurants from Chipotle and Wingstop to local independents. Members order with their Amazon login and payment, with no separate Uber account, and get $20 off their first two $25+ orders in the first 14 days. For operators already on Uber Eats, it opens the app to Amazon's Prime base.

Our take: Delivery keeps consolidating around memberships, a week after DoorDash moved on Instacart. If you're already on Uber Eats, Prime members can now order from you without an Uber account, so it's worth making sure your menu and photos there are in good shape.

Read it at QSR Web →

burger fries tray
Photo: 2SIF / Pixabay

In the Pro Kitchen

Yum! Brands now runs voice AI in more than 900 drive-thrus

The owner of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut says voice AI now takes orders at over 900 of its restaurants, and it credits the technology with a 6% improvement in drive-thru performance. Its CFO said Yum's AI work is moving from testing to scaling.

Our take: When the owner of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut says voice AI is moving from testing to scaling, the drive-thru speaker is changing for good. Smaller chains will feel the pressure to follow, and they'll want proof like Yum's 6% before signing up.

Read it at QSR Web →

latte art cup
Photo: Engin_Akyurt / Pixabay

In the Pro Kitchen

Starbucks plans in-app delivery for 2027 and is testing AI in the drive-thru

Starbucks will add delivery to its own app in the second quarter of 2027, with Rewards members earning and redeeming points on those orders. It is also testing AI to help baristas take drive-thru orders, and plans drive-thrus that recognize customers on arrival with personalized digital menus. Starbucks Rewards reached 36 million active members in its fourth quarter; the company gave no figures yet for the AI tests.

Our take: Letting Rewards members earn points on delivery inside its own app gives Starbucks' 36 million members a reason to skip the third-party apps. Its drive-thru AI is still a test with no numbers yet, so the delivery plan is the part to watch.

Read it at Restaurant Dive →

restaurant dining room interior
Photo: RealAKP / Pixabay

In the Pro Kitchen

Solink raises over $100 million to turn restaurant security cameras into ops data

Ottawa-based Solink closed a round of more than $100 million led by Vertu Capital to build out its AI Vision Intelligence platform, which reads existing security-camera footage and pairs it with POS, labor and inventory data. It already runs at 35,000+ locations in 65 countries and connects to systems like Toast, Square and Clover. For operators, that means foot traffic, walkouts and service bottlenecks measured against sales; the CEO says it doesn't use facial recognition or biometrics to track staff.

Our take: The pitch is getting more out of cameras you already own. Tying footage to POS and labor data could show exactly where service slows down; operators should still ask any vendor plainly how staff footage is used.

Read it at QSR Web →

crispy chicken wings plate
Photo: 7997sky / Pixabay

At Home

Ninja's first microwave is a $449.99 microwave and air fryer in one

The Ninja Crispi Microwave and Air Fryer (MW101) pairs a 1,000W microwave with a 1,700W air-fry system and cooks in a 5.5-quart glass dish with a crisper plate, with no turntable. It lists at $449.99 in the US. It's Ninja's first microwave, aimed at replacing two countertop appliances with one.

Our take: Two jobs in one appliance was the week's home theme, from Ninja's microwave to its MultiPot XL. At $449.99 the Crispi makes the most sense if your counter space is tighter than your budget.

Read it at TechCrunch →

At Home

Anova's $299 Precision Cooker Pro 3.0 is rated for 10,000 hours of cooking

Announced Oct 20: Anova's new top sous vide circulator runs at 1,600 W, moves 12 litres a minute, handles baths up to 100 litres and holds temperature within 0.05°C. It's built of metal, rated IPX7 waterproof and rated for 10,000 hours of continuous use, and Anova says it's quieter than the last Pro. It costs $299 at Anova's site and retailers including Amazon and Target.

Our take: At $299 this is a step up from a starter circulator, built for people who cook sous vide often or in big batches. This weekend's pork chop shows why the method is worth it even for a simple dinner.

Read it at Anova (PR Newswire) →

A TechKitchen original

Spotted abroad this week

Kitchen gear on sale in one country but not yet in the others.

Tefal's one-person YumMeal cooker pairs induction with air frying. Coming to the US? · At Home · Nov 2

Sunbeam's steam-and-air-fry cooker launches in Australia. Will it travel? · At Home · Oct 31

Weekend Recipe · Sous vide circulator

Sous Vide Pork Chop with Pan-Fried Fingerlings

A thick bone-in rib chop cooks in a 140°F water bath for 45 minutes, then gets a fast butter sear in cast iron. Fingerling potatoes crisp up in the same pan, so dinner for two comes together with one skillet.

See the recipe
pork chop cast iron
Photo: vika-imperia550 / Pixabay

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