Apple Store's new products are opening up the kitchen for automation

The Apple Store, known best for their computing products and applications, is now branching out into "smart" products for the kitchen. The products offered allow consumers to start connecting and controlling their eating and drinking habits.

Of the "Home Automation" products in the Apple Store, the Vessyl and Anova Precision Cooker are among the few offered that don't have anything to do with the HomeKit, speaking to the limited choice customers have for kitchen automation. Those products, however, show the different opportunities developers and designers have to get customers "connected" in the kitchen.

One of the promising products is a line called Vessyl. Its namesake is a $199 cup that can detect what you're drinking, reminds you to stay hydrated, helps you regulate your caffeine, helps you manage your weight, reminds you about your sugar intake, and also supposedly helps you sleep better. Unfortunately this magical smart cup is still in development.

Mark One, the company creating the Vessyl line, has, however, started distributing its smart water cup, dubbed the Pryme Vessyl. Similar to the Vessyl, the 16 oz cup can track your drinking habits, although its focus is only on water. It keeps track of the volume of water consumed and then sends reminders to you to stay hydrated through your phone or smart watch.

The premise is that people need 8 glasses of water per day, but as Nic Barnes told Gigaom, "it'd be pretty crazy to assume that LeBron James and Miley Cyrus require the same amount of water daily." The Pryme will adjust its algorithm to account for physical factors like age or weight. (The Pryme is currently only available on iOS, with its Android apps currently in development.) The Pryme is $99 and has been in Apple Stores in US and Canada since November.

Another product is focused on cooking, and as Forbes notes, "it's the first time for an actual cooking device in stores." Called the Anova Precision Cooker Wi-Fi, the device, attached to any cooking pot, controls the start, stop and temperature for sous-vide cooking. The temperature can get up to 210°F/99°C.

Anova feels that through science and technology their products will help you cook like a professional. The device is remotely controlled via an app on the phone that lets you control the device while away from the kitchen. The product is $199 and only works with iOS. There is also a commercial version called the Anova Precision Cooker Pro that is $399.

For now, Apple is recognizing a desire for people to connect their phones and laptops to what they do in the home and the kitchen. Even though the products mentioned do not currently work with their HomeKit, Apple is sure to continue their approach with new, exciting products.