Next Robot debuted Al Dente at the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show, introducing an AI-powered commercial cooking robot with precision auto-seasoning, intelligent cooking control and upcoming ingredient-loading automation. Designed to reliably deliver pasta dishes in just four to five minutes, Al Dente can prepare dishes like risotto from scratch without needing hands-on attention.

“At Next Robot, we believe food automation shouldn’t erase flavor, it should preserve it,” said Giggs Huang, Co-Founder and CEO of Next Robot, “Al Dente doesn’t just cook pasta and risotto, it safeguards centuries-old culinary traditions while preparing kitchens for tomorrow’s challenges.”

Al Dente has the potential to add value to everything from casual restaurants and pasta bars to cafeterias and ghost kitchens, all while addressing labor shortages, the high cost of training and inconsistency in the kitchen.