Industry-First AI Cooking Partner “Bistro Assistant” Now Supports Electric Cooking Pots ~Expanding Plans and Adding New Features for a Richer Daily Cooking Experience~

New Plan Structure: BASIC and PREMIUM
Enhanced Features of the PREMIUM Plan
Integration with Auto Cooker Bistro
Optional Rental Service
Important Information
Available Plans
Eligible Categories and Models
Related Links

New Plan Structure: BASIC and PREMIUM

Previously, “Bistro Assistant” was only available as a paid service. The new “BASIC Plan” will offer essential features such as recipe suggestions and cooking support for free, making the service accessible to more users. This aims to reduce the burden associated with cooking and provide new enjoyment and flexibility through accumulated successful cooking experiences. The paid “PREMIUM Plan” will introduce advanced functionalities, including recipe suggestions based on photos of ingredients taken with a smartphone, and recommendations for side dishes that can be prepared concurrently with the main dish. This expansion is designed to provide comprehensive support for daily meal preparation, from menu planning to cooking.

Enhanced Features of the PREMIUM Plan

1. Ingredient Snapshot Recipe

Users can take a photo of an ingredient with their smartphone and upload it, allowing the AI to recognize the ingredient from the image and suggest suitable recipes. This eliminates the need for manual ingredient entry, enabling quick meal planning whenever inspiration strikes and reducing the dilemma of “what can I make with this ingredient?” It encourages users to start cooking more casually, using ingredients already in their refrigerator or kitchen.

2. Use-up Recipe

By linking with vegetable information in the refrigerator (recognized by Panasonic’s separately sold refrigerator AI camera3) or manually registered ingredient data in the “KitchenPocket” app, users can simply press a button in the LINE chat to automatically receive recipe suggestions that utilize their existing ingredients. This makes it easy to find a “dish you can cook today” efficiently with a Bistro appliance, supporting the delicious and waste-free use of ingredients and contributing to food loss reduction.

3. Quick Side Dish Recipe

While the main dish is cooking in the steam oven range or auto cooker, the service suggests compatible side dish recipes that do not require the use of the same appliance. Pressing the “Quick Side Dish Recipe” button in the LINE chat will present up to 10 recommended recipes. This feature helps even those unfamiliar with cooking routines to prepare an additional dish effortlessly during the main dish’s cooking time, adding variety to the dinner table and supporting satisfying meal preparation on busy days.

4. Expanded Recipe Range

In addition to the official Bistro recipes, the service will now propose “Carefully Selected Recipes” that are easy for daily use, offering a wider variety of choices for meal planning. This expansion provides more options to suit daily moods and family preferences, bringing new discoveries and enjoyment to everyday dining.

Integration with Auto Cooker Bistro

Responding to positive feedback and requests from customers, the “Auto Cooker Bistro,” an electric cooking pot that allows users to simply add ingredients and let the appliance handle the cooking, will now link with “Bistro Assistant.” This integration will facilitate easier menu selection based on desired ingredients and lifestyle, making the appliance more routinely usable.

Optional Rental Service

An optional service combining the PREMIUM plan with a rental of the latest “Steam Oven Range Bistro” (NE-UBS10E) is also available. Enrollment is required via the Bistro Assistant service site. The monthly fee is 4,480 yen (tax included, shipping included, minimum usage period of 36 months, with the option to purchase after the minimum period).

Important Information

1 Bistro Assistant is a service for customers using eligible models of the Steam Oven Range Bistro and Auto Cooker Bistro. To use Bistro Assistant, users need to install the LINE app and KitchenPocket app on their smartphone, link their CLUB Panasonic ID, and fulfill other requirements. For details, please check the service website.

2 In the domestic electric cooking pot market, this is the industry’s first service to utilize generative AI for conversational cooking support that links with appliances and provides recipe services. As of June 17, 2026, based on Panasonic research.

3 Use is limited to certain Panasonic refrigerator models. If incorrectly installed on a non-eligible refrigerator, operation cannot be guaranteed, and it will not be covered by warranty. For details on the refrigerator AI camera, please check the product site.

*4 Applies only to vegetables in the vegetable compartment. It automatically recognizes 60 specific types of vegetables (as of June 17, 2026). The types and number of recognizable ingredients may change with updates.

Available Plans

Two plans are available:

BASIC Plan: Free
PREMIUM Plan: 330 yen/month (tax included)

To subscribe to the PREMIUM Plan, an application is required via the Bistro Assistant service site. Users on the BASIC Plan who have registered an eligible appliance with the KitchenPocket app can try the PREMIUM Plan for 30 days free of charge.