Harvard students use science to make perfect steaks

Harvard Engineering Problem Solving and Design students have been tackling a specific problem in Professor Pete Parker's class this semester. The challenge was to create an easy-to-use, software-enabled, smart barbecue smoker that could cook the perfect steak. Williams-Sonoma, a cooking supplies company, was hired as the client, identified key features by design and provided the team of students with cooking supplies and a generous supply of brisket.   

After consulting with chefs and experts in ceramics, heat transfer and food chemistry, after test smoking more than 200 pounds of brisket over thirteen hours of experimentation-usually starting at 3 a.m. and conducted during the snowiest winter ever-the students developed the original prototype. Their smokehouse solves the biggest flaw seen in other similar products: uneven roasting.

The Harvard smokehouse uses a hyperboloid (hourglass shape) shape. The design increases structural stability by producing a swirling flow of air around the cooking surface, consistently bathing the meat in flavor-enhancing smoke. The meat is cooked at a lower temperature. But, best of all, the cooking surface with temperature and weight sensors, as well as a fuel sensor, notifies the user of the meat's readiness status via a smartphone.

After the final student presentation, Harvard community members along with Williams-Sonoma representatives and chefs were invited to a campus courtyard barbecue lunch-tasting. 

Perhaps now Professor Parker's dream of turning barbecue into art will become a reality, available to everyone?