A Load and Go Cooking Experience Designed Around Real Household Use
LAS VEGAS, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A weeknight dinner might begin with salmon, chicken or a ready-to-cook meal picked up from Costco. With many conventional cooking appliances, the cook still chooses the mode, temperature and time, then returns to check doneness and make adjustments.
WAN AICHEF ULTRA was designed around a different experience: load the food, choose what you want to make, confirm the program, and go. This is what WAN AICHEF calls the "Load and Go" experience.
WAN AICHEF announced that WAN AICHEF ULTRA, its flagship AI cooking system, has been selected as a Professional Category Finalist in the 2026 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), presented by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). The product was developed for real households around a practical question: how much routine cooking judgment can the appliance take on while keeping the process visible and the user in control?
A Different Cooking Experience
A familiar cooking workflow asks the user to make a series of decisions and keep an eye on the food as it cooks. Ultra takes on more of that routine. For supported ingredients, AI vision can identify the food and recommend a program. Once the user confirms it, the system monitors conditions and adjusts power and timing as cooking progresses.
"We began by asking which decisions people repeat every night and which of those the appliance could responsibly take on," said Stanley Huo, CEO of WAN AICHEF. "The change is not simply what the appliance can do, but what the user no longer has to do. Progress must remain clear, and control must remain with the cook."
How Ultra Reads and Responds to Food
Ultra uses visual and thermal feedback instead of relying only on preset time and temperature. A 12-megapixel AI camera and Heimann infrared thermal imaging gather information, while NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano provides on-device computing. The system combines these inputs to guide heat adjustments toward the selected result.
In testing of supported cooking tasks, the system achieved temperature-control precision of approximately ±3.2°F under specified conditions; results varied by food, cookware and program. Dry-burn protection, cookware detection, door-open auto-stop and a child lock provide safeguards for everyday operation. The screen keeps settings and progress visible, so the system can handle routine monitoring while keeping the user informed and in control.
Designed Around Real Household Use
WAN AICHEF has trained Ultra's AI to recognize and cook a growing range of foods and ready-to-cook products available from Costco, Whole Foods Market, Safeway and other U.S. retailers, as well as meal-kit services such as HelloFresh.
For supported items, users can place the food in compatible cookware inside Ultra and follow the on-screen cooking recommendations without having to translate package directions into appliance modes, temperatures and timing. The company continues to expand the range of supported foods and formats.
Personalization is tied to the cooking result. One person may prefer salmon softer and more tender, while another wants it more well done. Over time, feedback about texture and doneness can help future cooking recommendations better match each person or household's preferences.
That difference is most noticeable in everyday use. A home user in Florida prepared salmon with asparagus and garlic butter shrimp and said she did not have to "constantly watch the food or worry about overcooking it." In Atlanta, a mother used Ultra to cook a whole chicken and said she spent less time checking on the food and more time with her family. These experiences reflect what Ultra is designed to reduce: the attention and repeated monitoring that everyday cooking often requires.
Recognition for Experience Centered Design
Ultra's design value does not rest on one camera, processor or temperature figure. It comes from how sensing, software, heat control and interface work together to replace repeated estimates and checks with a visible process that responds to feedback. This integrated experience formed the basis of WAN AICHEF's IDEA submission.
Following earlier recognition from the Red Dot Award, the 2026 IDEA finalist selection provides further professional validation of this design direction. WAN AICHEF ULTRA was designed to make everyday cooking easier to start and manage, with built-in safeguards and less need for continuous attention.
https://www.idsa.org/awards-recognition/idea/idea-gallery/wan-aichef-ultra/
Learn more about WAN AICHEF ULTRA at global.wanaichef.com. ULTRA is also available to explore through Indiegogo.
About the International Design Excellence Awards
The International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) is an annual design competition presented by IDSA. For more than 45 years, the program has recognized significant achievements in industrial design and work intended to create meaningful benefit for users, organizations and society.
Media Contact
Sylvia Liang
International Business Director
WAN AICHEF
732 S 6TH ST #7231
LAS VEGAS, NV 89101, United States
global@wanaichef.com
global.wanaichef.com
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WAN AICHEF ULTRA Earns 2026 IDEA Recognition, Rethinking AI Cooking for Everyday Life
The planned 30,000+ sq. m. base will expand DG Display Showcase's manufacturing, engineering, R&D and global project delivery capabilities for larger and more complex retail space projects.
GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DG Display Showcase, a customized display and retail space solution provider, is developing a new production base to support the next stage of its global business. With a planned gross floor area of more than 30,000 square meters, the base will bring manufacturing, R&D, engineering and customer experience functions into one integrated facility. The new base is designed to support larger flagship stores, multi-store rollouts and more complex retail environments for international brands.
Founded in 1999, DG Display Showcase has 27 years of experience in custom display and retail space solutions. The company has completed more than 9,380 brand store projects worldwide and handles more than 200 customized projects each year. Its team includes more than 180 engineering and craftsmanship professionals.
Projects Are Getting More Complex
DG Display Showcase serves projects across jewelry, watches, fragrance, luxury retail and museum display. As projects become larger and more customized, their requirements increasingly extend across engineering interfaces, brand standards, local installation conditions and tight opening schedules. Different materials, display systems, lighting, electrical and security features may also need to work together within the same project.
For international brands, project delivery also requires consistent execution across locations, close coordination between design and engineering, reliable production schedules, international logistics and installation support. These requirements can involve multiple teams and project stages, increasing the need for close coordination throughout the project lifecycle.
These requirements are shaping DG Display Showcase's plans for the new production base. The facility is being developed to connect design, engineering, manufacturing, verification and project delivery more closely, creating a more coordinated workflow for complex international retail projects.
One Base, More Capabilities
The new production base will include a Smart Manufacturing Center, an R&D and Design Center, a Global Display Experience Center and business and customer experience areas.
These functions are designed to work together across the project lifecycle. R&D and design teams can work closely with engineering teams on materials, structures, lighting and display solutions. Manufacturing teams can then work from the same project requirements, while verification and customer collaboration remain connected to the development process.
The Global Display Experience Center will also provide a space for customers to review materials, engineering solutions and finished display systems, and to discuss project requirements with DG teams.
The value of the new base comes from connecting design, engineering, manufacturing, verification and customer collaboration more closely. This structure is intended to create a more connected workflow from early design discussions through production and project delivery.
Design Must Work in Production
Complex retail design requires more than a strong visual concept. The design must also work through production, transportation and installation.
DG Display Showcase plans to strengthen its engineering work around complex metal structures, curved components, bent glass, precision assembly, integrated lighting and intelligent security systems.
The R&D and Design Center will help teams review structural feasibility, materials, hardware, lighting and installation requirements before production begins. This process can help turn design concepts into solutions that can be manufactured, transported and installed across different markets.
Quality Starts Before Shipment
International installation can create risks for large luxury retail projects. Site schedules can be tight. Multiple teams may work on the same project. Small issues can affect installation time and project progress.
DG Display Showcase plans to increase factory pre-assembly and verification as part of the new base's project workflow.
Teams can check structural connections, showcase joints, doors, lighting, hardware, electrical interfaces and installation points before shipment. Early checks can help identify issues while products are still at the factory.
For customers, this can mean fewer surprises at the installation site and more consistent results across multiple locations.
Building for Global Delivery
The new base also supports DG Display Showcase's wider move toward intelligent manufacturing and integrated project management. The company's 2026 development direction includes self-built facilities, intelligent manufacturing, AI-powered full-chain processes and digital twin models.
These initiatives are designed to improve coordination across the project lifecycle. The goal is to connect brand requirements, design, engineering, production, quality control and global delivery more closely.
For luxury brands, this creates a stronger foundation for flagship stores, chain-store projects, multi-brand spaces and museum display projects across different markets.
"Over the years, we have seen our customers' projects become larger, more customized and more international. These projects have raised the requirements for every stage of delivery, from design and engineering to manufacturing and installation. The new production base is our investment in the capabilities needed for this next stage. We are building the foundation to manage complex projects, maintain consistent quality and support customers across different markets," said Selina, Founder of DG Display Showcase.
Supporting the Next Stage
For DG Display Showcase, the new base represents a long-term investment in the engineering, manufacturing and delivery capabilities required for increasingly complex international retail projects.
About DG Display Showcase
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Guangzhou, China, DG Display Showcase develops customized display and retail space solutions for jewelry, watches, fragrance, museums and luxury retail environments. With more than 27 years of industry experience and more than 9,380 completed brand store projects worldwide, the company provides services spanning design, engineering, manufacturing, logistics, installation support and after-sales service. DG Display Showcase works with international clients on customized display systems and one-stop retail solutions developed around individual brand and project requirements.
Media Contact:
Official website: https://www.degreefurniture.com/
Company Name: DG Master of Display Showcase Co.,Ltd
Email: sales@degreefurniture.com
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DG Display Showcase Expands Global Project Capabilities with New Production Base
