A utensil that shocks you? What to know about Kirin's Electric Salt Spoon at CES 2025
CES always offers such a massive mix of gadgets and new tech tools that it’s often equal parts totally awesome and absolutely overwhelming. During the early days, before the official start of the show − Jan. 7 this year − thousands of reporters like me mill around a massive convention center and other hot spots in Las Vegas, wondering what gadget will steal the show.
Sometimes it’s a really cool TV, a phone with more than one screen, or maybe a robot. Heck, the must-see gadget in 2015 was a belt of all things. There’s really no telling what it will be until you see it.
This year? It’s a spoon.
Getting salty at CES 2025
Kirin’s Electric Salt Spoon asks, "What if you wanted more salt on your food but were open to a mild electric shock instead?”
We all need sodium to function, and depending on the type of cuisine you favor, you may be getting a bit too much salt for your doctor’s liking. I’m not going to dive into the implications for heart ailments here but suffice it to say that there are many, many people who should eat less salt.
There are few substitutes for that most beloved taste sensation, though. Salt is the bedrock of seasoning. Rather than replace it with a different mineral or spice, Japanese company Kirin invented a spoon that uses electricity to mimic the sensation of salt hitting your tongue. It literally shocks your taste buds into thinking your food is saltier than it really is.
Science vs. senses
Trying out the Electric Salt Spoon is more complicated than you can imagine. First, you have to ensure the spoon end is properly affixed to the bulky handle housing all the tech.
Then, select one of four levels of saltiness and be sure you’re holding the spoon juuuuuust right. If you don’t do it correctly, the light on the handle stays blue instead of shifting to white ‒ your signal to go in for a taste. Only then can you try to figure out if it works as advertised.
So… does it actually work?
Yeah… kind of. Getting it to work consistently takes practice, but when I did everything correctly, the electric stimulation did actually “taste” like salt, if only for the moment that my lips touched the spoon. The rest of the time I just spilled lukewarm soup down my face, hoping it wouldn’t shock something other than my tongue.
It’s fair to say that Kirin wins the weird tech honor so far this year, as it garnered the biggest crowd at the reporter-only Unveiled event last night. It seems like everywhere I go today, someone inevitably asks if I’ve tried “the salt spoon.”
The answer is “yes,” and also, it’s weird. If it could make me think I’m eating chocolate cake instead of broccoli, now that would be GENIUS.
Kirin already sells the spoon in its native Japan, but it’s not yet available here in the US. In Japan, it sells for 19,800 Yen, which is roughly $125. That’s a mighty tall price for a spoon, but if it helps you meet low-sodium diet requirements, it might be worth it. That is if Kirin officially introduces it outside of its home country.
(This story has been updated to add photos.)
Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist and on-air contributor for the "Today" show. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Paste BN. Contact her at JJ@Techish.com or @JennJolly on Instagram.