At CES Unveiled, a pre-show event for the Consumer Electronics Show, one booth commanded attention throughout the night: the showcase for Kirin’s Electric Salt Spoon. This unusual product quickly became a contender for the weirdest invention at the entire expo.
The Electric Salt Spoon, as its name suggests, is a spoon designed to enhance the perceived saltiness of food without actually adding more salt. It achieves this by transmitting a mild electric current to the tongue via the spoon. Intrigued, and admittedly skeptical, I joined the long line of curious onlookers eager to experience this unusual technology firsthand.
Kirin, a Japanese company, currently sells the spoon domestically but it’s not yet available in the U.S. The CES event provided a rare opportunity for attendees to try it. My experiment began with a taste of unsalted soup. Then, I was handed the two-part spoon: a detachable bowl and a handle containing the device’s controls and power source. Four different saltiness levels could be selected via buttons on the handle.
Here’s where things got unexpectedly awkward. To function, the spoon requires a peculiar grip: the handle must be held in a fist, a posture that proved surprisingly challenging and comical. Incorrect grip deactivated the device, as evidenced by a blue light on the handle that only turned white upon proper use and a sip of soup. Repeatedly, the light mocked my clumsy attempts, and I found myself looking like a toddler struggling with a messy bowl.
Despite the ergonomic challenges, the effect was noticeable. When I successfully used the spoon, the soup tasted undeniably saltier. However, the question of placebo effect lingered. My accidental fumble—a slip of my fingers that momentarily deactivated the device mid-sip—provided a fortuitous (and slightly messy) test. The immediate transition from salty to less salty soup strongly suggested the Electric Salt Spoon’s effectiveness.
Kirin’s goal – to help reduce salt consumption – is laudable. Whether this unconventional device achieves that goal remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: the Electric Salt Spoon earned its place as one of the most memorable—and weirdest—products at CES 2025.