Kirin’s Electric Salt Spoon is the most bizarre exhibit at this year’s CES

New year, new spoon. At least, that’s the idea behind the Electric Salt Spoon, a flavour-enhancing, healthy-eating device that’s been showcased at CES 2025 tech exhibition in Las Vegas. Designed by Japanese drinks company Kirin Holdings, its concept is simple yet slightly bizarre (no wonder it’s been dubbed the weirdest innovation at this year’s event).

Kirin’s creation sends a small electrical current that causes sodium ions to gather on the tongue, pepping up the flavour of even the mildest mouthfuls. The spoon has four saltiness settings, which are applied via a button on its handle – a handout from the company warned: 'First-time users are recommended to start with Level 1.' Indeed, a yellow light appears when the 60g spoon is working at this low level; by the time you’ve cranked it four 4, it flashes an ominous blue.

That electric current is sent down the back of the handle via a metal strip that appears at the top of the spoon’s bowl, ready to gently shock your tongue with that salty goodness. Kirin handed out bowls of soup, inviting attendees to partake in a taste test by slurping one mouthful without the spoon and one with the device. Users noted its effectiveness, though added that it has to be held in a certain, somewhat awkward way in order to work properly – and even then takes a few seconds to do so. There were considerable spillages.

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Still, the implications of the Electric Salt Spoon are obvious. According to the British Heart Foundation, the UK Government recommends that we consume a maximum of 6g (around a teaspoon) of sodium chloride per day. On average, however, we consume 8.1g of salt each day. Consistantly eating too much salt raises your blood pressure and increases your risk from coronary heart disease and stroke.

So why not let your spoon take the hit for you? Kirin’s creation went on sale with limited runs (including 200 made available online) in Japan in May and June last year, retailing at 19,800 yen (£101) per device; the company announced it hoped to reach a million users by 2029. It was co-developed by Homei Miyashita, an associate professor in the School of Science and Technology at Tokyo’s Meiji University, who first made headlines with a chopstick prototype version of the invention in 2022.

January is traditionally a time when we vow to live and eat more healthily, so Kirin’s showcasing of the Electric Salt Spoon couldn’t be better timed. The question is: could this be the life-enhancing answer to our shared love of salty food, or is its mere existence just a bit shocking?