Newell isn't directly attached to ChefSteps (he just gave the company a good loan). However, he tells Eater that he was attracted to the company for a philosophy that reminds him of his experiences in the gaming industry. ChefSteps approaches cooking "like an engineer," he says, and it shares his focus on tackling real-world problems.

You can pre-order the Joule now for $199 ($299 after January 15th) ahead of its May 2016 launch, and it'll give you unlimited access to ChefSteps' cooking instruction services. In that sense, it may well be worth the money. You're not only getting a device that takes some of the headaches out of sous vide cooking, but could teach you how to be a better cook in the first place.