Imagine a 'Smart Electric Grill'

[Alfons100]

The automation upgrade was some updates ago, and ever since they've added a new sensor or two for us to use each update. The system is relatively simple and can be expanded in many ways, to make the lives on this asteroid simpler for us.

 

Though, one of the things I feel like it lacks is that the Stations themselves should be able to release signals when *used*, like a wash basin that goes through a NOT gate into a traffic control, to make that no one with dirty hands slips through. But that wasnt my idea.

There should be a new 'Smart grill' to add onto the new Smart Compactor and Smart Fridge. But the use is not that it sends a signal when being used. The usage is that, you make a sequence of food to be made, 2 Frostbuns, 1 pepperbread, and then 3 gristleberries or whatever you like. And when it reaches the end of that sequence- it will send an automation signal and then repeat from the beginning.

With this, you could make things like, it will make a sequence of food that is calculated enough for a day, and then turn itself off until the next day! To free the hands of the poor chef that right now, always works until there's no materials left to work with.  Or maybe you could make a system where the dining hall is shut off until food is done, which is more risky, the use of this new machine is up to the player.

Other than that, it has the exact same Stats as a regular Electric Grill, maybe a Decor penalty or something, 2 Automation-grids, one that shuts it off, and the other is the signal it will output.

Excuse my horrid Reddit Formatting^TM but this was an idea I've had for a while, more machines should have 'Smart' variants now with the Smart Battery that gives us lots of options. Maybe a Smart Basin perhaps? And then mash it all into one research? Up to Klei at this point.

[DraconicSiege]

Your idea includes two things I really like: queuing different types of food to be made at a single station, and being able to turn off the cooking station when enough food is made. Both of those are things I have found myself wanting as I play the game. 

[Master Miner]

Better grill behavior regarding to recipe queue was requested many times.

Produce enough food and then stop can already be achieved with smart storage.

You can turn off grill by cutting its power or by locking the door or similar

[Neotuck]

This is the best automation setup I have so far, a sweeper loads the two grills (one for pepper bread and one for stuffed berries) and when they are cooked the sweeper loads them into refrigerators.  It would be nice if I could automate the grills to turn off when they are full but we don't always get exact food weight to work with 

[vovik]

There are los of suggestion to make dupes more intelligent with production stations.. that are overdue AF, like this one, just generally people want dupes to be more intelligent with... operating production machinery...