The vending machine isn’t just about dispensing Coca Cola anymore; it’s come a long way since then. In fact, there are some astoundingly weird things dispensed from the vending machine, showing that we’ve come a long way since the first postcard vending unit in the 1880s.
So, in the spirit of this we’ve compiled a list of the strangest vending machines on the planet – we promise that you’ll be quite surprised with their contents.
Mashed Potato
We all love a bowl of mashed potatoes and a vending machine in none other than a 7/11 convenience shop in Singapore realises that. The machine vends mash and also gravy and does so for only a dollar – pretty good if you ask us.
Beer and Sake
We all like to crack open a cold one at the weekend and this machine facilitates that. The beer and Sake vending machine is situated in Japan and offers a whole variety of different brews and Sakes to try. We’re not sure how the device works as regards underage folk getting their hands on alcohol. Nonetheless we do love it – sadly it closes at 11pm – just as the party gets started.
Now for some Staple Vending Machines
Of course, it’s not just readymade foods that are dispensed from vending machines – fresh produce that a lot of us like to buy daily is too. In Japan (where they love vending machines) you can collect a dozen fresh eggs from a vending machine for $3. While, in Germany it’s possible to vend bread from a machine – amazingly it heats up the partially baked bread in seconds, allowing you a fully baked, warm load from the machine – quite cool if you ask us. The machine vends baguettes in France – so if you’re that way inclined it works too.
We’re not so sure about the canned bread vending machines that they have in Japan though – we’re more prone to the fresh smell of the bakery that bread in a can.
Pecan Pie
We’ve covered the alcohol and the savoury, but what about the sweet stuff? If you live in Cedar Creek in Texas, USA it’s possible to buy a baked pecan pie from the vending machine for $17.50 – a great price for the joy of a home baked pie if you ask us at tubzvendingfranchise.co.uk .
Gourmet
Vending machines go gourmet too and we’ve seen a number of interesting high class vending machines. How about a caviar vending machine?
You can buy caviars at many price point – ranging from $12 to a $500/ounce Beluga caviar. Beverly Hills Caviar opens the world’s first caviar vending machine last year, following the footsteps of the already-hit gourmet vending machine in Beverly Hills, the Sprinkles cupcake ATM.
Automats
Of course, why not go the whole hog and visit a vending machine restaurant. These offer people a whole host of different sorts of food from a vending machine or machines. The wide selection of already heated foods is quite the novelty but probably not for a first date if you ask us.
The world of vending machines is a quite weird one – from lobsters to mash potato to beer, it seems it’s all there for the vending.