Coffee machine technology hasn’t advanced much over the years, but a startup out of Israel is all set to change that with its Ripple Maker. While we’re all used to cafes drawing artisanal leaves on our drinks, this gadget goes one step further and produces pretty accurate reproductions of any image or text.
The Ripple Maker uses 3D and inkjet-printing tech to recreate a photo. A replaceable Ripple Pod contains extracts of high-quality Robusta and Arabica beans and utilizes it as ink. A person just has to place the coffee on the machine, select a graphic and wait 10 seconds for it to print on the foam.
The Ripple Maker works with Wi-Fi to sync with an iOS app. Users can upload or create their own images and have access to the company’s content library. It should be noted that the machine is primarily meant for businesses and not consumers, so people who want to print out their selfie will have to find a coffee shop which has one these products.
Getting down to specifics, the Ripple Maker can print photos on 95mm wide cups which are 180mm high. The brand recommends using pictures which have a clean background and measure 3 x 3 inches. It’s currently shipping the gadget to businesses located in the US and Canada only.
Steam CC, the startup behind the Ripple Maker, first introduced the machine to the world in June 2015. Lufthansa airlines had said it was planning to use the device for its first and business class lounges. The Israeli firm then took to CES 2016 to announce its availability to all enterprises last week.
Of course, the Ripple Maker doesn’t come cheap. Its price starts at $1299 and the company offers 3 monthly service plans. The basic bronze one costs $85 per month and can make 1000 Ripples, while the silver and gold pack promise to produce 2000 and 5000 Ripples, respectively.