Those who recoil at the over familiarity of staff in certain coffee chains should look away now: the Ripple Maker allows baristas to print personalised coffee art for customers on coffee foam.
Developed by Steam CC, each image, or ‘ripple,’ is printed using a specially patented coffee extract made from Arabica and Robusta beans, from an extensive library of images, greetings, and quotes. Customers can even upload their own photos or messages via the Coffee Ripples App to create uniquely individual coffee art.
Image: Steam CC
According to the makers, “Any venue that serves coffee will be able to take advantage of the opportunities for engagement, loyalty and emotional connection that Ripples provides.” Creating a ripple only takes a matter of seconds, and the hope is that businesses will gain from social media sharing – check out this story about a Johannesburg coffee shop and the Instagram hashtag that has been shared nearly one million times in five months.
Currently only available to businesses in the US and Canada, prices for the machines, which measure roughly 8.5” x 10.5”, start at $999 USD; service plans from $85 per month. Find out more in the video below and let us know what you think, via the comments below or our Facebook page.
Click here to learn about the artist who paints with espresso.