Vending machines have changed a lot since their invention. The first modern coin-operating vending machine was in England during the early 1880’s and it dispensed post cards. Since then, as Food & Wine showed us in this recent article, we’ve come a long and strange way.
This vending machine in Nanjing, China sells live “fresh” crabs. The machine maintains an internal temperature of 41F to keep the crabs in a hibernation state without killing them. If you receive a dead crab from the vending machine, the company says it will compensate you with three live ones.
Consider yourself in luck if you have a sudden craving for Imperial River Beluga Caviar wandering around Beverly Hills, Los Angeles — as long as it hits before 2 AM. A few machines in the neighborhood’s malls will sell you an ounce of the roe for a cool $500. They also have escargot, truffles, and even a $4 mother of pearl spoon. Thank goodness!
This $90,000 vending machine called “The Chef’s Farm” can grow 60 heads of lettuce a day using florescent light bulbs.
Let’s Pizza serves 10.5” “fresh” pies 24 hours a day for $6 each. The machine kneads the dough, sauces the pizza, adds toppings (you have a choice of three), and heats pizza in an oven in less than three minutes.
Located in Tokyo’s Shibuya train station, this machine dispenses both single bananas and ‘naners in bunches. Both are wrapped in plastic. At $1.50 per banana, they do cost more than what you would pay at the average Japanese grocery. BUT, Dole conveniently provides bins on the side of the vending machine where you can discard peels.
This mashed potato vending machine lives in a 7-11 in Singapore. It costs one dollar to fill your cup with hot mashed potatoes and a vat of gravy. A DOLLAR WELL SPENT.
The machine stores frozen potatoes. When an order comes in, the robot genius who lives inside will flash fry them for two minutes then season them before serving. It will cost you between $1.50-$2.00. What a deal.
Shuts down at 11pm :(
Peter-und-Paul-Hof farm got tired of delivering their food door to door, so they decided to set up vending machines.
Each morning in Nagoya, Japan this vending machine is stocked with fresh eggs. A bag of 10-12 eggs costs $3.
This German vending machine heats up partially baked bread in seconds.
So far, Sprinkles Cupcake ATMs are only in Beverly Hills and Chicago. Both are open 24 hours and a cupcake costs $4.
Bread in Paris is no joke, and now you can get it at any time of day with this baguette vending machine. The bread is partially cooked before being put in the vending machine, and then it finishes baking per order and costs approximately $1.30.
Spotted: burger vending machine in Moscow’s sheremetyevo international airport. Never miss your plane again!
From this rice vending machine in Himeji, Japan, you can get a 22-pound bag of rice for between $30-$40 depending on the variety (there are eight different kinds).
For $2, Leon’s Grill vending machine will warm a hot dog and bun then give it to you.
Mmmm hmmmm. It’ll cost you $12 per pint.
There is one vending machine for every 23 people in Japan according to the country’s Vending Machine Manufacturers Association. This one in Osaka dispenses hot food like fried chicken, squid balls, and fish fillet.
In Cedar Creek, Texas you can buy a baked pecan pie from Berdoll Pecan Farm for $17.50 right outside its retail store.
20. Vending Machine Restaurant In The Netherlands
Fast food is faster in Amsterdam with FEBO, a chain Automat that dispenses food through a vending machine. The menu includes things like croquettes stuffed with veal or beef. Everything at this restaurant costs less than $10.
For $4 you can get a cute little can of bread from this vending machine in Japan. Flavors include chocolate chip, coffee, and fruit.
These No Longer Exist But Are Worth Mentioning
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Moo Bella was a touch screen vending machine that provided freshly scooped ice cream and mix-ins producing 96 different combinations to choose from.
23. Lobster Vending Machine In Las Vegas
Tinoco’s Bistro in Las Vegas (now closed) had a live lobster claw outside the restaurant where you could put $2 in and try your luck for dinner. If you actually got a lobster, the restaurant would cook it for you free of charge.
Automats — restaurants that serve food out of vending machines — were all the rage in 20th century America until about the 1980s or so. A spot called “Bamn” in NYC’s East Village tried to revive the trend in 2006; it was short lived and closed by 2009. Pictured above, it served mostly sandwiches and burgers.
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cky3124 5 months agoIn PA the wine vending machines are in Wegmans grocery stores. Maybe other parts of the state are different but up north beer can be bought in convenient stores and its no big deal. Also, up here we have vending machines that sells live bate. Mostly worms for fishing as there is a bunch of lakes all over :)
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A.Leigh 5 months agoWaitwaitwait. I’m from Pennsylvania, and the alcohol laws are SUPER strict there. You can’t sell alcohol in any regular store (like Walmart) or gas station, unless it has a place in it that can qualify as a restaurant and applies for a liquor license on that basis, and even then there are still restrictions. And the “restaurant-in-store” exception only passed a few years ago because places like Wegmans and Giant Eagle pushed for it. So how the heck would a wine vending machine be legal?
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- dc141 thinks 25 Vending Machines You Won't... is LOL
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tsterrible 5 months agoThere are ice cream vending machines in Japan. As well as soup, other hot foods (grilled onigiri) and heaps more. I miss Japan.
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watch me boogie 5 months agoThere used to be fairly ubiquitous coffee/hot chocolate/chicken soup vending machines. They were sucky and you’d get burned if you weren’t careful, which I assume is why they’re not around anymore, but they were handy to have around, and cheap.
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mburch001 5 months agojust so you know, 11 and 20 and from the same chain in the netherlands and that isn’t hot bread it’s a kaassouffle and kroket. a kaassouffle is basically breaded deep fried dutch cheese and is sooooo much better than hot bread. sincerely, an american studying abroad in the netherlands for 3 years
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Apotheosis 5 months agoIn Japan I heard they have a “used panty” vending machine. Gross I know but I was expecting to see it.
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watch me boogie 5 months agoThey’re largely apocryphal at this point, given that they’re very illegal - maybe you could find one at the back of some shady sex shop somewhere.
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