We’ve all dreamed about it. Creating delicious meals from ‘nothing.’ Now it’s possible with the Foodini, a 3D printer by Spanish start-up, Natural Machines. This magician of a machine uses 3D printing technology to create real food!
Instead of printing with plastics, it uses edible ingredients from a tube. It’s a mini food factory. How cool?
Initially, it will be intended for professional kitchens with a consumer version to follow. It’s particularly useful for creating complicated dessert decorations and recipes that require precision, like filled pasta. Currently, it only prints the food, which must then be cooked as usual, but future models will produce the food hot and ready to eat.
The company is working with food manufacturers to create pre-packaged plastic capsules that can be loaded in the machine. They promise that these will be preservative-free with a shelf life of just 5 days.
Real food means real calories, so it’s not helping us right now; it would be more useful to taste food minus the calories! Perhaps some good, old-fashioned restraint is the best method after all.
Of course, there’s a social element, too. A touch screen is connected to a website where you can share your recipes. The device can also be controlled remotely from your smartphone.
Tests have been carried out and the food has been given the thumbs up. We’re not entirely convinced by some of the pictures on CNN, but we will remain hopeful.
Kitchen appliance of your dreams?
Real food at home doesn’t have to be difficult, like this 10 minute tuna, mushroom and tomato spaghetti. Maybe you favour the labour of love required to make a gorgeous berry, hazelnut and dark chocolate brioche swirl.