Fresh pizza, from a vending machine
- March 26, 2009
- Food News, Savory Stuff
- 11 comments
Pizza is not a difficult food to find. There are tons of places that will deliver a hot pie to your door in less than 30 minutes, what seems like hundreds of different brands in the freezer case of the supermarket, and too many pizzerias – good and bad – to count. Most people would say that the best pizza is one made from fresh dough and baked in a super-hot stone oven. But what about a pizza made with fresh dough that is baked in a vending machine?
Researchers at the University of Bologna in Italy, in conjunction with Unilever, have developed a pizza vending machine that, for a few Euros, will bake a fresh pizza in under three minutes. The machine includes technology to mix ingredients and roll out the dough, spread sauce and toppings, and cook the pizza itself; each one is essentially made to order. The pizza is baked using “infra-red rays” as opposed to a traditional oven (which might be something of a fire hazard in a vending machine), but there are windows on the machine so you can watch the process from start to finish, much as you would in a “real” pizzeria. A video demonstrating how it works is available online.
Unilever is planning to launch the machine in Italy in a few weeks, and hopes for a launch overseas in the near future. While the pizza probably won’t compare to a hand-tossed, artisan-made pie, I can think of a few frozen brands that it will definitely be better than. And if any of the US launches are near college towns, this pizza vending machine just might have a real future.
11 Comments
I would love to see that in the states. That would be a hit.
OH THIS IS AWESOME!! I need one of these somewhere close to my apartment so I can get fresh pizza whenever I like. What a magnificent creation!
My school had a “French Fry” vending machine my freshman year. The fries were alright, but not as good as those bought from the dining halls. It was a trial thing and I guess didn’t stick.
It did make the hall smell like yumminess all day though.
Pizza in a vending machine sounds weird but potentially awesome.
i read about this, too! how funny!
I really enjoy finding interesting vending machines and this certainly qualifies! I would so like to try it. I saw a french fry vending machine in the train station in Melk, Austria. The fries weren’t bad and the discovery was quite unexpected and entertaining. Weird and awesome and smile-worthy!
Hmm…I’m curious to see whether the pizzas will actually taste good or not.
I thought these were amazing when I first saw them in the news. I live in a town that boasts a large state university, and I’m hoping if/when they launch in the US all those hungry students might lure a few machines this way so I can see one in action!
OK, I thought the Pizza-on-the-grill thing was unusual. But OK. Whatever, it’s 2009. Vending machine pizza? Hope its better than vending machine coffee. I’ll believe it when I taste it.
What will they think of next? I’d love a hot slice of pizza after installing a dog fence,cat pet containment or training a dog in Wilmington, NC. I’ll have to look for one of those vending machines here in North Carolina while operating Contain A Pet.