We all love our latte art. Every casual Instagrammer out there has at least one of these frothy photos in their collection. You know exactly what I’m talking about – the flowers, hearts, and dragons (an example of why there are competitions specifically for this kind of thing) that adorn our lattes and cappuccinos from hipster coffee houses (you won’t find any of this art at Starbucks) and scream to the world how hip and pretentious we are.
Now there’s a company who’s taken latte art to the next level. Steam CC has developed The Ripple Maker (yes, that’s its real name), a device that creates incredibly detailed graphics, in the form of personalized messages and art, in the foam of your drink. Just remember, while the images are temporary, a photo (you know you were going to take one anyway) is forever.
The current version is for commercial use and has already been tested at multiple coffee venues in NYC. The Ripple Maker combines patented printing technologies with coffee extract-filled “Ripple Pods” to create the ripples.
“The reaction to the Ripple Maker from coffee shop owners, baristas and the general public has been as extraordinary as the coffee art they have collectively created,” said Yossi Meshulam, CEO of Steam CC, parent of Ripples, in a statement. “With the addition of the extensive content library and robust consumer app, we look forward to offering the Ripples experience to many more countries and venues around the world.”
Here are just a few examples of the options you can have atop your coffee:
- Image via coffeeripples.com
Your beloved pug, Professor Butterkins.
Image via coffeeripples.com
An inspirational quote.
Image via coffeeripples.com
Some dude.
I mean, who right now isn’t dying to sip the head off of a pug?
If the coffee shop you’re going to has the Ripple Maker, it’s your job to make sure you have the app that works along with it. The Coffee Ripples App makes lets you create and send a personal message through the medium of foam. The app functionality allows the user to choose an existing image from Ripples’ content library, or to submit an image from their camera roll. Users can also edit, scale, filter and even add text to the image before they send. It is currently available on iOS, with Android versions launching in February 2016.
Just remember, while the images are temporary, a photo (you know you were going to take one anyway) is forever.
The Ripple Maker will be demoing at CES 2016.