Israeli Device Lets You Make 3D Artistic Designs on Your Cappuccinos

In the past, only the most skillful of baristas held the power to transform an everyday latte into an artistic masterpiece. But now, an Israeli device called The Ripple Maker is bringing latte art to a whole new level, even for the simplest of coffee drinkers. Soon, your cappuccino could be covered with 3D-printed froth featuring hundreds of stunning designs and cartoons.

The innovative coffee technology called “coffee ripples”, made by Israeli startup Steam CC, allows users to print complex designs atop their drinks, such as photographs taken from their cellphone cameras or even personal phrases like “Happy Birthday” – within seconds!

The device works by combining 3D printing mechanics with an ink jet-like system that prints out a natural coffee extract, known as ripple pods. The machine then injects the printed material into the foam that tops a cup of coffee. Simply put, the coffee extract functions as the paint and the milk froth is the canvas.

The startup behind the foam printer, Steam CC, was founded by CEO Yossi Meshulam almost two years ago. Since then, his team has been developing and testing out the machine in both Tel Aviv and New York. The company received an undisclosed amount in seed funding from Landa Ventures, a venture capital firm run by Israeli 3D printing pioneer Benny Landa.

The Ripple Maker

Customized latte at your fingertip

To create the caffeinated artwork, the barista selects a design among the hundreds available on the Ripple Maker’s content library. If the customer wants a more customized topping, such as a phrase or a personal photograph, then they can even submit their own image from their camera through a Wi-Fi network. Once the image is selected, it can then be edited, scaled, and filtered – no pun intended.

In the coming months, the company will launch a mobile app, thorough which users will be able to upload images to its printing library.

One the highlights of the machine, in addition to its artistic capabilities, is its speed. “The entire operation takes about ten seconds. To make a proper cup of coffee takes at least one to two minutes, so the extra few seconds the Ripple Maker requires is negligible,” Meshulam told The Times of Israel.

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