When you need an emergency glass of bubbles on the Gold Coast, head to the Moet vending machine at the casino. Photo / John Cass, Newscorp
When you need an emergency glass of bubbles on the Gold Coast, head to the Moet vending machine at the casino. Photo / John Cass, Newscorp
You can now eat gourmet vending machine food. No longer limited to packets of chips and a can of coke, machines around the world now dispense farm-fresh produce, caviar, and even bottles of Moet.
And if you've got a bit of extra cash to throw around, why not buy somegold ... or even a brand new Ferrari from a vending machine?
Here are our favourites.
Champagne
Location: Gold Coast, Las Vegas, and Selfridges in London.
What you get: The Star Gold Coast's Garden Kitchen & Bar is the first venue in Australia with a champagne vending machine by Moet & Chandon. Think you need a glass? Drink the bubbly through a gold sipper on the bottle if you are truly desperate and can't wait for the bartender to bring you your glasses. Yours for just $29 each. Cheers.
Sex Toys
Location: Philadelphia
What you get: A Philadelphia-based vending machine company, PinkBox believes 'sex should be exciting, fun and safe'. Don't be shy, pick up condoms, Lelo vibrators, glass dildos and even restraint kits to help make your business a 'better place' says PinkBox. Prices start at $4 to $99. Each product is curated and hand-picked by the resident PinkBox sex-expert, so you know you're getting the best.
Gold
Location: Las Vegas, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but of course.
What you get: Gold to Go thought they were on to something when they first launched a vending machine exclusively selling gold in vending machines. Rumour has it, the machines are slowly being removed because no one is really investing in gold anymore, which is a shame, but we like the idea of encouraging novice gold investors to invest in a cool $1000 gold bar during a vay-cay in Dubai. Why not?
Crabs
Location: Nanjing, China
What you get: For just 20 RMB (about $4) you get uber fresh hairy crabs and a crab vinegar dipping sauce, as well as two ginger tea sachets to wash it all down. The vending machines are stocked daily during the months of August to October when it is crab season and demand is high. Small business owners have invested in crab vending machines to capture the late night rush for last minute crabs when 'normal' crab restaurants close. "But what are people to do at night when their stomach starts to feel empty and they want to chow down on a hairy crab and knock back some booze?" a proud crab vending machine owner told a local newspaper in China.
Luxury Cars
Location: Singapore
What you get: Rather than dealing with another mad taxidriver or listening to another Uber driver's boring life-story, drop by Singapore's latest innovative vending machine and pick up your dream Bentley, Ferrari or Lamborghini. Used car seller Autobahn Motors has opened a futuristic 15-storey showroom with more than 60 slots towering over Singapore with luxury cars in each box.
Using a touch screen, pick and choose the car you want, and in just 2-minutes drive away in your dream ride. BMW mini did something similar in Japan for times when you desperately need to buy a mini-cooper and just can't deal with another sales pitch.
Singapore's car vending machine. Photo / autobahnsg, Instagram
Fast Food
Location: Italy, USA and Australia
What you get: Pizza, Pizza, Pizza. Australian's consume more pizza than any other fast food so it makes sense to have a Pizza vending machine right?
No delivery man, no tipping, no arguments - in just 3 minutes you get a decent pizza straight from the machine. Toppings include cheese, ham, bacon and pepperoni and there is even a window to watch your pizza evolve from flour to glorious grease-dinner in a flash. In Australia, look out for Pizza Vending machines in Westfield Malls which sell for just under $13.
Other great fast food vending machines which extend well past the normal chips and crackers include, BurritoBox in Los Angeles and FEBO in Amsterdam for hamburgers in a flash.
What you get: Gourmets will no longer shop hungry with caviar vending machines in most shopping malls now. From as little as $500 for 30g, you can get the ultimate Imperial River Beluga Caviar at the drop of a hat. If you don't like fish eggs, there are Italian truffles and even mother of pearl plates and spoons to wrap up your gourmet picnic on a whim. Oh and don't forget to pick up the red salmon caviar for your dog.
Guitar Strings
Location: Oregon and Melbourne
What you get: Hipster city, Portland, Oregon is known for its musicians and buzzing night life with cool jazz bars and craft breweries on every street corner. Guitar Strings and even drum sticks are dispensed for moments when you have a surprise gig and can't find your guitar picks. In Melbourne, Clingan Guitar Tone have joined the fun with a similar vending machine.
Underwear and Socks
Locations: Japan and USA
What you get: You can find vending machines selling underwear all over Japan. The idea is to use them and throw them out — if you are a roving traveller it definitely makes sense — no dirty laundry!
Calvin Klein loved the idea and started placing CK vending machines in shopping malls around the US, because you never know when you might need to look like The Biebs. For colourful socks, vending machines in South Korea are the latest thing to flood Instagram.
A Calvin Klein underwear vending machine. Photo / cammazza, Instagram
Bike parts and Bikes
Locations: Brooklyn, USA and Amsterdam
What you get: Hipsters of Brooklyn take bike riding seriously and have rallied behind a bike parts vending machine. And if you happen to be in the Netherlands, you can pick up a bike from a vending machine in Amsterdam, considered the most bicycle-friendly city in the world.
Bananas, Eggs, Rice, Cabbage and farm-fresh lettuce
Location: Japan
What you get: Japan is notorious for their vending machines so it is no surprise you can get bananas, eggs and even cabbage in street-corner vending machines. Everything is delivered daily and they even work with local farms.
The Italian jean brand Closed Jeans offer their product in vending machines throughout the country. Unfortunately, no refunds once they drop down the chute. But in Australia, the most common apparel machine is for jandals — with Havaianas machines popping up in many local shopping centres.
You'll see plenty of these machines popping up in Australian shopping centres, this Havaianas vending machine at Westfield Chatswood in Sydney. Photo / News Limited
Plates and porcelains to smash
Locations: USA and Canada
What you get: Apparently it is therapeutic to smash plates and expensive China to get over a breakup or bad day at the office. Well, if you need to vent some anger, then stop by the latest vending machine dispensing plates, glass and other ugly ceramics to help you get through your day. The Anger Release Machine has been spotted in Canada and the US.
Putin Memorabilia
Location: Russia
What you get? Heading to a rally and don't really look the part? Stop at a vending machine in Russia and pick up some Putin paraphernalia to help share your message.
