Technology reaches everywhere, and food is not going to be an exception. Foodini isn’t going to print a T-bone steak for you, but it is a Spanish 3D printer capable of printing food and taking culinary creations to a new level. From pasta to mashed potatoes, going through the -almost- infinite applications that this equipment has in confectionery: chocolate, glazes, baking dough… Create the shapes you seek through a simple but precise system of five steel capsules and several different nozzles. And all controlled from an application or through the printer’s touch screen, with the option of creating your food designs or using the predefined shapes that Foodini has.
Of course, if this sounds good, the price may scare you a little more: about 3,450 euros (it comes with the accessory pack that makes it fully functional). And it is that, for the moment, this version of the 3D printer is designed for businesses such as restaurants or pastry shops. Will these printers come to the house in the future? For now, we will tell you the main characteristics of this futuristic proposal.
| Model | Foodini |
| Guy | A 3D printer capable of printing food |
| Screen | 10-inch touch screen |
| capsules | Five different capsules (to use different ingredients in printing) Each capsule with a maximum volume of 100ml Maximum temperature of 90 degrees |
| Impression | Pasta, chocolate, icing, mashed potatoes, tomato, etc. |
| print volume | Maximum height: 10 centimeters Diameter: 25.7 centimeters |
| Design | Dimensions: 45.8 x 43 x 43 centimeters Weight: 20 kilos Rotating base with a plate diameter of 27.8 centimeters |
| OS | Android |
| connection and app | WiFi Application for mobile and computer connected with dozens of patterns |
| Release date | Available |
| Price | About 3,450 euros for the printer with accessories |
HAUTE CUISINE ON YOUR PRINTER
The Foodini is a printer designed to bring your creations to life without needing a great pulse or a lot of experience assembling a dish. The mechanism is simple: we have a series of capsules in which we introduce the filling (it has to be a malleable food) to which a nozzle is screwed and which is fixed inside the Foodini. These capsules are made of stainless steel to prevent food from degrading or leaving traces of odor or flavor. Once inside the printer, pressure is used to print the shapes we want with the precision of a 3D printer. This allows real fancy things to be done (it is clear that the field in which Foodini shines the most is confectionery).
For example, we can make desserts with intricate decorations, chocolate figures, or even pasta dishes. Up to five capsules can be inserted inside the printer, each with an ingredient, and the printer prints according to a design or pattern we have loaded. By the way, we can place a plate or blackboard in the lower part so the food arrives ready to serve. You can also buy separately a plate and a silicone cover to print directly without using dishes. With this, what we can gain is to create dish compositions of various shapes and ingredients and then assemble the final creation.
WORKS FROM MOBILE OR COMPUTER
When it comes to squeezing all the juice out of this printer, it is convenient that we have some graphic design knowledge to assemble our creations. The tool itself is simple but can give us a game with the use of a pattern and then the possibility of importing different individual images on the pieces we will print. Each has its height parameters or use of a certain capsule. In other words, creating the sketch or idea is usually done in an external program. The application has a series of defined patterns that can give us a lot of play for all kinds of dishes.
The interface of this printer is based on the Android operating system, so it is very easy to access the app’s options if you already have a mobile with this platform. It connects to your home or business WiFi network, so you can ensure you have the program’s latest version. And how long does it take? As it is a printer that works through a pressure system (without the need to heat the material or use other types of technologies) and does not have the millimeter precision of other 3D printers, the process is much faster than with a 3D printer. Classical. Assembling a plate can take about five minutes without problems. You won’t have to wait long. And again, it can be a tool that frees up a lot of time in creating complex shapes in environments such as very demanding confectionery.
ELEGANT DESIGN WITH MATERIALS THAT CAN BE WASHED IN THE DISHWASHER
The design of the Foodini printer is very elegant, with a square format and the front that is divided between a lower part where you can see the work of the printer and the food that is being printed on the plate and an upper part with the screen ten-inch touch The way of working with this printer is simple since to introduce the capsules it is enough to open its door. It does not require assembly or headaches when starting to work with it.
So that you take into account the space it will occupy in your kitchen, it has dimensions of 45.8 x 43 x 43 centimeters and a weight of 20 kilos. Among the accessories, you have five capsules to take advantage of its potential, together with the different nozzles, the rotary plate, and the silicone cover (to directly print smaller parts of the plate). This dish can be used in the oven since it can withstand temperatures up to 220 degrees. By the way, to make things even easier, all the components of this printer can be washed in the dishwasher, including the capsules. The only thing that cannot be inserted is the capsule holders, but in this case, since they are not in direct contact with the food, they should not get dirty.
PRICE AND OPINIONS
The Foodini printer is priced at 3,450 euros (at the current exchange rate). It is an appliance that somehow anticipates the future since it is increasingly clear that many dishes we eat will be printed in three dimensions. It is an easy tool to use on paper and can greatly simplify laborious processes, especially in fields such as confectionery. Of course, there are two major barriers that we have to reckon with. The first of these is the price, which we have already described, makes its domestic use a luxury and represents a significant investment in restaurants or businesses.
I am a writer with eight years of experience writing in business and technology. I always carry a passion for learning and discovering new knowledge.