For some of us, it seems that drinks made in coffee shops or bars are somehow just "better" than those we make at home. If you're one of those folks, you might be interested in the home-use FrazyBot custom-beverage-making machine.
Set to debut at CES next month in Las Vegas, the FrazyBot is made by California-based startup Frazy. The company was founded by Balaji Krishnan, who previously brought us the wireless, port-less, remote-less Displace TV.
At the heart of the FrazyBot is its base module, which sits on the kitchen counter … or anyplace else with an electrical outlet, for that matter. Among other things, it incorporates a control screen and a reservoir for user-supplied base liquids such as water, milk or different types of alcohol.
Various "drink modules" can be plugged into the base module, depending on what general sort of beverage is desired. Users are able to choose between modules designed for coffee-based drinks, tea, boba, cocktails or mocktails.
By going to the FrazyBot website, each user can choose the specific drink they plan on having the machine make for them – they can even stipulate precisely how they want that drink to be made. The necessary fresh ingredients get sealed in an airtight box at Frazy HQ, then shipped to the user.
When the box is subsequently placed in the drink module, a QR code on that box tells the module how to proceed. It starts as soon as the user pushes a single button.
The FrazyBot doesn't just mix and heat the ingredients, it reportedly also does things like grinding coffee beans, frothing milk, salting glass rims, drizzling caramel on whipped cream, and even drawing little hearts in latte foam. And once the drink-making/serving process is complete, the machine self-cleans itself and deposits any waste materials into a disposable trash box.
All of this having been said, the FrazyBot is not cheap. It will be available for preorder during CES at a special price of US$3,999 – that includes one drink module and two ingredient boxes of the buyer's choice. We're told that additional drink modules will go for $2,499 a pop, while the price of ingredient boxes will vary, but should be around $3 to $8 each – one box makes one cup of its respective drink.
The machine can also be leased for $49 per month, with additional drink modules going for $34 a month.
Source: Frazy