Could the Ripple cause a wave?

The World Latte Art Championships might have seen Caleb Cha of Australia emerge victorious to pick up a golden gong, but his undoubted skill with milk foam could soon be obsolete.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the world’s best barista, the best free pourer in the world or just a regular barista working in a regular coffee shop, the chances are you’ll have nothing on the Ripple.

The Ripple is an automated machine which can decorate your speciality brew with any picture or message within seconds. Want your latte to say ‘no coffee, no party?’ No problem. Want it to be topped off with a picture of a celebrity? No problem

By using special cartridges that are filled with a natural coffee extract, the Ripple is capable of reproducing images on to steamed milk. It does so by using methods commonly found in traditional inkjet and 3D printers. And it can take less than ten seconds to produce its work of art.

Technology ey?

So how do customers choose their design?

Customers will only be able to dictate their design to the machine via the use of a mobile app. But as everybody is connected anyway and that we all live in the age of the smartphone, we don’t think that’s an issue.

It’s expected to cost just $1,000, which means it’s pretty cheap and fairly accessible to a bunch of business – though the $75 per month subscription service thereafter might put a few noses out of joint.

But businesses are already beginning to warm to the idea of the Ripple: It seems that the German-based airline Lufthansa has already decided to use the machine in its airport lounges.

Could the Ripple cause a wave?