The History and Technological Development of Coffee Vending Machines

A vending machine is a machine that provides snacks, beverages, newspapers, magazines, lottery tickets, gold, and other products to consumers without a cashier. Items sold via these machines vary by country and region.

The first recorded reference to a vending machine is found in the work of Hero of Alexandria, a first-century engineer and mathematician. His machine accepted a coin and then dispensed a fixed amount of holy water. When the coin was deposited, it fell upon a pan attached to a lever. The lever opened up a valve which let some water flow out. The pan continued to tilt with the weight of the coin until it fell off, at which point a counter-weight would snap the lever back up and turn off the valve.

Despite this early precedent, vending machines had to wait for the Industrial Age before they came to prominence. The first modern coin-operated vending machines were introduced in London, England in the early 1880s, dispensing post cards. The first vending machine in the U.S. was built in 1888 by the Thomas Adams Gum Company, selling gum on train platforms. The idea of adding simple games to these machines as a further incentive to buy came in 1897 when the Pulver Manufacturing Company added small figures, which would move around whenever somebody bought some gum from their machines. This simple idea spawned a whole new type of mechanical device known as the "trade stimulators". The birth of slot machines and pinball is ultimately rooted in these early devices.

The coffee vending machine technology has certainly encountered significant advancements in the past few years. As office businesses continue to grow from time to time, a lot of companies are offering their employees the comfort of using coffee vending machines in their premises. In line with these, many vending machine companies are exploring ways for the technology to be more efficient.

In the past years, vending machines were often considered as flawed due to weak kinds of drinks and lack of choices. However, with the technological advancements, vending machines now utilise tools to ensure that cups are loaded with the right quantity of coffee. Coffee dispensers nowadays also come in a wider variety of sizes and are in fact more cost-effective. In addition, modern units are available in different designs and features, with added tools for people to experience more comfort and convenience with every purchase.

Technological developments in coffee vending machines have also directed a broader selection of drinks available. These drinks range from fair-trade coffee, green teas, and hot chocolates. It is also usual for some machines to offer a variety of cold drinks such as filtered water and fruit juices. To cope with the improvements in the society, there are also hybrid types that are available in the market. This innovation offers the best quality caffeine drinks as well as a richer selection of teas and hot chocolates. Accordingly, since these advanced dispensers are more complicated in terms of function and mechanical details, they require more cleaning and maintenance than the ones in the past. [source : Coffee Vending Machines]