Need Art with Your Coffee? Get One of These

If you spend any time at all with Scot and me in the morning, you know that we're coffee guys, through and through. We're grateful to have Meg's Daily Grind as our official coffee sponsor, as we might not make it through each day were it not for Meg's and their amazing coffees.

However, as we discussed this morning, making it each day ourselves, in addition to our other "work" responsibilities, we just don't have the time to create a work of art on each mug we consume. Sure, we'd love to have something fancy design looking back at us as we take our first chug-a-lug sip each day, but we just don't have the budget to hire our own barista.

Luckily, someone has come up with a solution to one of the ultimate "first world problems."

From 3dprint.com:

3D printing enthusiasts and coffee lovers all over the world will be hoisting their disposable coffee cups and warm, earthenware mugs alike in salute to messages written with Ripples, due to a new technology that employs both 3D printing and inkjet technology.

The Ripple Maker is a small (only 8.5″ x 10.5″), wifi connected device that allows you to embellish that delicious coffee milk foam with a natural coffee extract using Ripple Pods, which extrude the written or visual liquid stamp.

Meant for use in the corner coffee shop, the neighborhood cafe, and everywhere involved with selling foamy java, Ripples allow a way to connect very personally with others, showing that you remember a customer or friend’s birthday or other special date, as well as just allowing for an elegant way to say hello or get quite the conversation percolating. This is also a great way for a vendor to show, quite simply, that they remember a customer by name. 

Take a look at the Ripple Maker:

Real-life use:

Wait, what? How much is one of those units, you ask?

You could buy one for yourself to impress your friends at dinner parties, but with a price tag of $999 (£634) and a monthly fee subscription fee of $75 (£47), that might seem a little excessive.

Excuse me, but I'll define "excessive" myself. Unless my wife says it's excessive. Then, forget about it.