back to article Mock choc shock: 3D candy printer is good news for sweet-toothed swingbellies

Behold the latest marvel of wonder technology: the CocoJet, a 3D printer that can create intricate chocolate structures that will then be crushed in eager mouths. Youtube Video The machine, built by 3D Systems, uses nozzles to pump down dark, milk, and white chocolate onto software-specified designs. The brown stuff comes …

  1. JDX Gold badge

    3D food printing

    How long before Heston Blumenthal starts using one in his restaurants?

  2. MrT

    Sounds like it's from The Gadget Man...

    ...Series 3 Episode 7 - a robotised restaurant...

    Some of the gadgets are on this page, especially the Foodini 3D food printer, and clips from the show can be seen on the show's homepage here

  3. goldfish

    Hershey stands for a unique chocolate flavour..........

    I remember I was over in the States for the first time, and bought a Hershey bar, thinking it would be like a Cadbury's Dairy Milk

    was I ever disappointed......

    Now if they come up with a Cadbury's 3D printer, I'll be in the queue

    1. Zog_but_not_the_first
      Unhappy

      Re: Hershey stands for a unique chocolate flavour..........

      Yep. Must be hard to tell if you've filled the reservoir with Hershey or thermoplastic.

    2. sorry, what?
      Pint

      Re: Hershey stands for a unique chocolate flavour..........

      You have been far too kind to Hershey. It isn't disappointing, it is foul. Like eating brown, flavourless toothpaste mixed with powdered cardboard and some disgusting and weird sweetener. How the Mericans can eat it I don't know.

      A pint of goat urine would be more pleasant to consume.

      1. Eddy Ito

        Re: Hershey stands for a unique chocolate flavour..........

        A pint of goat urine would be more pleasant to consume.

        Bud? Really? You've really got to stop consuming the mass market US food stuffs and stick with the small craft makers products. It doesn't matter if it's chocolate or beer. There is a reason the trots are often referred to as 'the hershey squirts' here in the states.

      2. Big-nosed Pengie

        Re: Hershey stands for a unique chocolate flavour..........

        "Hershey chocolate" is an oxymoron.

        1. JDX Gold badge

          Re: It doesn't matter if it's chocolate or beer...

          I have to say, I couldn't disagree more. That distinction is very important to me, at least!

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hershey stands for a unique chocolate flavour..........

      It didn't seem like Hershey's was bad when I was young (sadly, 40-some years ago), but now it is just candle wax with dirt sprinkled in. In fact, all the bulk candy bars now seem waxy and flavorless. Wasn't sure if it was just my taste buds dieing off or me becoming snobbish, but after reading these comments I'm willing to think it may be a third option, that manufacturers have been slowly removing all traces of actual chocolate from their goo vats.

      Hershey's recently complained that chocolate prices may drastically increase because of shortages of cocoa beans. I'm guessing that won't affect them much.

      1. Blank-Reg
        Mushroom

        Re: Hershey stands for a unique chocolate flavour..........

        Hershey's: Free from all natural ingredients

    4. Cliff

      Re: Hershey stands for a unique chocolate flavour..........

      Unique flavour...

      Brown crayons, from memory.

  4. A Non e-mouse Silver badge

    But why wait for a fancy machine to take your precious chocolate* and make it into intricate shapes? Why not just scoff the chocolate instead of putting it into the machine? Chocolate satisfaction in much less time.

    * I'm using the word "chocolate" in it's loosest sense here, as we're dealing with Hershey

    1. Steven Raith

      Remove print assembly from printer.

      Place print assembly over mouth.

      Enable heating element/feeder.

      Open mouth.

      Press print.

      Enjoy.

  5. Mike Flex

    "How does it taste? Not good, if the current standards of what Hershey euphemistically calls chocolate here in the US. The firm describes it as "edible," which doesn't inspire confidence."

    To be fair, 'edible' would be an improvement on over-the-counter Hershey's.

  6. Steve Aubrey

    Mr i.am

    Reminiscent of when the New York Times called a singer "Mr Loaf".

    Look it up.

    Don't look too far, or you'll find it's a legend. Great story, though.

  7. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. Allan George Dyer

      Re: "A pint of goat urine would be more pleasant to consume"

      Have you ever been to a Budweiser factory?

    2. John Bailey

      Re: "A pint of goat urine would be more pleasant to consume"

      "I have to ask how you might know this?"

      Most of us have tried American Beer.

      For the fresh goat urine mouth feel, allow it to reach body temprature.

  8. PhilipN Silver badge

    'Why?" "Because we can."

    Any confectioner - or, come to think of it, housewife back when I were a wee laddie - could make attractive, edible - nay, tasty - shapes using one of those conical squirty things with a nozzle.

    On the other hand, if I can get supplies from the chemical factory piped directly to a 3D printer at my home, and then "print" the same pre-packed junk which goes into my supermarket basket every week, I shall buy one.

    It wouldn't surprise me if Tyson is working on the same thing with ground chicken.

    1. P. Lee

      Re: 'Why?" "Because we can."

      Over-the-top chocolate crayon provision?

      Tastes rather like Hilliers in Aus. Nice packaging but tastes like the "Kandos" stuff available in Sri Lanka 30 years ago. I had to spit it out.

      My understanding is that they do something to it to stop it melting in the heat - which is presumably why the Sri Lankan, American and Australian chocolate all taste equally revolting. Even global brands like Cadburys, kit-kat etc are awful in Australia. I never buy any choccies but the imported Lindt now. Everything else is disappointing.

      1. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

        Re: 'Why?" "Because we can."

        The former British colonies don't have an oligopoly on poor quality chocolate. I've had some pretty poor stuff from Austria, Denmark and Norway too.

        Unlike Hershey, Australian chocolate, while not always up to the standards on Western Europe's best, doesn't taste like vomit.

        However I also tend to stick to Lindt when it comes to plain dark chocolate.

  9. skeptical i
    Meh

    Quality not required.

    FWIW, here's what the U.S. gubmint says can go into something labeled "chocolate" -- http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/ComplianceManuals/CompliancePolicyGuidanceManual/ucm074446.htm --

    "The label of a nonstandardized food which bears no artificial chocolate flavor or natural flavor derived from a source other than cacao beans may bear the term "chocolate" (in contrast to "chocolate flavor") provided the product meets one of the following conditions [ ... ]."

    Good beans, crap beans, the lesser cuts of the beans (after the filet mignon equivalent has gone into a higher-end product under another marque) -- as long as it comes from cacao beans, you're golden.

    In Hershey's defense, their "special dark" bars are not bad and are usually the second ones picked out of the bowl whenever someone brings a bag of individual bite-sized candy bars for a meeting (peanut butter cups go first). As uninspiring as Hershey's milk chocolate is, true sadness comes in products that include "made with real chocolate!" on the label; one deduces that if not for this announcement the consumer would not notice.

    1. Ken Y-N
      Alert

      Much like the allergy warning on peanuts

      Perhaps Hershey's should use the following warning label:

      Hershey's chocolate. WARNING: This product may not contain chocolate.

  10. Mark 85

    Only Hershey's?

    I would hope that other "brands"/makers/marques would work. Fancy shapes...pfft. Flavor is everything. Or is their market certain members of a certain generation to whom it's style over substance?

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Hershey goodness"???????

    "We are now using 3D technology to bring Hershey goodness to consumers in unanticipated and exciting ways"

    F*cking hell, that's an oxymoron. On the same level as "Military Intelligence" and "Microsoft Works"

  12. JDX Gold badge

    Would it work with dairy products?

    Printed cheese or butter designs would be pretty cool.

  13. Mike 16

    Typical time to market for 3D Printing

    I recall reading of an IBM "wax spitter" rapid-prototyping system which printed a nice IBM logo in chocolate, over 15 years ago. Of course, I remember capability-based operating systems and usable, context-sensitive help systems for computers back in the 1970s as well. I guess the developers that will bring them to market are still backlogged on the flying cars.

    1. JDX Gold badge

      Re: Typical time to market for 3D Printing

      And that IBM system was available for consumer purchase at a reasonable price?

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