The First Molecular Beverage Printer Claims To Make Over 1,000 Different Drinks

Meet George Jetson and his Cana One molecular beverage printer. While we are well past the date some expected for hoverboards and commuting to work in flying cars, we will potentially have a full grocery store beverage aisle at our fingertips in a few short years. Scientists at Cana claim to have identified and isolated the "molecules that drive flavor and aroma" and packaged those ingredients in a few long-lasting cartridges that can recreate and dispense a range of beverages.

If you want iced coffee in the morning, a soft drink with lunch, and a cocktail in the evening, the Cana One beverage printer is here to help. According to Food & Wine, three years of researching the molecular composition of different beverages allowed the researchers at the Redwood City, California-based tech company to create a countertop beverage maker to fit consumers' varying tastes. The molecular base for drinks — from energy drinks to wine — is within the ingredient cartridge touted by the company as the replacement for endless drink pods.

Beverage enthusiasts can use the touch screen to customize drinks made with the ingredient cartridge, water, sugar cartridge, carbonation cylinder, and spirits cartridge found inside the machine. Users can control the amount of sugar, alcohol, and caffeine in their drinks, with a pin code to keep kids from accessing specific ingredients. The company says that by using only quality ingredients in its cartridges, the flavor of its beverages rivals that of any drink from a store or bar. 

Cana has created the first-of-its-kind molecular home beverage dispenser, enabling consumers to create hundreds of different drinks from a single ingredient cartridge (via Food & Wine). The tech company hopes the ability to create thousands of flavor options from one machine will impact what we drink and how we consume beverages from a sustainability standpoint. How does this futuristic drink maker stack up with the current beverage industry standards?

By ditching single-use pods, bottles, and cans, Cana is taking aim at the 3,500 beverage containers that the average American household goes through annually, of which only 20% is recycled. The company also notes that its beverage machine could considerably cut down on the 400 trillion liters of water used to "grow and process beverage ingredients worldwide." Cana is also partnered with Ocearch to provide an "eco-conscious alternative" to packaging currently used by the beverage industry.

The ingredient cartridge lasts at least a month, according to Cana, and is shipped as needed free of cost. However, it's not entirely free, as consumers will be paying $0.29 to $3 per drink, depending on what beverage they choose to order from their machine. The company claims that this is up to 50% cheaper than beverages purchased from a restaurant or retailer. You will of course also have to purchase the machine, which can be pre-ordered for a $99 deposit. This goes toward the special price of $499 for the first 10,000 machines sold. The beverage maker will cost $799 after that number is reached, and will start shipping in early 2023.