Every January, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is held
in Las Vegas to show off new electrical appliances. This year, the show saw one
of the sweetest ideas yet - literally! American firm 3D Systems revealed their delicious 3D printers that are able to
print edible 3-dimensional goods, including sweets and chocolates that would
otherwise be virtually impossible to make.
“Food is an incredible platform for
creativity, experimentation and celebration and we are thrilled to place these
powerful 3D printers in bakers and chef’s kitchens,” Liz von Hasseln, Creative Director of Food Products at 3D Systems told the Independent, adding “We invite leading pastry chefs, restaurateurs
and event planners to join us in bringing 3D printing into the kitchen.”
The printer will be available to
buy later in the year and will come in two models; the ChefJet, and the ChefJet pro,
so that both cutting-edge confectioners and ambitious amateurs can use and
appreciate this amazing appliance in their restaurants and bakeries. The
manufacturers will also be releasing a smartphone app for it, called The Digital Cookbook, with instructions on
how to make a fair few treats and goodies for those who’d rather play it a
little safer and stick to a recipe than make a mess of their kitchen.
Although 3D printing isn’t an
entirely new concept, the ChefJet is
the only product of its kind to be able to commercially produce food, taking
kitchen gadgets to a whole new level. Therefore, as you can probably imagine,
it doesn’t come cheap. The basic model costs around £3000, with the advanced
version costing double that.
So, how does it work? Well, after
you’ve inputted a file of your chosen design from your PC or smartphone, the
printer spreads very thin layers of chocolate or sugar on top of each other to
make complex and futuristic-looking sweets. Also, by infusing the sugar with
anything that takes your fancy, like vanilla or cherry for example, there is no
end to the different treats that are now, thanks to the ChefJet, possible for humans to create!
Willy Wonka, eat your heart out!
By Emily Bonner,
year 8
