You may soon be able to 3D print your dinner in the comfort of your own home. Mashable writes that there's a new food printer on the market that is actually affordable compared to other models. XYZPrinting's latest model — which the company introduced at the CES 2015 tech show last weekend — will cost less than $2,000. CNET even puts the figure as low as $500. It's comparable in size to a typical "all-in-one-printer," and it features a five-inch touch screen.
Functionally, the XYZPrinting 3D food printer prints out cookable, dough-based foods in layers ranging from .8 to 6.4mm, with a maximum print size of 7.8 in. by 5.9 in. by 5.9 in. Essentially, it can print items that, once cooked, would result in cookies, breakfast pastries, and possibly even small cakes. A company representative tells Mashable that the designs for the 3D printed pastries will sit on the printer's cloud-based storage service and can be downloaded directly to the printer. Plus, all of the food designs will be screened and approved by the company's "foodie guru" before they are added. Phew. The printer is slated to go on sale later this year.
3D printed food appears to be the way of the future; multiple companies are working on the technology. One company has created the Chef Jet which is the "the first 3D printer [specifically] for pastry chefs." It can make everything from small candies to intricate cake toppers. Others have used 3D printers to print everything from Nutella to stunning ice sculptures. Check out a video of XYZPrinting's printer in action below: