Australian company pioneering hot chip vending machine

Vending machines have long been the easiest and most convenient way to grab a quick snack. The money goes in, the technology works its magic internally and out comes your choice.

While they are often solely used to distribute candy bars and drinks, an Australian company is pioneering a vending machine which will serve freshly fried chips.

Perth-based The Hot Chips Company is set to roll its latest creation across the country – with the ability to cook frozen chips in a little over two minutes.

The machine has been in development for close to five years in partnership with Western Australian potato processors Bendotti Exporters.

Frozen to cooked in two minutes

“You put your money in and it (the chips) goes from frozen to the fryer and in your cup within two minutes and 20 seconds,” explained Bendotti Exporters director Stephen Bendotti in an interview with ABC News.

The venture is the latest addition to the extensive back catalogue of interesting investments from Perth-based businessman Peter Malone.

The inner-workings of the machine are surprisingly complex, with the chips cooked in a 10 litre vat of rice bran oil – the temperature of which is maintained by a thermometer – in the base of the machine.

“It’s a very sophisticated computer essentially, in a lot of ways. [It’s] robotic technology delivering a cup of hot chips … to the user,” Mr Malone said.

The company is now hoping to roll out the machine in time for next Christmas, with an eye on extending internationally in the not too distant future.

5,000 units by 2017

The ultimate aim is to have 200 of the machines up and running by the end of the year, with production increasing to 1,000 and 5,000 units in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Those keen to try the chips can do so in three locations at present – two service stations in Adelaide and at the IBIS Budget airport hotel in Perth.

The machine houses a freezer at the top, the fryer in the middle and the fresh chips are distributed at the bottom. While the system is innovative, it highlights some of the issues that revolve around the accurate testing of cooking oil.

Keeping temperature and quality consistent is a key challenge for any business in the food service industry looking to fry foodstuffs in this particular way.

The testo 270 Cooking Oil Tester is both quick and accurate and perfect for use in commercial kitchens. The unit tests oil directly, meaning that control measurements can be taken and analysed incredibly quickly while the cooking process is ongoing.