As further proof that you can now 3-D-print anything, a company called Natural Machines has introduced a 3-D printer for food.

    The "Foodini," as it's called, isn't too different from a regular 3-D printer, but instead of printing with plastics, it deploys edible ingredients squeezed out of stainless steel capsules.

    "It's the same technology," said Lynette Kucsma, co-founder of Natural Machines, "but with plastics there's just one melting point, whereas with food it's different temperatures, consistencies and textures. Also, gravity works a little bit against us, as food doesn't hold the shape as well as plastic."

    At the Web Summit technology conference in Dublin that closed last week, the Barcelona-based startup showed off the machine, which it said is the only one of its kind capable of printing a wide range of dishes, from sweet to savory.

    "In essence, this is a mini food manufacturing plant shrunk down to the size of an oven," Kucsma said, pointing out that at least in the initial stage the printer will be targeted mostly at professional kitchen users, with a consumer version to follow, at a projected retail price of around US$1,000.

    Natural Machines said that it's designed to take care only of the difficult and time-consuming parts of food preparation that discourage people from cooking at home, and that it promotes healthy eating by requiring fresh ingredients prepared before printing.

    The printing process is slow, but faster than regular 3-D printing. Other than being capable of creating complex designs, such as very detailed cake decorations or food arranged in unusual shapes, the Foodini can be useful for recipes that require precision and dexterity, like homemade pizza or filled pasta.

    Currently, the device only prints the food, which must be then cooked as usual. But a future model will also cook the preparation and produce it ready to eat.

    Words to Learn 相关词汇

    可食用的

    kě shíyòng de

    edible

    fit to be eaten, eatable     

    重力

    zhònglì

    gravity

    heaviness or weight     

    汉堡可以直接“打印”了

    最近一家名叫“自然机器”的公司发明了可以打印食物的3D打印机，似乎要进一步证明现在3D打印可以用于任何领域。

    这台名叫“Foodini”的机器和其它普通的3D打印机差别不大，但是它的原料不是塑料，而是使用从不锈钢胶囊盒里挤出来的食材打印。

    自然机器公司的联合创始人利奈特·库斯马表示“Foodini使用的技术跟其它3D打印机一样。不同的是，塑料只有一个熔点，而打印食物的机器需要设置不同的熔点来适应不同的温度、粘稠度和食物材质。重力也是一个棘手的问题，因为食物不像塑料，容易因重力变形。”

    上周在都柏林举行的网络技术峰会上，位于巴塞罗那的创业公司展示了这台机器，称这是唯一一种能够打印各种的食物的3D打印机，无论是甜点还是开胃菜都不在话下。

    “其实它就是一台烤箱大小的小型食品加工厂，”库斯马说，他表示至少在最初阶段foodini的目标客户是专业厨师，接下来还有会有针对大众的版本，零售价预计在1000美元左右。

    自然机器公司说，这台机器的目的是帮助人们省去最耗时最复杂的食物制作工序，要求用户准备新鲜的食材作为打印原料，以此提倡健康饮食。

    Foodini打印食物的速度较慢，但快于普通3D打印机。除了可以打印造型复杂的食物如精美的蛋糕装饰或特殊摆盘的菜肴外，它还可以用于打印菜谱对精确性和灵巧性要求高的食物，比如自制披萨饼或意大利带馅面食。

    目前机器打印的食材还需常规煮熟，但未来的机器可将食材加工成可食用的成品。