To be fair, I’ll eat chocolate regardless of what form it takes, but perhaps there’s some truth to the notion that things taste even better when they look, well, too good to eat. And now, thanks to the magic that is 3D printing, you can design your own chocolate masterpieces that are as stunning as they are scrumptious. It’s all thanks to the XOCO, a 3D printer that allows its user to create customized objects in chocolate.
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Whether you’re an innovative restaurateur, an amateur chef, or just a chocolate devotee, the famed design team behind Michiel Cornelissen Ontwerp is convinced that XOCO is for you. Whereas much of 3D-printing technology has been aimed at less, well, edible ends (think 3D-printed skin, 3D-printed houses, and 3D-printed shoes), XOCO is looking to broaden the horizons when it comes to the possibilities behind the technology. And what better way to delight the senses with the potential of 3D printing than with chocolate?
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“Current 3D printers are usually technical, businesslike objects,” the design firm says on its website. But with these new chocolate creations, the company hopes to “show that also in this category it is possible to create a product which not only works great, but feels right in the food-centered environments it is intended for.”
The XOCO depends upon a polar coordinate system featuring a rotating build plate, a printhead, and glass cover.
“Everything in the design contributes to giving the process of printing a visually open impression, adding to the experience of creating your customized sweets,” the designers say. And to allow you to keep tabs on how long it’ll be before you can consume your chocolate, there’s a multicolored LED ring around the base of the printer that serves as a sort of timer.
“All elements of the XOCO ecosystem of product, graphics, interaction, app and consumables contribute to a perfect creative experience for cooks and their guests,” Michiel Cornelissen Ontwerp says, so if you’re a proponent of tasting with your eyes first, you may want to create your next desserts with the XOCO.
