Five Crazy Meals To Get Out Of A Machine

Few cities take food as seriously as Paris does bread. Now they've taken le pain game to the next level with the first 24-hour automated baguette dispenser. Jean-Louis Hecht calls the machine the "bakery of tomorrow," selling the baguettes for 1 euro each. If tomorrow includes 1 dollar instant bread coming to America, we can't wait for the future. 

Do you suddenly need a cup of mashed potatoes and gravy right now? Head to any 7-Eleven in Singapore and hit up their mashed potato vending machines. Simply put your cup under the spout (or if you're really hungry, a Big Gulp cup), and push a button to have warm mashed potatoes and gravy delivered to you in a few short seconds. Now it can taste like Thanksgiving dinner year-round! 

The "freshman fifteen" was a worry for us all, and we weren't facing half the temptation students at Xavier University in Cincinnati are. The university has partnered with French company Paline to install the first "pizza ATM" in North America. For $10, students can choose their pizza from the touch screen menu, wait three minutes, and receive their hot pizza in a ready-to-go cardboard box. Open 24/7, so late-night study sessions can be fueled by fresh pies. 

We've all been there: it's late at night and suddenly you can't stop thinking about how you absolutely need a red velvet cupcake this very moment. But, alas, the bakeries are all closed and you don't have enough butter to whip up a batch. Luckily, the bakery Sprinkles has the remedy. Their 24/7 Cupcake ATM in Scottsdale lets you choose from a variety of freshly baked cupcakes, restocked throughout the day. Just don't bring cash, as these high-tech "ATMs" only take credit cards. 

Don't you hate when you're about to hop on the subway and suddenly realize you forgot to grab groceries for dinner? If you're visiting China, you can buy a live hairy crab for about 20 RMB ($3.27 USD) from a vending machine at a main subway station in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. The machine even supplies you with the appropriate accoutrements: crab vinegar and two bags of ginger tea. Drop the crabs in boiling water at home and enjoy!