Christopher Mims wrote about the automation of coffee:

• New startups are trying to dethrone Starbucks by taking the barista out of coffee production. Instead machines produce the perfect drink each time, every time.
• The machines themselves are about double the size of a phone booth and can be dropped in places that a Starbucks traditionally can’t go such as hospitals, company campuses, and airport halls.
• The machines were trained by an award winning barista. The barista may well age and die but his expertise will live on through the machine.
• Customers can use the touch screens to make the most decadent cup of coffee without fear of being judged by human baristas.
• A mobile app allows users to order their drink in advance and have it prepared by the time they arrive at the machine.
• Individuals can create their own drink recipes and then share them across social networks.
• The coffee is cheaper than at Starbucks – in part because companies don’t have to pay for overhead such as employees and rent.

The full article talks about the type of coffee that is made, why each cup of coffee is identical, the competitors entering the space, and what Starbucks thinks about this all. Find it here.

Source: Quartz