Vending machines

One of the most pervasive byproducts of the modern fast food culture is the ubiquitous vending machine, which symbolizes the change in lifestyles. However, vending machines have existed for centuries, albeit in a different form.

Reportedly, vending machines were invented by Heron of Alexandria, who built a machine to vend holy water in the temples of Alexandria. Coin-operated vending machines first came up in the early 1880s to dispense post cards in London.

Vending machines have come a long way since its early days. Today you would find them everywhere; vending almost everything from soft drinks and beverages to cigars, stamps, postcards, cigarettes, snack foods to iPods.

The adoption of vending machines has varied from country to country. In Japan, for example, with a high population density, limited space, a preference for shopping on foot or by bicycle, low rates of vandalism and petty crime, and a small and decreasing number of working-age people, there seems to be no limit to what is sold by vending machines; these machines are very abundant and diverse

Vending machines started to offer hot and cold beverages in cups for the first time around the 1920s. That was the origin of the now ubiquitous hot/cold beverage vending machines originated.

Beverage vending machines have obviously gained the most widespread acceptance, perhaps due to the simplicity of their operation. Once the machine verifies that the right amount has been inserted (either in the form of bills or coins or using smart cards), the machine uses electromechanical systems to release a can or bottle of the drink to an open compartment, usually at the bottom of the machine. In case of coffee vending machines, or other hot beverages such as soups, the beverage is "prepared" by the machine, by mixing the pre-defined ingredients in the set proportions and served.

To help with research, we provide a buyer's guide that provides essential information on all the types of vending machines available in the UK. Here you'll find details of office vending machines, hot drink vending machines, cold beverage vending machines and vending machines suppliers. To help with sourcing reputable and dependable vending machines suppliers, we have compiled an extensive database of vendors who are tried and trusted.