'I tried pizza vending machine in France and was floored by how long it took'

Daily Mirror

5 days ago

A woman showed the process of getting a pizza from a vending machine in France, and she was left seriously shocked by the results and the time it took to get her food
Imagine craving a pizza and being able to go and get a hot one made by a machine at the side of the road? That's exactly what one woman did when she was on holiday in France and spotted a pizza vending machine. Hannah, who posts on TikTok as @thrivingwithhannah, explained that she'd "pulled over at the side of the road" to give the pizza a go.
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She shared that they'd already had dinner, but she wanted to try it anyway, so her followers could "see what it does". Hannah opted for La Reine, which is a classic pizza featuring ham, mushrooms, and black olives, and she chose it to be hot, as opposed to cold.
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At this point, she probably wasn't expecting much, and many in the comments were wondering how the vending machine even works.
She paid €12 (£10.36) for the pizza, and there was a "little countdown going," and then after about four minutes, the pizza popped out of the hatch.
Hannah joked: "They've actually set up a little table here so people can enjoy their pizza at the side of the road in a civilised manner".
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The shiny circular foil packaging was encasing the pizza, and she said she was going to open it up.
When she did, Hannah said: "That looks very nice," and it was time for the definitive taste test.
She only had two sporks, so struggled slightly to eat it, but she took some of the centre of the pizza and tried it. The verdict? "That's really good," she admitted.
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Hannah did note that it wasn't "boiling hot," but it was "very warm" and was worth a try "if you're travelling in France this summer".
Someone in the comments wrote: "This is probably going to make people question my ability to home educate my children… but are there people inside?"
Another responded: "Hahaha crying. I assume they're dispensed by a machine and then heated. I used to think there were little ant-sized people in the radio when I was a kid making all the music".
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So, how do pizza vending machines actually work?
You order the pizza using a touchscreen to select their pizza type, size, and sometimes extra toppings. Payment is made via card, mobile payment, or sometimes cash.
The machine stores pre-prepared pizza bases (dough), sauces, cheese, and toppings in refrigerated compartments. Once an order is placed, robotic arms or automated dispensers assemble the pizza by adding sauce, cheese, and chosen toppings onto the dough.
The assembled pizza is moved into a built-in oven (usually convection or infrared), where it is cooked at high temperatures for a few minutes (typically 3–5 minutes).
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Sensors monitor the cooking process to ensure the pizza is cooked evenly.
After cooking, the pizza is placed into a box or tray by the machine. The boxed pizza is delivered to a retrieval slot where the customer can collect it.
Many machines have self-cleaning cycles and are regularly restocked and maintained by operators.