Coke free-style soda machines...they suck

[Flare65]

You guys see these out at Wendy's, PDQ, and other restaurants?  I hate them.  The soda is so watered down it taste horrible.  I really don't think I need 115 different flavor combinations. 

Not only the taste is bad, but old fucks are totally confused by them.  They have no idea how to operate them and I've seen a few call the cashier out form behind the counter to assist them get their soda...  Then you got the kids who want to put a little of every fucking flavor in the same cup, only to take one sip and spit it out.   

Now Pepsi is starting to get in on the action with them.  I just saw the first Pepsi one at one of those newer personal pan pizza places.  Yeah, the soda out of it is just as watered down as the Coke machine...

I'm at the point now that whenever I see them, I usually just order a water.  Especially in downtown Chicago since they just passed the new beverage tax, which is another rant in and of itself.

[seieienbu]

I like the things.  There aren't many places where I can get a vanilla rootbeer.

[esteban]

Yes, the local AMC theatre remodeled and introduced these silly machines. GUESS WHAT? Brand new machine, but there was a technical error, so you would start to "dial up" your beverage (several steps) only to be informed "Sorry"... and, wouldn't you know it? THERE WAS NO VIRTUAL BUTTON TO PUSH TO ALERT STAFF THAT THE MACHINE WAS OUT OF ICE, OUT OF SYRUP, and OUT OF THIS WORLD.



I personally hate having to dig deep into multiple layers of menu choices to select a *POPULAR* drink. I wasn't trying to choose Vanilla Habanero Diet Coke Caffeine Free with Calcium. I JUST WANTED A FUCKING DIET COKE, YOU ASSHOLES. I don't know what the best solution is, but I think the user-interface of the Coke machine I have used was pretty tedious.

Also, since it is ONE SODA AT A TIME, the line was HORRENDOUS at the theatre. I know that there are problems with the old 4-6 soda fountains (limited choices) per machine, but those 6 fountain machines are much more efficient at handling a large number of people who are impatient.

[OldMan]

I think they are ok. If you have a problem with the stuff being watered down, it's not the machines fault- it's out of syrup or something. I never have a problem with picking a drink, either. There's a COKE button at the top left

Like any soda machine, it has its problems; usually it's because the staff either doesn't re-fill it or has screwed with the setup.

(Interestingly enough, the one at our local 5-guys burger place has an alarm wired into it. If something goes wrong, a big red light flashes behind the counter. It's bright enough to see on the floor of the place, too).

[DragonmasterDan]

You guys see these out at Wendy's, PDQ, and other restaurants?  I hate them.  The soda is so watered down it taste horrible.  I really don't think I need 115 different flavor combinations. 

Not only the taste is bad, but old fucks are totally confused by them.  They have no idea how to operate them and I've seen a few call the cashier out form behind the counter to assist them get their soda...  Then you got the kids who want to put a little of every fucking flavor in the same cup, only to take one sip and spit it out.   

Now Pepsi is starting to get in on the action with them.  I just saw the first Pepsi one at one of those newer personal pan pizza places.  Yeah, the soda out of it is just as watered down as the Coke machine...

I'm at the point now that whenever I see them, I usually just order a water.  Especially in downtown Chicago since they just passed the new beverage tax, which is another rant in and of itself.

When working properly I've noticed the carbonation is a little different than the standard soda fountain formula but it tastes fine. I think in a lot of cases the machines are not properly maintained or particular types of syrup run out.

As a good example I used to visit a Firehouse Subs not too far from your house a few years ago, and it constantly had low syrup warnings when selecting different choices. I suspect a lot of businesses disable the warnings in settings leading to people drinking messed up drinks

[NecroPhile]

I like the things.  There aren't many places where I can get a vanilla rootbeer.

Same here.  I usually drink diet sodas, so it's great having so many choices beyond the usual diet coke and diet dr pepper.

My only complaint is that the syrup cartridges are too small.  It's a given that employees won't keep them properly stocked (the blinking red light means something, assholes!), so they should've made the cartridges big enough to last at least as long as the normal soda fountains.

[jperryss]

The one at the local Wendy's works fine and is the easiest way for me to enjoy an ice cold Orange Vanilla Coke Zero.

[ToyMachine78]

I think they are pretty cool, and the drinks taste great in my experience.

I do agree that they confuse the Fuck out of seniors, and the line is always backed up at the zaxbys by my house.

[LostFlunky]

I do agree that they confuse the Fuck out of seniors...

and my wife...

[crazydean]

So the freestyle machine actually uses a more condensed syrup than the old machines type. This is how they're able to get so many flavors into the cabinet. The old fountain drinks have boxes of syrup with hoses run into the machine. These syrup boxes were typically kept in a separate room.

The freestyle machines have more concentrated syrup kept inside the machine. The more popular drinks such as Coke and Diet Coke come in larger bags than say Fanta so they should last a little longer.

[esteban]

The menu/user interface is still irking me, comrades...

[wildfruit]

The menu/user interface is still irking me, comrades...

I really like it though. If I was rich I'd have one in my house.

[esteban]

The menu/user interface is still irking me, comrades...

I really like it though. If I was rich I'd have one in my house.

Yeah, it serves one person well

Crowded venue with thirsty, impatient bastards?

Abominable service.

[wildfruit]

The menu/user interface is still irking me, comrades...

I really like it though. If I was rich I'd have one in my house.

Yeah, it serves one person well

Crowded venue with thirsty, impatient bastards?

Abominable service.

Well I say this in theory only. I've gone right off Diet Coke. I only drink it if nothing else is available. Much prefer Diet Pepsi.

[esteban]

The menu/user interface is stillg g  irking me, comrades...

I really like it though. If I was rich I'd have one in my house.

Well I say this in theory only. I've gone right off Diet Coke. I only drink it if nothing else is available. Much prefer Diet Pepsi.

IMHO, Diet Pepsi is super sweet and has no "bite"... Diet Coke has some unnatural aftertaste, which I love, but I understand that most folks would deem it "chemical nasty"  and avoid.

I like chemical nasty soda.

[esadajr]

It's part of the conspiracy to bring the soda industry down, just like with the tobacco industry. While not a smoker myself I miss smoking areas in restaurants.

[crazydean]

It's part of the conspiracy to bring the soda industry down, just like with the tobacco industry. While not a smoker myself I miss smoking areas in restaurants.

Surely ye jest! I'm not a smoker, and I love not smelling smoke when I'm eating.

[NecroPhile]

Same here.  I don't care if other peeps want to smoke, but I don't want to have to smell it.

[TDIRunner]

I like them simply because I like Cherry Dr. Pepper, and this type of machine is the only way I'm going to get it in a restaurant.  Fortunately in my area, I've never encountered one that is "watered down."  All of those machines have the ability to change the main menu to put more options on the screen, which would eliminate having to go through several menus.  They simply choose not to use it because they think that it will confuse most people.  If the restaurant has one back in the kitchen area, you will notice that it's setup with this type of menu because it's faster for the workers. 

The only downside that I find is when there is only one.  Usually two is enough to prevent long lines, but if there is only one and you are behind an older woman or a younger child, you might wait a long time.  Once, I was behind an older woman who stood there so long, a message popped up asking "are you still there?" (which comes up for a few seconds before it resets back to the beginning).  She got this message three times before she selected her drink.

[seieienbu]

Once, I was behind an older woman who stood there so long, a message popped up asking "are you still there?" (which comes up for a few seconds before it resets back to the beginning).  She got this message three times before she selected her drink. 

Yeah.  That sounds miserable.  I don't think I've ever encountered more than one person in line when I was going to use one.  Thinking about it I definitely see the downside.

[bartre]

I like them simply because I like Cherry Dr. Pepper, and this type of machine is the only way I'm going to get it in a restaurant.

I was seriously about to post this exact line.
preach brother.

[Arkhan Asylum]

What poverty ass dump are you going to that it's watered down?

I get strawberry or peach sprite , or Coke with every flavor together, and it all tastes like fucking awesome

[Gredler]

They have one of these in my office, and it makes resisting soda hard hahaha. I typically get the lime desani sparkling water, or slovenly coke with a bit of cherry and vanilla

[Arkhan Asylum]

what the fuck is soda.

[Gredler]

what the fuck is soda.

Soda is one of the various liquids I spray all over your mom on taco tuesdays. Pink taco. tuesdays.

Sorry, are you a pop idol? Around these parts we say Soda for carbonated beverages.

Also these machines make the water discolored and off tasting, I prefer direct water to filter to dispenser.

[Arkhan Asylum]

im going to directly filter my foot in your ass

--Red Foreman

[bob]

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[Arkhan Asylum]

that cover looks like when we were learning photoshop in 7th grade.

wow

[SuperGrafx]

My beef with the freestyle machines is that it takes a longer amount of time to accomplish something simple.

Ie: normal fountain drink dispenser units are simple.  Take you cup, place under appropriate nozzle, and either touch the button and/or push the level with your cup to make the drink flow.  Simple.  Easy.  Even a chimpanzee can do it.

These Freestyle machines are just overkill in every respect.  99% of the time people will gravitate to the basic 5 drink choices.  Very rarely do I see anyone add in the various fruit /etc flavorings.

Get a family of 5 or an elderly person up there and it simple compounds the issue even more.

It's like they created a solution for a problem that really didn't need fixing.

[turboswimbz]

It's like they created something just to make money. 

Fixed that for ya.

Oddly enough this technology had been around for a while.  It was first used to mixed microdoses of drugs, and then later adapted to cocktails, on limited bases, before the adaptation by Coke.

[SuperGrafx]

It's like they created something just to make money. 

Fixed that for ya.

Oddly enough this technology had been around for a while.  It was first used to mixed microdoses of drugs, and then later adapted to cocktails, on limited bases, before the adaptation by Coke.

Yeah, I get that. 
But we're dealing with soft drinks here...fizzy water and syrup at establishments where speed is paramount.  When I'm dining out, I don't want to wait in line to pour my drink while Grandma Gertrude is up there befuddled by the numerous touchscreen choices.

[crazydean]

It's like they created something just to make money. 

Fixed that for ya.

Oddly enough this technology had been around for a while.  It was first used to mixed microdoses of drugs, and then later adapted to cocktails, on limited bases, before the adaptation by Coke.

Wow. Cocktails is a great idea! I wonder why I've never seen that. Do people genuinely prefer dealing with a bartender? For places that check IDs at the door, this seems like a great way for management to control liquor quantities in individual drinks.

[turboswimbz]

It's like they created something just to make money. 

Fixed that for ya.

Oddly enough this technology had been around for a while.  It was first used to mixed microdoses of drugs, and then later adapted to cocktails, on limited bases, before the adaptation by Coke.

Wow. Cocktails is a great idea! I wonder why I've never seen that. Do people genuinely prefer dealing with a bartender? For places that check IDs at the door, this seems like a great way for management to control liquor quantities in individual drinks.

The answer is actually pretty simple.  Most bars serve 4-5 different types of vodka, rum ect.  some even more.  And they all have unique bottles.  There is no way to display them and switch between all the brands, and many brands require certain quality controls on display ect.  Plus the coke machines use syrup and water.  you can make a thousands cups with this method, with containers of drinks, you'd need a big, huge machine and constant refills. (less floor/bar space = less money)   

But the reason that it was looked into was for exactly that, every time you get the same drink and there are no over pours.  I am sure this may come back around though as the coke machines popularity increases.

Me and A friend looked into all this one night while we were drinking, and saw a frestyle machine, and said hmmm if they just dispensed some jack we'd be set.  It's an interesting history, and a lot of it can be found simply by web searching some very informative articles. (Wikipedia helps very little I might add)

[crazydean]

 Ya makes sense. Although, I don't think they would need to be all that large for just a typical bar or club. Obviously, a cocktail lounge or specialty bar will still need a bartender. I've never worked in a bar, but I'm sure that many of the bottles are rarely used.