Vending machines have been around for many years and have helped dispense different types of items to people. While vending machines were first only placed at train stations and post offices, you can find them all over towns and cities today. Vending machines have come a long way from dispensing postcards first in the 1880s to now dispensing necessities and some other weird and wonderful items. From cooked Salmon to LEGO, the world of vending machines has it all. Enjoy exploring these 40 coolest and unexpected vending machines from around the world, you would never have guessed what comes out of most of them!
1. Salmon
These premium vending machines can be found all over Singapore. All of their fish is farmed, processed, and packaged in Norway. From there, the fish are exported and put in cold storage.
This cashless machine gives you the option of 4 different types of salmon: premium, premium smoked, teriyaki hot smoked, and premium sashimi. So, if you find yourself in Singapore but feel like having a taste of Norway, get yourself a piece of salmon from one of these machines.
2. Electronic Parts
This handy vending machine can be found in the Engineering Department of Portland State University. It stocks electronic parts such as fuses, transistors, and relays. The university produced this vending machine for students to buy their own parts if they have lost the ones they were given.
This is not something everyone would use unless perhaps you blow a fuse. Although we are sure there are probably many engineering lovers who would want one of these in their labs.
3. Cassette Tapes
An Austin-based company created this vending machine for music lovers. Music is available on so many different streaming platforms today, but with the rise in vinyl and record player sales, the company went on to make the tapes to go with them.
There is something so nostalgic about tapes and vinyl’s and by adding them to vending machines, it is the full circle of vintage. If you want to get yourself a vending machine cassette tape, you will find the machine at the Lakeline Mall.
4. Guitar Strings And Picks
This vending machine will be your savior when you snap your guitar string during your evening band practice. A 24-hour vending machine that stocks guitar strings and picks, with different options available for each.
These machines can be found at a few music shops around the world. If you are lucky enough to have one near you, you will be able to have the resources available to keep you strumming even if something snaps.
5. Soccer Balls
If you were in South Africa during 2012 and took a hike up Table Mountain, you would have been lucky enough to have seen this vending machine once at the top. With the option to buy different soccer balls!
Most buyers bought these as souvenirs, but it is a great idea for a vending machine that could be used worldwide at most sporting events. Imagine the goals you would reach with one of these.
6. Accessories
If only every office had one of these for those last-minute technical emergencies. Forgot your charger at home? You don’t have an HDMI for your next meeting? Then this vending machine has got you.
At this office, their IT department can take the items they need (and there are many to choose from) from the vending machine and the cost is charged to the designated department. A lucky company for sure, as long as people only take what they need.
7. KFC
As if getting takeaways didn’t make us lazy as is, KFC developed this self-driving vending car that comes to deliver your food to you. This idea is quite cool though, especially during the pandemic.
You will be able to see full menus and prices and make your order just like you would at a KFC. Once you have paid, the doors will open, and you can take your order. What an innovation!
8. Flowers
This is the perfect apology vending machine. It is a great idea for when you forgot it was your anniversary, your girlfriend’s birthday, or you didn’t pick the laundry up on the way home. Or if you simply feel like getting some flowers.
Just make a stop at this flower vending machine and you are all sorted. The vending machine also provides many different flower arrangements, for different occasions. Weddings, birthdays, or just a romantic day.
9. UNIQLO
Vending machines are mostly for convenience, and to get a jacket compacted in a box or a can, can be very convenient. When traveling you never know what situation you might get into where you’ll need to cover up.
These UNIQLO vending machines can be found at many airports around the world. They provide lightweight and easily transportable jackets or shirts. The best part is they are good enough quality to wear forever and not just as a one-time fix.
10. Game Boy
For $20 you can get yourself some Game Boy games from these vending machines. They can be found around some malls in China. The only problem is that these are pirated games...
The machine also sells Game Boys, so it is a great solution if you need to get something to keep the kids busy while you get your shopping done. As with many modern vending machines, these also allow you to pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and of course Alipay.
11. Vegetables
Vegetables on the go. This is a great vending machine if you want to skip the long trip to the store or avoid possible long queues. These vegetable vending machines offer you an array of different fresh veggies and other fresh foods.
The only slight downside about this machine is that you cannot pick which exact package of veggies you want. But we still think this is one great timesaving vending machine out there.
12. Dog Treats
If there are vending machines for us, then there have to be vending machines for our pets as well. And this vending machine will have your dog happily wagging all the way home.
If you took your pup out for a walk and forgot to bring snacks along with you, dog treats vending machines will have your dog’s snacking in no time. They stock different varieties of treats just to keep your dog spoiled.
13. Everything
When it comes to vending machines, Japan has some of the best and most diverse options available. Some of the different options include rice, coffee, lingerie, alcohol, masks, and so much more.
In Japan, vending machines can be found anywhere and everywhere. And because we want things so much faster and easier nowadays, the automation of vending machines is extremely convenient not only for Japan but the whole world too.
14. Free Hugs
At the National University of Singapore, you can find this interesting and loving vending machine from Coke. When you wrap your arms around it and give it a big hug, it dispenses a glass bottle of cold coke for you!
The vending machine was part of Coke's original “Open Happiness” Asian marketing plan. It was all about spreading the love and what better way to spread love than promoting hugs?
15. Skittles
With the skittles vending machine, you get to choose 3 different flavors of skittles to add to your tub. A tub of skittles from one of these machines will cost you only $5.
People across the US loved these vending machines and now the company is adding them globally, most of them can be found in cinemas and shopping malls. It is even better when you find one randomly and get yourself a sugary rainbow-colored fix.
16. Pizza
This vending machine in New York City will make you a delicious pizza in one and a half minutes. You can choose a few different pizza options and watch it while it bakes right in front of you.
The pizza might be a bit pricey, but you can’t really put a price on those snacks you need when you are drunk and hungry at 2 am. And this vending machine has got the perfect slices for you.
17. Lego
Over the years LEGO has come up with so many different ideas and creations. But the idea of selling LEGO sets in vending machines might be one of the best ones yet.
The LEGO vending machine can be found at the Florida airport and the pergola is to eventually have them at gas stations too. The LEGO boxes pop out of the machine the same way a soda can would!
18. Marijuana
The first of its kind, medical marijuana dispensing vending machine! The marijuana is wrapped and well preserved. When you purchase your package, it's fresh and ready to be consumed, for medical purposes of course.
The machines can only be found in areas where selling marijuana is legal. And some machines will even require you to show your medical marijuana cards before you can buy your buds. Now that’s a vending machine!
19. Umbrella
Rain or shine, this vending machine gives you umbrellas to keep you covered. These machines can come in handy for those unexpected outbursts of rain or when the sun is just too much for one day.
Although the look and feel of an umbrella may not matter to you in an emergency, the umbrella vending machine does give you different options to choose from. This is definitely a well-thought-out vending machine.
20. Gumball Candy
A gumball candy machine with a fun element to it. To get your gumball from this fun candy machine, you would need to be able to score a goal first.
Once you have put your coin in and turned your gumball out, the games begin. Your gumball becomes a foosball which you play with first, and only when you get it in the goal are you able to then take your gumball out to enjoy.
21. Baguette
These French vending machines give you fresh baguettes at any time of the day. For only €1 you can get yourself a perfect and fresh French baguette. What more do you need in life?
It’s a great solution for bakeries to minimize the morning-rush queues for fresh bread and to also allow after-hour sales to happen. These vending machines are becoming so popular that more and more of them are popping up across Europe.
22. Seeds
A seed vending machine from Greece. This machine gives you so many different options of herb, vegetable, and flower seeds. Which is great when you’re always adding to your garden.
The machine has all the seeds organized in order of seed type. And the best part is that it's literally impossible for someone to mix everything up because that’s what usually happens when people shop for seeds in the market.
23. Fresh Juice
The Oranfresh vending machine makes freshly squeezed orange juice, right before your eyes. You can get juices from them to drink immediately or juices to take home and enjoy later.
The vending machine is a fresher, healthier, and more nutritious drink option than buying juices in a pack that is probably filled with stuff that is not good for you. These fresh juice vending machines can also be found for apple juice and mixed fruit juices.
24. Convenience Store
Imagine taking a convenience store and shrinking it into one small, confined vending machine. Well, here you have it, the “Shop24 '' vending machine store. This store is popular at RV and camping parks.
The machines stock your necessities, like milk, drinks, soaps, frozen foods, canned foods, coffee, sugar, and a few other useful items you may need while on holiday. You can access the store at any hour, so it’s great for late-night or last-minute shopping.
25. Masks
In the world we live in now, masks are a must. And if you are like most, there have probably been a few moments where you have forgotten yours at home.
For just 75c, you can get a mask in a ball from these machines. It is a really great idea for emergencies. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll score a cloth-printed mask. Not a gumball or candy but still pretty cool.
26. Salad
Skip the salad bar and instead dispense yourself a salad jar. These daily made fresh salads are a way for people to step away from the unhealthy vending machine snack choices and enjoy healthier food.
The jars have only fresh produce in them and also come with a little jar of dressing too. And if that’s not enough, you will score yourself a nice little jar to reuse at home as well.
27. Plants
This one is for all plant lovers. If you do not think you have enough plants in your house, you should add some more from this Rockflower vending machine installed in London.
The vending machine is open 24/7 to meet all your plant needs. Whether it’s to add to the many other plants at home or just an easier option as a gift than searching through stores, this machine is really handy.
28. Cupcakes
If you already got yourself a vending machine salad, you would have to balance it out with a nice sweet and slightly less healthy vending machine cupcake. Yes, you read that right, a cupcake.
Sprinkles, a company in the US, has got a cupcake ATM. They stock almost 1000 cupcakes a day! You can choose from 24 different cupcakes and order up to 4 at a time. So, if you’ve got a sweet tooth, this machine is for you.
29. Meat
A sausage and meat vending machine from… yep, Germany. Some people think these vending machines are a crazy idea, but we think this is a genius idea. Just imagine having a BBQ party with all of that meat in the machine.
If it saves you a trip to the butchery, why wouldn’t you use one of these? The meat is just as fresh as you would get from the butchery and beautifully packaged.
30. Solder And Resistors
If you are one of those people who love collecting random electronics, then this vending machine might just be for you. This solder and resistor vending machine are perfect for those electronic circuit fixes.
Well, actually these machines are installed in a street in Tokyo that is filled with electronic fixing stores. Store owners can get parts at any time of the day for a reasonable price from these machines.
31. Coke Robot
Meet the walking Coke robot which can be found all around Tokyo. Now, unfortunately, this is just a guy dressed in a vending machine suit. But you can still get a coke from him.
Just add a coin in the slot and this “robot” gives you a coke. This was part of a marketing campaign in 2007 that coke had. Just like anyone would, those school girls look shocked to see the machine!
32. Eggs
This vending machine is what you need when you run out of eggs. Once you’ve paid for your eggs, the door opens for each compartment, and then you can take your eggs.
The cool part about this machine is that it offers different sizes of eggs and packages. And if that wasn’t enough, all of the eggs are organic and are from local farms. We think this is a great way to help out the farms and stay healthy!
33. Art
Selling cigarettes in vending machines has been banned since 2010. But no one banned the cigarette vending machines, and some people found very creative ways to keep the machines working.
These restored and modified cigarette vending machines sell small pieces of art. This idea is used in many areas all over the US. For $5 you can get yourself one of these unique pieces to add to your art collection.
34. Books
When the bookstores are closed and you need your reading fix, you have these machines. They might not have that smell that book stores usually have but are still a pretty good alternative.
You will find a few options of low-cost books which you can choose from, including children’s books in these machines. They are usually installed in train or bus stations where the demand for them is high. We are so glad to know that people still read actual books.
35. Chips?
Whoever bought from this machine, hit the jackpot, well sort of. The machine glitched and just released everything it had. Unfortunately, all those chips blocked the slot, so we doubt anyone got anything.
What we don’t get is the sign at the bottom of the vending machine. “Healthy Wealthy Wise”... This machine has nothing to do with any of those words if you think about it. Well, maybe with “Wealthy” it does.
36. High School Essentials
Throughout the schooling years, stationery and notebooks often need to be replaced. And most of the time, you find that out once you are already in class. Well with a machine like this one you just need to step outside the class and you are all good.
This vending machine, found in a few high schools, supplies students with some stationery and other essentials high schoolers need during the crazy years. This is really a great idea.
37. Yarns
You might think who needs a vending machine that sells crochet hooks and yarns… Well, knitting enthusiasts need one. This pink machine was installed outside a store that sells knitting and crocheting products.
The machine has the best-selling yarns, wool, crochet hook, and other top-selling products from the shop. We think this is a super-smart business investment to increase a store's revenue and at the same time keep your customers happy.
38. Cat Hat
We know cats don’t like being dressed up, but something they may even hate more is to have a hat on. Especially the kind where you tie a knot under their chins.
Believe it or not, these hats seem to be somewhat of a trend in Japan. If you can get past the scratching, your cat can have this one too. We think it’s a bit ridiculous but if there is a demand there is a product…
39. Champagne
Champagne enthusiasts, this is the ultimate innovation for you. This champagne vending machine can be found in New York. It was first perfectly placed in a new jazz bar in midtown Manhattan.
Since then, this unique Moët & Chandon vending machine can be found at many different exclusive luxury hotels around the world. After buying your gold coin from the venue which has one, you can slip it in the machine and get your bubbly drink.
40. Mystery
The genius and fun 35c surprise soda machine pops out a mystery soda. For all the indecisive people out there, this vending machine is perfect for you. You never know what you are going to get or what options are even available...
This mystery soda button used to be an additional option on normal soda vending machines. But this company just went a step further and set all the options to be a mystery.