Well, they might as well be in the future. Love or hate it with the advancement of technology, somebody out there will figure out how to create a self-serving coffee machine that serves it just like how it’s done at the cafe.

I know that usually self-serving coffee perhaps doesn’t have the best beans, uses instant coffee, makes crappy coffee and all that but Tao-bin figured out how to solve those problems and offers new ways to bring coffee 24/7 in a much more economical and faster way than cafe.

The machine is disrupting the coffee and cafe industry and makes us rethink the way we see coffee and perhaps, cafe experience as a whole. Personally, I never see coffee just as a drink but rather as an experience but if you only see coffee as a beverage to get our caffeine addiction fixed, I am sure there is no need for a cafe especially with the self-serving coffee machine from a company called Tao-Bin.

When I discovered the machine, I was amazed. It made me rethink about the cafe industry in the future. To put it simply, Tao-bin is simply a vending machine that does not only coffee but also tea, protein shakes, smoothies, and water.They also serve some interesting coffee selections where they mix lychee with americano and also thai coffee. They have the menu printed on each side of the machine but for reference, here is their full menu Tao-Bin Menu.

What's even crazy is that you can choose the level of sweetness and mix-matched it with toppings that you might like. Essentially, it’s simply just like in a modern cafe where you can choose, hot, cold, blended and even make frappes from the machine. Except this machine does it faster and with extra conveniences for modern living.

What if you’re picky about beans and a coffee connoisseurs ?

In many vending machines, they sell instant coffee and with some lower quality coffee but Tao bin thus far offers premium beans. They use arabica mostly locally sourced but also beans options from other countries if you opt for single origin and light roast series. You can find all their beans options here Tao-Bin coffee options. So, you should have no worries about the beans that they are using because it’s not just some instant coffee. It’s coffee made with selected beans with different types of acidity and boldness.

Is it easy to use?

The machine comes with dual languages, Thai and English. Their user experience is pretty seamless and easy to use. You just have to pick the drinks that you want, customise it, and get the lid and the straw. They have an app but as a foreigner, you can simply opt for getting the change instead keeping it as a credit.

When it comes to pricing, they are slightly more expensive than local cafes but cheaper than Starbucks and Coffee in upscale places. With only 35 BATH, you could get some decent hot americano. There are also a few payment options that are customised to urbanised living in Thailand but as a foreigner, they also do cash which is extremely convenient.

If you don’t like dealing with baristas or people in general, I think that this is your best bet to get a coffee. The Robotic barista will cater your needs especially if you enjoy coffee as is rather than the experience itself.

I personally have used it a few times and am always excited when I can find one because it’s fast and somehow does the job. What I find interesting in Thailand is that the Starbucks is often too crowded and it’s not my thing to work from a crowded place. They also have uncomfortable chairs and tables without adequate sockets. When it comes to cafes over here, some that I glanced over have small tables and I am sure they don’t appreciate anyone opening up their laptop with full gears on. This is why, when it comes to coffee, I rely on Tao-bin and work from wherever I feel comfortable.

Tao-bin once again also makes me rethink about the future of barista but fortunately, I think this is only available in Thailand. Though with the conveniences that it has, I hope that it will be available abroad very soon and it seems like their team is looking for investors and expanding their business outside of Thailand. If they start popping out everywhere, I am sure personally there’s no need for a lousy cafe with bad coffee and dealing with a bad barista attitude.

I have tried a couple of their coffee and they were always done well especially with the sweetness that I picked. Sometimes I didn’t really put much sweetness in it and it tasted quite bitter which is actually pretty fine but it just tastes way better with more sugar. As I mentioned before, since their beans aren't instant coffee, it actually tastes really great and it doesn’t have that “instant” coffee taste but just coffee made by a barista but it’s made by a robot.

Considering everything, Taobin is really worth checking out. If you’re in Thailand, check out one of these machines and don’t forget to try the coffee, tea, or even protein shakes that you fancy.

Roaming For Roast is my newest series about all-things-coffee experience. If you enjoy coffee and cafe experiences, don’t miss out on this series.