Coke Freestyle Machine vs Warm Vending Machines

Stumbled on to this old gem. I am surprised that with Rorie and now Dan bitching about the vending machine temps this hasn't happened yet. On a plus they could probably get John Drake to work for free if they put his desk next to it.

Oh, glorious Coke Freestyle Machine. I was in amazement and wonder after hearing this podcast and then finding one in the wild at my local 5 Guys.

It's everything I could have hoped for and more.

The difficulty with these in an office (or anywhere that isnt a restaurant) is that they require a direct water line run to them.

I was pretty well sold as soon as I saw you can get coke with lime out of it, though. I miss that stuff.

That, and the maintenance costs. I think you have to basically buy a maintenance subscription. It ain't cheap.

Sigh, sweet vanilla coke...

@zeyepawdz: I went to my local Burger King yesterday to try out the new Extra Long BBQ Burger (don't judge me!) and the have a Coke Freestyle machine. Was going to be the highlight of my day, until I saw that they were out of vanilla flavoring, so no Vanilla Coke.

I cried inside. There's no point to the damn machine without being able to get Vanilla Coke.

You haven't even seen a vending machine until you go to Japan. God damn.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fattony12000/sets/72157644228076236/

There's a Coke Freestyle machine at the local Halo Burger (It's a regional thing and the greatest fast food on the planet.). I stop at least twice a week just for the delicious redundancy of a vanilla root beer.

The slow march of Coke Freestyle machines into the fast food chains I frequent is just delightful. If you do half vanilla Coke and half lime Coke it tastes like key lime Coke.

This is the most wonderful flavor in the universe.

I'll be the dissenting opinion here on the Coke Freestyle machines. I don't like them mostly because when they show up it means I most likely won't be able to get raspberry ice tea at that establishment anymore, and the fact that I rarely drink soda so that don't appeal to me too much.

The Freestyle machines are awful. They have them all over the place near me (for a while now). And they suck. They break more than regular machines, they run out of choices constantly due to the tiny boxes of syrup they take.

And even when they work, they cause lines to form because two people can't fill at once.

And the flavors all taste metallic.

What a huge letdown. I loved the idea, but the real experience is awful.

http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/the-mythic-coke-chug-challenge/2300-229/

I like it when restaurants have Coke Freestyle machines, as long as they're kept well-stocked. One of the places around here that has one always keeps all of the different flavors available, but if a place isn't good at staying on top of it, it really kills the whole purpose.

My go-tos are:

1) Coke with orange flavor (despite the fact that the guys specifically called it out on the Bombcast as something that sucks)

2) Lemon-lime club soda if I don't want to have a sugared drink

There's apparently an app now that lets you build custom multi-drink mixes and stuff, but you have to hook it up to Facebook so I don't use it.

Coca-fucking-Cola! Maybe ya heard of it!

@fattony12000: C.C.Lemon Gachapon machine.

Those Coke Freestyle machines are awesome. I always end up getting Grape Mello Yellow, which is super awesome.

just picturing UNSC burgers, a custom shake called Guilty Spark and some kind of meat filled monstrosity called The Master Chief.

@corruptedevil: Floppy Naturals.

@corvak: "I'd like an Arbiter burger with extra Needler sauce and a side of Halo Rings"

@oldenglishc: Do... Do.. you live in Flint? Also, Olive Burger FTW! (Granted if I'm in the area Big Johns is my go to)

@cbyrne: I'm out in the suburbs, but I'm not more than fifteen minutes away from an olive supreme or super steak and cheese.

@corvak: @corruptedevil: The Gravemind side salad?

I'm not good at food jokes.

Or salads.

@oldenglishc: That images just made my day!

Yeah I lived in Flint near Kettering for 5 years. Definitely have shoved John's 16 inch Super Mushroom Steak and Cheese in my face.

@oldenglishc: Is that Burt Reynolds?

@corruptedevil: Is that Mario?

@jadegl: Duder, just buy Vanilla Cokes at the store. I'm pretty sure they still sell them. If not, some vanilla Italian soda syrup in a regular coke does the trick.

@jjweatherman: they do have 20 oz but they're not everywhere. I have to go out if my way to a specific store to get them. Luckily most stores have the cans. The walmart brand of vanilla cola is pretty great, but it's not the real deal.

I can't judge because the first time I saw it on the menu, I ended up ordering it. Not too bad, but I'd rather have a Whopper.

So far I have located three Freestyle machines: one at a Burger King that delivers; one at a Pizza My Heart; and one at a Wingstop next door to a Five Guys and Krispy Kreme, so you can totally order your burger and fries online, go in and get a drink, then next door for some donuts to go, then pick up your burger...

So far my favorite has been Peach Mellow Yellow.

Coke freestyle is a cool but I always end up getting a raspberry/lime coke since that is the only place I can get them.

First of all, a Five Guys and a Krispy Kreme in walking distance from each other? Where is this magical place?

Second, the freestyle machines aren't that great for somebody like me who isn't into experimenting with combinations. I like my Coke in regular, cherry, and vanilla forms. Yes there is a cherry vanilla, but don't complicate things for me.

And thirdly to @jadegl... judged. That long burger is an abomination and a crime against nature.

As someone who experienced the magic of a Coke Freestyle machine recently, it's still no substitute for the crazy hand-crafted mixed sodas I can get at no less than two places in the (college) town I live in, but if there was one at an eatery nearby I would still probably go there all the time. Vanilla Sprite isn't the greatest soft drink out there, but man am I glad that it exists!