Problems With Freestyle

 On a recent trip to Wendy’s I made a realization. I’m a huge fan of Freestyle soda machines, however there is one giant flaw. For those unfamiliar with Freestyle soda machines it’s basically the ultimate in choose your own drinks at a fast food restaurant. The way it works is both simple (and slightly complicated). You simply walk up to the Freestyle machine which is a large box that has a screen and an area to fill up a cup. The area to fill up your cup is a hole cut into the machine with a spigot and an ice dispensing mechanism.

The ice dispensing mechanism is the simplest part of this machine as it works like most ice dispensing mechanisms, you simply push on a bar and ice comes out. Often it’s too much ice at once, but that’s easy enough to deal with provided you started your process with the ice. The drink part of this machine is where the magic or where the problem starts depending on your point of view.

Mounted on the front of the Freestyle machine is a touch screen. On the touch screen are a bunch of little circles with brand names/logos of different sodas. The number of choices at this point can vary, but I’ve never seen less than eight. I’ve also seen at least a dozen on some machines as well. Basically these are your choices of sodas that dispense from this machine. What you have to do is choose a soda and push the logo of choice.

Once you’ve pushed the soda of choice, you’re then given another series of bubbles to choose from, flavour syrups. These will allow you to add any number of additional flavours to the soda you’ve already selected. It’s not impossible for you to enjoy a nice orange and vanilla Fanta, or grape Coke. I’ve been told that because of this syrup option, a Freestyle machine can have hundreds of different flavour combinations at any given time.

The final step after choosing your additional syrup (if you want it) is to push a dispense button until your cup is full. I imagine that there are two different reactions to the text above. I think that some of you are delighted with the ability to customize your beverage and explore all of the tasting options. I also imagine that there are some of you that find this entire process way too complicated. Both of these reactions is the problem with the Freestyle machines.

When I visited this Wendy’s I had to wait a good 10 or 15 minutes to get my drink. The line was filled with people either having a great time exploring all of the combinations as well as people confused/frustrated trying to just get a cup of Coke 0. This isn’t the only time I’ve seen this kind of log jam either. Honestly, I’ve often been responsible for the log jam as well. Since each machine can be different, I’m often exploring what kind of flavour combinations are possible.

While I don’t work at a fast food restaurant, I think that lines at the Freestyle machines is not uncommon. I should also mention that it’s not uncommon for the touch screen to be a bit slow/unresponsive as well, which doesn’t help things.

It’s weird, I really love walking into a fast food place and seeing a Freestyle machine, but I also suffer from the over abundance of choice. Too much choice is a real problem for just about everyone, but I think I have a couple of solutions that just might work.

The first solution is to offer taps of just plain soda. Have a Freestyle machine for those that want to explore fun flavours, but make sure that plain Coke 0 is easy to get for everyone.  Secondly, why not put a list of the soda choices and syrup flavours somewhere else in the restaurant. Maybe a menu at the tables or a chart on the walls. This way the soda potion wizards in the restaurant can build a recipe before going to the machine.

A Candy Factor I'd Never Thought Of

When I designed candycritic.org, I thought that the main things I should examine are taste and texture. I added novelty because candy is fun, and it's a good catchall for elements that I maybe didn't think about. However, occasionally I feel like sound can also be an important part of enjoying candy. It could be an actual musical candy, it could be the satisfying crunch of a potato chip, or it could be the amazing sound that this newest candy review offers.  For now I'll include any rankings for sound in the novelty section, but maybe I'll make a list in the future of best sounding candies.

Check out this awesome, and very satisfying soundings candy right now.

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5 Awesome Candy Themed Funko Pops - Part 5 - Marshmallow Peeps

Make sure to look back, because all this week we've been looking at awesome candy themed Funko Pops.

Of all the Funko Pops that we've looked at this week, this is probably my least favourite. First of all I'm not a big marshmallow guy, so Peeps are generally out of my wheelhouse in the first place. Secondly I find it a little strange that Funko decided to go with the Peeps bunnies instead of the classic chicks. While I don't hate this toy, I'm not really sure if it's something I'd put on my shelf.

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My Candy/Junk Food Chrsitmas Wishlist - Soda Stream

I love sparkling drinks, and I'm always fascinated about how you get the bubbles in a drink. I'm sure I would probably use up the carbonating cartridge just messing around and being fascinated.

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Let Us Drink To My Childhood With New York Seltzer

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with New York Seltzer.  My two flavours of choice were Root Beer and Black Cherry.  I couldn't get enough of this clear pop.  I got hooked on the stuff from my sister.  She was three years older than me, and I think she was in 7th and 8th grade while I was still in 4th or 5th.  She discovered this stuff with her cool friends, so I figured I wanted to drink what the big kids were drinking. I can tell you that the marketing certainly didn't attract a kid of my age.  At that age all of my sweet stuff had to bold, bright and outrageous.  New York Seltzer was classy, subdued, and clear. The thing is, once I took a sip of this crazy drink I was hooked.  Sure the appeal of being like the big kids got me interested, but something else got me hooked.

I think the first thing that fascinated me about New York Seltzer was the fact that it was clear.  In my childhood mind I couldn't figure out how something that was clear could have flavour, except maybe 7up. New York Seltzer didn't just come in lemon\lime, it came in all kinds of flavours, and none of them should have been clear.  It boggled my mind enough that it made want more.  This is also likely why the root beer flavour was one of my favourites since root beer should never be clear.

The thing about all good things is that they must come to an end.  I'm not sure when New York Seltzer disappeared, but as a teenager it certainly wasn't a thing. As many things do, New York Seltzer became a memory for me, and something I never thought I would get to drink again. The thing is, while I still remember my fascination about the fact it was clear, I can't really remember why I liked drinking this stuff. Was it a unique flavour, was it sweet or not, how did it feel going down?  I just couldn't remember anything specific about this drink that I was totally obsessed with.

Then a few months back I was wondering through a 7-11 in Toronto (as one might do), and I came across something I never thought I would see again, a selection of New York Seltzers.  I was face to face with a part of my childhood that I never thought I would see again. You might say it was like seeing Mickey Mouse at Disney World again, but imagine you not only saw Mickey, you saw him again as a child.  It had been so long since I tasted New York Seltzer that I couldn't remember why I liked it so much, all I remembered was happiness.

The two problems I had facing this selection of sodas were as follows. First of all they were expensive, and while I was keen on remembering my childhood, I was also feeling pretty bad for paying more than 3 bucks for a tiny bottle of soda. The second problem came about with picking a flavour. I only wanted to buy one bottle since it was so expensive, but I wanted to make sure that I got a flavour I would enjoy and would bring me back some of my youth.  I was obviously torn between root beer and black cherry.  I remembered black cherry being my sister's favourite, and so I figured it was likely the flavour that I first tried, and the flavour that hooked me in the first place.  So black cherry it was.

It's taken me more than a month to get the courage to open this bottle up.  I've been thinking about it a lot, but unable to find the right time to drink it.  Should I wait for a special occasion, or wait till I was alone. I wanted to remember this, and have the ability to think about it as well.  I wanted to remember why it made me so very happy.  After a great deal of debate in my head, I decided that this week's taco night was the perfect time.  It wasn't a very special night, but it is one of our favourite meals that we have.

I opened the bottle, took a couple of pictures (for this blog) and took my first sip.  It was very interesting.  I began to remember this drink all over again, and I think I found out why I loved it so much. Granted the fact that it was very flavourful and clear did interest me, Pepsi Clear pretty much made this not as interesting as it used to be.  There were two things that really appealed to me about this drink.

First of all the flavour, it's not too sweet at all.  In a world where sweet and drinks are often tied together, it's nice to have a drink that isn't super sweet at all.  It was a deep cherry flavour, and that flavour was allowed to shine without being covered in sugar. But the thing that hit me off guard was the bubbles, the tiny, tiny bubbles. I've never had a carbonated drink with bubbles like this. The only way I could describe them is to say they're little. They tickle the throat like no other bubbles, and they left me wanting more.

Unfortunately for me, I don't have a 7-11 near my house right now, and it looks like I won't be near a Canadian 7-11 for a few years now.  I fear that I may never have an opportunity to try it again. I'm not sad at all though, because I can look back at this blog and remember, I can remember how it felt to drink it, and I can remember a slice of my childhood once again.

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Candy In The Media

The anticipation of this video actually made me a little sick.

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A Candy Thing, You Probably Shouldn't Lick

All this month we're featuring candy themed t-shirts, why?  Well I'm starting to run out of t-shirts and I think I need to buy a few new ones.  I presently don't own a single candy themed t-shirt, and as the Candy Critic, that's probably just wrong.  This Tootsie Pop Owl shirt not only stays within my candy theme, but it also makes me look smart too.

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A Thirst Quenching Bacon Thing

Every so often I come across a treat that I'm just not sure about. Most of the time when I see a treat that's new to me, I have some kind of idea weather or not I'm going to like it.  My "idea" isn't always right, as I've been known to hate a few things I thought I would like, and like a few things that I thought I would hate.  But once in a while I'm faced with something that I'm not really sure about.  Bacon flavoured soda pop is one of those things.  It could be really nice, it might have a strong maple cured bacon flavour, sweet with just a bit of salt.  It could also be like drinking a cold cup of bacon grease.

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Friday Candy Video

I love watching popcorn pop.  It's one of the most entertaining snack foods ever.  The science that is going on to take a small kernel of corn and have it explode into a ball of puffy white goodness is astounding.  If you don't believe in evolution then you should read about how popcorn pops and tell me that natural selection hasn't left us with one of the coolest foods ever.  Although I guess natural selection doesn't have as much to do with this as cultivation... so strike that whole evolution comment.

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Candy News

Do you like at home science projects?  How do you feel about tasty treats?  Well you might want to check this out.

The trend in food is "big, bold flavours", but according to this article, it might be ruining our ability to enjoy the more subtle ones.

Have you ever wondered why carbonated drinks taste better?

I'm generally OK with food science, and even OK with many "Fankenfoods", but I'm not sure how I feel about berries that taste like bubblegum.

The guy that created the Cronut is at it again, and this time it involves coffee and waffles.

If you're into old school weaponry and marshmallows, have I got the perfect Christmas gift for you.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Candy News

Here's a quick list of DIY Easter treats, with an added bonus of a Pop-Rocks recipe.

A look at some classic Easter treats, and why they've managed to hang on over the years.

You don't want to miss the Oreo crossbow, you could shoot cookies in your mouth from a great distance.

The Huffinton Post has a great list of "Canadian Food", strangely several of these foods I've never tried before in my life.

A while back Mike and Ike broke up, but don't you worry, they're back together now.

Red Bean pies at McDonald's, you'd think I would hate it, but really I want to try it.

Did you know that some people can taste colours, Skittles should really have a handle on these people.

Do you know how to describe texture?  The basics are simple, but in detail it can be kind of complicated, unless you have a texture dictionary.

Have you ever thought of eating candied cherry tomatoes?  Well someone has, and it actually sounds kind of tasty.

An Ex-Kraft executive is claiming that junk food companies should take more responsibility for what they're selling to people.  Do you agree?

Speaking of misinformation, here's a few myths about soda pop that you may not have known.

Can't find cream eggs in your neck of the woods for Easter, here's a recipe that's said to be better than Cadbury's.

The cocoa nib is said to be more flavourful if you can roast it on its own, thank you very much science and innovation.

Are your homemade cookies not fancy enough, why not customize them with your own cookie stamper.

My favorite flavour of chips is salt and vinegar, but which brand makes the best?

An indoor marshmallow roaster is a great idea for those of us living in the city without a fire place, but 70 bucks seems little steep.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Tuesday's Candy Links

More chocolate, more selection, this is the kind of news I like to hear from local chocolate makers.

If you think that the size of cola servings is the problem with the world today, you can pretty much just blame Pepsi.

If you have several thousand dollars to blow on a meal today, here's a list of 15 of the World’s Most Expensive Foods. Did the $25,000 sundae catch your eye, here's some specifics on it.

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Friday's Candy Links

I love it when candy companies offer treats designed for particular regions of the world, but only if I happen to be visiting that region and I can sample it.

Everything you didn't know about Russian soft drinks... that's a lot in my book because I pretty much know nothing.

Fair Trade explained, do you think it works?  Is it really "fair"?

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I Can Quite... Really I Can

Are you addicted to diet sodas?  I was pretty heavily addicted to regular cola for a few years.  I was working long hours and late nights so the cola was the way to go.  I drank at least two or three bottles a day.  So yes I do believe you can become hooked on junk food.  I also believe that many of these addictions are psychological but that doesn't make them any easier to deal with.  I now drink a cola now and again (less than one a week).

Click here to read about (diet) cola addiction.

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Drink Instructions

Funny that they give so much detail in how to poor a proper drink, and it's such a simple task, yet so many employees seem to screw it up.

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Jones Soda Is At It Again

I love Jones Soda, in particular I love their Fufuberry soda. But every year the folks at Jones come up with a weird and wacky flavour that probably taste really bad. A few years back they offered a case that had all the flavours found in a Thanksgiving dinner, and this year they're offering Bacon and Pizza flavoured soda. I can't say I've ever tried any of these strange flavours, and I can't say I'm that interested either, it seems to be way more gimmick with a guaranteed gross result.

Click here to check out the new flavours.

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Home Made Ginger Ale

Boing Boing editor Mark Frauenfelder has posted what looks like an actual simple recipe to make your own ginger ale at home. This is one of my favorite pops and this recipe looks easy enough that I think I may give it a try.

Click here to read the recipe.

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Memories of a Candy Store

The article bellow is a nice little tale about remembering the local candy store when the writer was a child. I remember the candy store I used to frequent, it was a little place kitty corner to my school and always full of Popsicle, gummies, and chips. I also used to always buy my bottles of pop there and run back to exchange the return for a some licorice. It was good times, and I recently went back and it's gone. Someone else bought it and turned it into a house. The old lady that used to run it is most likely not around anymore either. It's a little sad, but it's great memories.

Click here to read the story.

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Happy Beverage Day!

In celebration of a day that I figure you're supposed to drink things I thought this hilarious Sprite Ad would do the trick.

Ad from Vintage Ad Browser.

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Ginger in Ginger Ale?

I’ve never really thought of Ginger Ale tasting like Ginger ever before. However after purchasing a nice bottle of Canada Dry I discovered on the label a little “Made from Real Ginger” tag.I guess if you think about it while drinking it you can kind of taste a slight ginger flavour. I always thought of Ginger Ale as just being Ginger Ale flavoured, now it’s making me wonder about cola as a flavour too.

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