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.

Grape Is The Best?

Whenever I'm given a selection of candies to review, the one question that always makes it difficult is which flavour to choose from. The soda themed caramel corn from this week's review is a great example. There were at least 4 or 5 different flavours to choose from, and I had to make that choice in a busy supermarket with a lot of other groceries on my mind. I don't have a favourite flavour when it comes to sodas or at least one that I know I'll always pick. In cases like this I just go with instinct. I feel like the thought process in this case was that I don't seem to remember trying too many other candies that are themed to grape soda. There are plenty of grape flavoured treats, but not so many that are grape soda flavoured. In hindsight maybe it would have been better to go with a more classic soda flavour, like root beer or cola. Having said that, I don't regret trying this caramel corn and maybe it will encourage me to get the other flavours too.

Find out why this grape soda themed caramel corn grabbed my interest with my latest review.

Check out some of the other things I find at grocery stores by following me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

You can also get some of these treats sent to your front door if you follow me on Patreon.

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Grape Soda Discovery

 I'm not sure if I'm grossed out or intrigued by the fact that one of the key ingredients in grape soda is also a key ingredient in rubber gloves.

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Candy In The Media - End Of Days Popcorn Maker

If you've found that you've survived the apocalypses, and you're craving a handful of popcorn.

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Memorable Japanese Kit Kats I've Reviewed - Part 5 - What I Knew About Japan Before I Went The First Time

Make sure to check out our earlier posts this week where we've been looking at some of the interesting Japanese Kit Kat bars that we've sampled in the past. Right now we're in Japan, and I'm hoping that right this minute I'm stuffing my face with even more Kit Kats.

Today I'm going to talk a little bit about my expectations of Japan. This is not my first trip to Japan (the one we're on right now), I went with Allison a few years ago and we stayed for several months. Allison had lived in Japan for several years, and she was working there again while we were there. I on the other hand was there to figure this place out. Figuring out Japan takes a lifetime, but trying to figure it out will make you very happy while you're there.

Growing up in Toronto I was  exposed to many Japanese things, including restaurants and Asian shops. I would often go to the Asian shops and explore. I would certainly look for candy and one thing I truly loved was ramune soda. It's a fairly average fruity soda, except on the method you open it. When I went to Japan I wasn't sure if everything I learned about Japan from the stores in Toronto would be accurate. As expected, in some ways it was the same and in some ways it wasn't. One of the ways that it was similar is the amount of ramune soda available. It was strange, but during my stay in Japan the first time, ramune soda actually reminded me a little bit of Canada.

That's why I had to get the ramune flavoured Kit Kat bar. To me it represents Japanese sweet food culture so well, and it reminded me of home a little too.

Click here to read about my ramune Kit Kat exspirience.

Also make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to find out what we're doing right.... now!

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It's A New Episode Of Chris, Why Would You Eat That?!!

In this episode, Chris tries out three different mysterious drinks. We really should come up with a new show about trying drinks and give it a better name.

Follow us on Twitter or Facebook and let us know of anything you think might make for a good episode of Chris, Why Would You Eat That?!!

Also follow us on Patreon to find out when we're making new episode and for an early preview.

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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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Holy Cow! It's a New Episode of Chris, Why Would You Eat That?!!

In this episode Chris tries the drink made famous in the television show Lavern and Shirley, Pepsi and milk. Find out if this is a bad idea, or something we should all try.

Click here to find old episodes of Chris, Why Would You Eat That?!!

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Candy In The Media

I will pretty much never miss the opportunity to watch cans of soda explode in slow motion.

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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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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

3D printed cakes are the cakes of the future, and can only be improved if they could make a 3D printed ice cream cake.

Mental Floss posted a great list of "39 Amazing Facts for National Trivia Day", included are a few great sweet facts in there as well.

More good news about chocolate, apparently it reduces cholesterol.

Speaking of chocolate, what does the future hold for this most popular of sweet treats, unfortunately it's not perfect.

So the "Soda Ninja Swipe" is a pretty awesome party trick, the problem is it might leave your soda flat.

I love food dioramas, and I love miniature scenes, so these miniature scenes made from food are awesome.

It turns out that candy bar wrappers can help people that suffer with Dementia, it triggers a happy memory in all of us.

If I could go to one New Years eve party in the world, I think Bethlehem Pennsylvanian would be my choice.

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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Stuff I Want To Try

Decadent Chocolate Soda and Cheese Cake - Presidents Choice - If you're not Canadian you may be unfamiliar with "The Decadent" products.  They're products based on one of the best store bought chocolate chip cookies you'll ever try, at least by Canadian standards. My friend Jade posted this picture of The Decadent Chocolate Cheesecake and The Decadent Chocolate Flavoured Soda. Her opinion was "Yes to the cheesecake. No to the soda." While I'm sure her assessment is probably right, I still really want to try the soda. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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This Week In Candy

Have you ever heard of KAS soda? On my cruise a few weeks ago I came across a drink called KAS, it was available in both lemon and orange.  I'm assuming, since we were on a Spanish cruise ship, that this drink was also Spanish.  All I can say is it was one of the nicest orange and lemon sodas I've ever sampled before.  It was sweet enough, but it has a nice tartness as well.  It's most similar to Fanta, but a little more flavourful.  As of writing this I don't feel the need to drink any more right now, but that's because I made sure to drink as much as possible on my cruise.  I'm sure in a month or so I'll start craving it, and I may have to consider a trip to Spain to deal with my addiction.

Last week I wrote a piece about the various desserts I came across on my trip, this week I'll be posting a piece about some treats I found in one particular port on this trip, Istanbul.  Most people only know Turkey for their namesake treat, Turkish delight, but that's really just scratching the surface of what this country, and in particular the city of Istanbul, has to offer.

Also, I can officially announce that we'll be starting a contest this week. The fine folks at candycrate.com have not only provided us with some treats to sample, but they're also interested in making sure on of our readers gets some candy too.  I'll have more about this contest later this week.

All this and I almost forgot, it's Halloween this week!  Make sure to dress up right and fill those pillow cases to the rim with candy.  Let me know if you discover anything particularly tasty this year.

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Candy News

So sweet companies can't afford to pay back their loans, the solution, drive up the price of sugar so they can increase their prices... An economist I am not.

Americans might finally be getting over their fear of toys inside candy.

If you've ever been to a RAMs game, did you notice that it smells like cotton candy?  Not really "manly" is it?

What do you get when you cross the most unhealthy meal in the world, with the most unhealthy baked good?

Looking to hold your popcorn, and all you've got is a hoodie?  No problem.

Twinkies are officially back, in the USA!!!  We Canadians never lost them.

The chocolate you can play with known as Magic Choc, is now available in the USA.

We've all heard the expression "beans to bar" in chocolate making, but how does it work?

According to new research the difference between chocolate addiction and addiction to opium might not be that much.

Remember how New York banned the sale of large sized soda pops?  Well a judge decided that this isn't cool.

The popularity of locally made candy is getting so big that the large corporations want to start selling it.

Is this the best candy contest of the year?  Have your entire likeness made into a giant life sized gummy.

Obesity rates are still going up, but the number of calories people are eating are going down, maybe a little exercise is in order as well.

Can you lose weight by chewing gum? I heard this before with regular chewing gum, but now a company claims to have a gum that can help you even more.

According to this article, Cadbury created a non-existent factory in India to cheat their taxes. I want to know what candy this non-existent factory was supposed to be making.

Happy birthday Peeps, you don't look a day over 59.  To help celebrate Peeps' birthday, here's a list of 18 different ways to enjoy them.

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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Friday Candy Video - Soda Pop Education

This is a great example of the theory (I believe it to be true) that all you have to do to stop soda pop from exploding in your face after it's been shaken up is to wait a few minutes.  I even believe a few seconds can make the difference as well.

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Friday's Candy Links

Have you ever tasted a savory soda that wasn't just a novelty drink (like the Jones Soda holiday packs)?  Serious Eats takes a look at a few of them and in turn makes me really thirsty.

So is all this cocoa certification actually benefiting cocoa growers, cocoa workers, and the cocoa eating community   A recent study say's yes.

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Wednesday's Candy Links

From the probably not a great candy idea file comes "Edible Deodorant Candy"

New Zealand isn't so keen on what people consider to be "trendy" chocolate, I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing for them.

Soft drinks can make you one of the richest people in the whole world, well you also need an empire of other companies as well, but soft drinks started it.

The creator of mochi ice cream has died, if you've never had mochi ice cream then you're missing out on something... well strange but special as well.

This isn't the first time I've heard about a kid stealing money to buy candy, this is however the largest sum of money I've ever heard.

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90's Candy Video Week Part 5 - Drink Your Gummies

I know I've tried Sodalicious in my lifetime, I also seem to remember really liking it.  I just can't remember any of the specifics about it, other than the obvious.  I wonder why they became discontinued.  Maybe it had something to do with their marketing campaign.

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