As the release of whale meat vending machines in Japan sparks global outrage, we look at some of the world's most unusual – but far less controversial – dispensers you'll actually want to purchase food from. Thought they were just for drinks? Think again. The latest versions popping up all over the world are super high-tech, with touch screens and card readers, and, best of all, serve freshly heated hot meals. From pizza makers to a dumpling dispenser, here are the world’s best hot food vending machines.

On nights you can’t be bothered to cook, picking up a frozen pizza from the supermarket and throwing it in the oven for 10 minutes is usually the go-to. But if you live at the fancy Skyloft student apartments near the University of Texas, there’s a vending machine in the lobby that does all this for you. Stocked with frozen pizzas in flavours including Roasted Garlic Chicken Pizza, it will heat and dispense one on command.

When you’re standing on a cold platform at a JR East Station in Tokyo, in the middle of winter, there’s only one respite and that’s an Acure vending machine. Serving hot and cold canned foods, its offering includes spicy mapo soup (a Chinese-inspired dish), prawn bisque and corn soup. Just look out for the red label below the tin signalling the food is served heated.

Wherever you are in the Netherlands, you can be sure a FEBO vending machine is nearby to satisfy your desire for something deep-fried. It has locations in 37 cities, with 30 in Amsterdam alone. If you track one down you’ll be rewarded with burgers, fries, croquettes, crispy chicken and hot dogs.

Nothing beats the taste of freshly-baked baguette, but what if it came from a vending machine? Dwindling numbers of bakeries in rural France has meant towns and villages have no choice but to rely on this method of shopping. maBaguette machines are stocked daily with fresh loaves and have heating and dehumidifying systems to keep them fresh. Here is a recently opened branch in Chazé-sur-Argos, western France.

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Can’t be bothered to cook dinner tonight? That’s what the Chef-in-Box vending machine located on level three of the Suntec Convention Centre in Singapore is for. You can choose from Korean, Thai, Japanese, Indian, Spanish and local cuisine, so one night you can have mac ‘n’ cheese or spaghetti bolognese and the next hor fun (a dish made with flat, wide rice noodles) or chicken rice. It has several other outposts around the island.

After a long day on the slopes, what sounds better than a steaming bowl of ramen? Luckily, at Squaw Valley Ski Resort in California there’s a Yo-Kai Express vending machine that will serve you one in an instant. Choose between options such as tonkotsu (pork bone broth), kimchi beef miso ramen and shrimp tempura udon. You can also find Yo-Kai Express at Ontario International Airport and the University of South Florida, among other locations.

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The first pizza vending machine in North America, Pizza ATM has stood proudly at Xavier University in Cincinnati since 2016, catering to lucky students 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The touch-screen device lets you select between toppings such as buffalo chicken, pepperoni and cheese. Unlike old-fashioned vending machines, you pay for this one by credit and debit card.

Who doesn’t love a paper cup of hot, fresh French fries? Penang Island residents are able to get their fix at Akoof French Fries vending machines around the island, with locations at KOMTAR Tower (the 11th tallest skyscraper in Malaysia) and Bukit Jambul Complex (a shopping centre). Frozen potatoes are heated for 35 seconds in hot oil and the machine ingeniously knows when to replace the oil in order to maintain its freshness.

Craving a late-night margherita after all of Rome’s pizzerias have shut for the night? Then you might consider stopping by Mr. Go Pizza, a 24-hour vending machine situated near to Piazza Bologna. Far from a frozen pizza dispenser, it kneads and tops the dough in front of your eyes. Naturally many Italians are horrified, but machine pizza is better than no pizza right?

Another winner from Akoof Food & Beverages, this Crispy Chicken Tenders vending machine dispenses fingers of hot, battered chicken. Forget KFC and McDonald’s, when a craving hits an Akoof touch-screen vending machine is the fastest way to fill your stomach. Find one at locations around Penang Island, Malaysia.

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During lunch breaks of the past we made do with soggy homemade sandwiches wrapped in cling film complemented by fizzy drinks and packets of crisps from the vending machine. However, nowadays, students and office workers can help themselves to freshly-baked pastries, pizzas and sandwiches all thanks to the arrival of Bake Xpress vending machines at universities and offices in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Everyone loves hot popcorn but you usually have to be at a cinema to get your hands on it. But not if you happen to be in the Akihabara neighbourhood in Tokyo, Japan. In this buzzing corner of the city you’ll find a collection of interesting vending machines including this retro-looking popcorn dispenser. The only flavour it offers is salt, but it’s made fresh upon purchase.

At this charming, old-fashioned bakery in quiet Katsushika City in Tokyo, you’ll find an inventive, homemade vending machine built by the store’s owner Toshiharu Hamano. During operating hours, if you insert a coin, the flap opens and a burger, pizza or sandwich will drop out.

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Ever been caught at a station waiting for the food you ordered to be ready when really you need to be on the platform catching your train? That’s where Smullers, a vending machine chain with 27 branches at stations throughout the Netherlands, comes in handy. It serves meatloaf, croquettes, spring rolls and cheese soufflé, but also great vegan options such as these vegaburgers on display at its Amsterdam West Tunnel branch.

In Moscow there’s a new type of café that has recently opened two locations. Vend Café is a giant 24-hour vending machine serving hot food as well as salads, drinks and desserts. You can expect to feast on the likes of carbonara, mushroom soup and cottage cheese pancakes if you decide to pay a visit.

This vending machine in the Sahara Centre Mall, Dubai, has come up with the perfect solution for feeling peckish while shopping. Instead of interrupting your flow with a trip to Burger King or Jollibee, it can dispense crispy, hot fries in 35 seconds. It claims to be the world’s first of its kind, although we’re unable to confirm this.

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Japanese beverage brand Pokka Sapporo is another company that utilises the red and blue sticker system to indicate which items are served hot and which are served cold from its vending machines. At this one, located in a car park in Chiba, you may find delights such as corn potage (creamy sweetcorn soup) and drinkable curry.

Given the popularity of toasted sandwich chain Subway, you can see why Hotbake 24/7 is a hit in Singapore. Introduced in the early 2000s, you can find its toasted sandwich vending machines in airports, libraries, schools and hospitals – basically anywhere you might need a quick meal on the go. Top flavours include Sichuan Pepper Chicken and New York Sausage Omelette.

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Essentially a vending machine restaurant, you won’t see many staff at Wow Bao’s Gold Coast branch in Chicago. Place your order on a touch-screen display and moments later the food will appear in a locker only you can access. Expect to be delighted by fluffy bao, rice bowls, chicken dumplings, salads and soups.

The perfect pick-me-up in cold weather is a box of hot pizza from a Pizza Forno in Canada. In under three minutes the vending machine will serve you an artisan pie with options including Honey & Goat Cheese and Hawaiian (ham and pineapple). Alternatively, you can select to receive an uncooked pizza to take away and bake at home.

On hand for your every (salmon) need, this curious ATM has been dispensing fresh Norwegian salmon instead of cash in Singapore since 2018. The ATMs can be found in various locations across Singapore and a perfectly pink seven-ounce (200g) fillet can be yours for around £3 ($3.70).

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