Briggo's robot-run Coffee Haus: The future of coffee is not half-bad

Chalk up another win for the machines

Briggo's first Coffee Haus
(Image credit: Peter Weber/The Week)

Over the summer, an Austin start-up called Briggo installed a coffee machine on the University of Texas campus. But calling it a "coffee machine" really undersells the technological marvel that is Briggo's inaugural Coffee Haus kiosk — the van-sized contraption houses a robot built to replicate the skills of a master barista.

In this case, a preternaturally precise and consistent barista with a micro-level awareness of everything from the temperature of the milk to the exact fineness of the the grind. The perfect barista. As long as you don't want it to carry on a conversation.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.