The World's Weirdest Vending Machines

Remember the good old days, when all you could get from a vending machine was a can of Coke and a Kit-Kat? As awesome as we thought that was, times have changed. Now, you can get virtually anything from a vending machine, from pizza to Bentleys to travel insurance.

Gold vending machines were created as way to sell people on the idea that gold is a solid investment, and to give them quick and easy access it. The first gold vending machine was installed at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, and now they’re springing up in Europe and North America. The gold vending machines retrieve pricing every 10 minutes and provide gold coins, wafers or bars in high-end boxes 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

In Japan, you can conveniently purchase flight insurance at the boarding gate. When you compare cost vs. coverage time, it's one of the most expensive insurance policies available.

This handy machine cooks and serves 9” whole pizzas in just 2 minutes. The pizza itself apparently comes from Chicago-based “Connie’s Pizza,” so it might actually be edible. Even if it isn’t, you can’t beat the 2-minute wait time and $5 price tag.

This “Prescription Vending Machine” doles out medicinal marijuana to patients suffering from chronic pain, loss of appetite or any other ailment that pot is said to alleviate. Any user registered and approved for medical marijuana can pre-purchase the drug and pick it up at the machine, which is convenient, safe and anonymous.

Mondrian South Beach, a luxury hotel in Miami, has come up with the ultimate super-vending machine, which offers everything from Bentley convertibles to Jean Paul Gaultier’s dresses to 24 carat gold handcuffs. Items are prices between $10 and $1.2 million, with the most expensive being the deed to a 2-bedroom condo in the hotel.

This ultra-compact, fully-automated system was created by Dutch designers in 2005 and launched in 2006. Similar to car shares, BikeDispenser lets users pick up a bike at one location and drop it off at another. The system works with specially designed bikes with mini wheels, lights and frames that resemble fold-up designs. Up to 100 bicycles can be stores in one unit.

This one is totally weird, but genius at the same time. The state-of-the-art machine dispenses purse-sized umbrellas and disposable cameras and boasts a communication system that reports product stock, machine failure and possible forced entry.

This Austrian machine servicse up tasty fries and ketchup in just 45 seconds.

Japanese Pan Desuyo (“This is Bread”) is effectively bread in a can. It’s made without preservatives or additives and stays fresh for up to 3 years. You can conveniently stock your bomb shelter with three varieties: chocolate chip, raisin and fruit, or coffee, fruit of nuts.