Frequently Asked Questions

The who, what, why, and where of Ripples!

  • Products & Availability
  • SETUP, TRAINING, & LOGISTICS
  • Ripples Web App
  • Designs
Q

What's Ripples?

A

Ripples is the company behind the magic, and what we call the entirety of the bev-top media platform. Combining the Ripple Maker II drinks printer with content management tools, thousands of royalty-free images, and tools to promote your own brand alongside all user-generated content proven time and again to increase  organic social media reach.

Q

What's a Ripple Maker?

A

The Ripple Maker a beverage-top media printer designed for all foam-topped drinks and some fantastic desserts, like macarons. It prints images on top of foam using our plant-based extracts.

You can choose between the Ripple Maker II (single-color printing with a single pod) and the Ripple Maker II Pro.

Q

What is the Ripple Maker AM and the Ripple Maker PM?

A

The Ripple Maker AM, and the Ripple Maker PM were Ripples’ first-generation! The Ripple Maker AM was designed “morning drinks” like lattes and cappuccinos, and the Ripple Maker PM was designed for “after hours drinks,” with a taller neck that could support taller pint glasses.

The Ripple Maker AM hit the market in 2016 and the Ripple Maker PM followed in early 2018, and both were on sale until the fully redesigned and improved Ripple Maker II launched in 2021.

Q

Where and how can I buy a Ripple Maker II Pro

A

The Ripple Maker is available for purchase online in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan or via Ripples Distributors in Russia,  Australia, India, China, Korea and select countries in the Middle East and East Asia.

Fill out our contact form to be connected to your local distributor.

 

Q

What are Ripple Pods?

A

Ripple Pods are cartridges filled with our patented natural extracts extract that are optimized to print on a variety of foams.

Ripples offers Coffee, Malt, Black Carrot, Glow, and Chameleon for all Ripple Makers, and Ocean Blend (formerly the Chameleon Plus Kit) for the Ripple Maker II Pro. The kits combine the pH-sensitive Chameleon extract with a natural color fixer, letting you print an entire spectrum of colors on a single drink.

New formulas are in the pipeline!

All pods are food safety certified to comply with international regulations.

Q

Does adding Ripples affect drink taste?

A

Not at all. Whether it’s a latte, a milkshake, or a gin flip – our plant-based extracts s do not affect drink taste. The coffee-based extract has a subtle aroma of coffee, and the malt, black carrot, glow (riboflavin) and chameleon (cabbage juice) extracts are completely odorless.

Q

I’m low on Ripple Pods – how can I order more?

A

Order online any time, or contact your personal representative.

 

Q

How many prints can a single Ripple Pod produce?

A

Image-based prints including double-pass and selfies require double the amount of extract and therefore reduce pod yield. Below is our estimated range of print volumes per extract type:

1 Coffee Pod

Text: 700-1100 prints

Image: 300-500 prints

 

1 Malt Pod

Text: 900-1200 prints

Image: 250-700 prints

 

1 Carrot Pod

Text: 1300-1600 prints

Image: 400-1000 prints

1 Glow Pod

Up to 900 prints (designed especially for bold graphics)

1 Chameleon Pod

Up to 2000 prints

Ocean Blend (previously the Chameleon Plus Kit) (2 Pods) 

Up to 2000 prints

Q

What types of Ripple Pods are available?

A

We currently offer five types of Ripples Pods (cartridges) for the Ripple Maker II, plus two additional kits for the Ripple Maker II Pro.

Available for all drinks printers:

  • Coffee Pods for coffee-based drinks, chai lattes, and milkshakes
  • Malt Pods for beer and cocktails
  • Carrot Pods for all foam-based drinks that print in a light shade of red
  • GLOW, which is made with Vitamin B12 and glows green under a blacklight
  • Chameleon – pH sensitive extract made from cabbage juice. Shows up purple/blue on milk-based drinks and pink on more acidic cocktails

Kits available exclusively for the Ripple Maker II Pro:

  • Ocean Blend Kit
    • Combines one Chameleon Pod with a Plus Pod, which sets the colors so you can have a full blue/purple/pink color spectrum on a single drink (previously Chameleon Plus)
  • Jungle Blend Kit – Coming soon!
    • Combines one Chameleon Pod with a yellow Sun Pod, which sets the colors so you can have a full green/yellow/purple spectrum on beer and lattes and orange/yellow/purple spectrum on cocktails (**note. Most cocktail recipes are too acidic to show green hues with the Jungle Blend)
Q

Can I use different types of pods with the same device? Are Ripple Pods interchangeable?

A

Yes, our range of pod extracts are interchangeable. The cartridges are the same size, and take less than a minute to switch out (coffee extract in the morning and red cocktails at night, for example). If you expect to need to switch your cartridges frequently, consider purchasing the Ripple Maker II Pro, which will allow you to place two cartridges side-by-side.

Q

Do Ripple Pods need to be refrigerated?

A

No. Ripple Pods should be kept at regular room temperature, not in a refrigerator.

Q

Does the extract have any allergens?

A

No. Our extracts are completely free of all common allergens, including: dairy, wheat (gluten), soy, and nuts.

Q

Are Ripple Pods kosher?

A

Yes. Ripple Pods are certified kosher. The Malt Pod contains barley and is not kosher for Passover.

Q

Do Ripple Pod food safety certifications comply with industry regulations?

A

Yes. Ripple Pods are tested, regulated, and certified in accordance with the most relevant and rigorous global food safety standards, including:

  • HACCP – Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points is a systematic preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical, and physical hazards in production processes that can cause the finished product to be unsafe; HACCP designs measures to reduce these risks to a safe level. Its principles are included in the international standard ISO 22000 FSMS 2011.
  • FSSC – Food Safety System Certification demonstrates that a certified company has a robust Food Safety Management System in place that meets the requirements of its customers and consumers.
  • ISO 9001:2015 – The ISO 9000 family addresses various aspects of quality management and contains some of ISO’s best known standards.
Q

What is the available Service contract?

A

Ripples offers 3 types of service contracts  – Basic, Enhanced and Enterprise.

Each contract type has different capabilities in terms of the Content Design management, Webapp customisation, reports & support hours. For more details please contact a Sales Representative.

Q

What are the work modes available on my Ripple Maker device?

A

Work modes are extra functionalities that you can choose to operate at specific occassions, such as during peak services hours, happy hours or holidays.  They include ‘Automatic Mode’, which requires just one click to print when you’re extra busy, and  ‘Promotion Mode’ which lets you define randomized odds  to create prize-winning promotions. To activate these modes, login to the Ripples Cloud and select ‘Work Modes’, then pre-select the designs you’d like to include.

 

Q

How do the randomized odds work when I activate 'Promotion Mode'?

A

Randomized odds means that while you control the maximum number of prizes, you can’t select who will receive them or in what order they’ll be printed.  For example,  if you’d like one in ten customers to get a drink with a winning prize that says ‘Free Dessert’ printed on top between 6-9pm,  you simply set the active time period for the promotion and the maximum number of winners. The Ripple Maker device will randomly print the winning designs according to the odds you set during that time period.

Q

Can I use the standard mode of operation while one of the specialized work modes are active?

A

No. While running in ‘Automatic’ or ‘Promotion’ modes, you won’t be able to select other designs to print.

Q

How long does it take to set up the Ripple Maker?

A

Installation takes about 15 minutes minutes and includes choosing an optimal location to position your Ripple Maker, connecting to the internet, and printing a test design.

Q

What are the set-up requirements?

A

You’ll need a standard electrical outlet, a good wifi connection or ethernet cable, and a sturdy countertop located next to where you prepare or serve your drinks.

Q

How long does it take to print? Will it slow down my workflow?

A

From the moment a design is selected, it takes about 10 seconds to print on a drink. Your barista or bartender do not need to operate the Ripple Maker device while it prints, so the process fits seamlessly into their workflow.

Q

On what type of drinks can I print?

A

Any drink that has a stable top layer of foam makes a good canvas for printing Ripples – from lattes and cappuccinos, to milkshakes, beer,  cocktails, and chai or matcha teas.

Q

Does the Ripple Maker make drinks?

A

No. You make great drinks, we make them shine!

Q

How do I prepare my drinks before I top them off with Ripples?

A

The perfect “canvas” for Ripples is smooth foam with no visible bubbles, light in color, and filled to the rim of the glass or cup. Check our Perfect foam guide video on our Youtube chaneel.

Q

Does operating the Ripple Maker require special training?

A

Learning to operate the Ripple Maker is simple and intuitive. You’ll find all the information you need in our short instruction manual, as well as helpful how-to videos on our Youtube channel. Just place your prepared drink on the device tray, tap on the screen to select the design you want to print, and serve with a smile. It really is that easy.

Q

Is there a daily maintenance routine I should follow?

A

To keep your Ripple Maker running optimally, be sure to keep it powered on at all times. You’ll also want to clean both the drink tray and drip tray at least once a day, and wipe down the machine with a damp towel to keep it looking clean and new.

Q

What do the Ripples Service Plans include?

A

Ripples offers two types of service plans,  the Basic Service Plan and the Enhanced Service Plan.

Both plans are based on a pods-on-demand model, which means you order pods as needed. The Enhanced Service Plan is provided free of charge for the first year with our current sales promotion.

Our plans include:

  • Access to the Ripples Cloud for uploading and managing content
  • Access to our dynamic content feed for a constant supply of new and trending Ripples
  • Access to the mobile app
  • Customer support
  • Warranty from year 2 and onward
Q

Do I have to buy the Ripple Maker with a service plan?

A

Yes. Similar to purchasing a cellular phone with a service plan, your Ripple Maker requires an active plan which includes drink content, customer support, and warranty coverage.


If you choose not to renew your service plan after the first year, you can still order pods, but you will not be eligible to receive service from our help desk or to access our content feed. You will, however, have access to our knowledge base for troubleshooting, and you can store up to 50 of your own designs on our Ripples Cloud.

Q

My service plan has expired but I still have pods. Can I transfer them to the 'Basic' / 'Enhanced' plan?

A

No. The legacy ‘Subscription’ plan ink pods are not compatible with the ‘Basic’ / ‘Enhanced’ plans.

Q

Does the Ripple Maker come with a warranty?

A

Yes. Your Ripple Maker is under warranty as long you purchased a service plan which includes this feature and your service plan is still active*. If your Ripple Maker breaks and we are unable to help you fix it via remote customer support, we will ask you to send your unit to us for replacement or repair. In the meantime, we will ship you a new or refurbished unit. The warranty is subject to Terms and Conditions and may be voided for failing to meet basic maintenance requirements or if machine repair has been performed by a third party.

 

*The ‘Basic’ Service Plan does not include a warranty.

 

Q

I need help from a support representative. Whom should I contact?

A

Choose from the options below:

Q

Is it the Ripples Web App free to use?

A

The Ripples Web App is free for all customers and is a great way to create meaningful experiences between you and your customers.

Want to go even further?
Customers with an Enhanced or higher service plan can get a private, customizable version of the app with their own branding!

Q

How can I get my customers to use the Ripples Web App?

A

There are lots of ways you can put the Ripples Web App to work. Starting with the basics, you can place print material at the bar or on tables, hang up posters, or create social media posts promoting this feature. You could also launch a contest with a simple call to action, make people tag your social media accounts, use your hashtag or check-in to your location on Instagram, and win a small prize if they do it with their selfie.

Q

Do I need a selfie station?

A

Adding what we call “Drink Frames” to ensure that every drink you print includes your branding, is managed from the Ripples Cloud. Read our blog post about Drink Frames to learn how to create your own and upload them to your business location. If you don’t have your username and password, please contact our Customer Success team.

Q

How do I make sure all the drinks have my branding on top?

A

Please contact our support team.  Our back-office sales operations team are working as usual.

 

Q

I’m getting a message that my browser doesn’t support “camera access”, what should I do?

A

Some specific mobile browsers don’t allow camera access. If this is the case, just open your default camera, snap a photo and return to the Ripples Web App to send it from your mobile gallery.

Q

Do people need to download another app to scan the QR code?

A

No, on the latest iOS and Android versions, scanning QR codes is available directly from the default camera. 

Q

How many images can I store on my Ripple Maker?

A

The amount of designs you have depends on your active Ripples plan. With the Basic Plan your Ripple Maker can store up to 20 general designs (created by Ripples team) and 50 branded designs (your designs). The Enhanced and Hassle-Free Plans include unlimited storage of both.

Q

How often do new designs get added to my Ripple Maker’s content feed?

A

New Ripples designs are added several times a month and incorporate upcoming holidays, global events and trends. Check out our blog and Instagram feed for updates regarding newly released design collections.  

Q

How many designs are included in the Ripples content feed?

A

We update our content feed regularly with fresh, relevant content. At any given time you’ll find several dozen designs on our various channels, including trending or seasonal content, and popular collections. You can also save your favorite Ripples to a separate personal folder to ensure continuous access.

 

Q

Can I add my own content to the Ripple Maker?

A

Yes. Using the Ripples App from your mobile phone or the Ripples Cloud on your desktop computer, you can save your own designs on the Ripple Maker. Your content channels will appear last on the list. Our customers often feature their own logos, branded content, special promotions, and fun greetings.  

Q

How does the Ripple Maker receive content from my customers?

A

Using the Web App (or WeChat in China), customers can submit content files  from their phones, including photos and personalized Ripples designs that can be edited within the app. Once they submit a file, it gets added to a special, editable queue for your team to review, select, and print. These files are deleted shortly after printing.

Q

Can my staff screen content submitted by customers?

A

Absolutely, assuming you don’t operate a self-serve flow. Your staff has full access to files submitted through the mobile queue and can screen all content before it is printed.    

Q

Is content submitted by customers saved on my Ripple Maker?

A

Content sent by customers through the app  is automatically deleted ten minutes after it is printed.