Congratulations to John Gordon of coffee accessory supplier Gorilla Tampers in London, who was judged the UK’s best barista at the recent UK Barista Championship, after impressing with his drink-making dexterity. But without wishing to put a damper on this tamper, Stop the Week has seen a glimpse of the future, and it’s one in which this latte artist could be out of a job. Ukranian Oleksiy Pikalo has invented a printer that ’prints’ logos or designs on to frothy coffee using a thin layer of caramel spray. He is reported as saying, "If you’ve got a picture of it, it’s a safe bet we can print it". This cumbersome-looking gizmo is yet to make it into production, but it’s only a matter of time before the machines take over. We’ve all seen the Terminator films. If further evidence were needed, someone has taught a desktop PC to automatically make a coffee.

l See: www.inventorsdigest.com