On "the weirdest instant rewards to pop out of a vending machine."

The first time I saw a beer vending machine somewhere in Europe, it was one of those "can't do this in Murica" moments.

So, shall we turn our attention back to the notion of the Automat? It sounds like a good idea for the Bank Street Brewhouse kitchen.

Pizza and Other Weird Things to Come Out of Vending Machines, by Jenni Ryall (Mashable)

... Cooking a pizza in a vending machine sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, yet Pompeii's Pizza in Bondi Beach, Sydney, disagree. They spent 18 months developing the $AUD40,000 italian-made oven in a vending machine, to present you with the perfect crust. It is called Pizza Gio and sits in the Westfield shopping centre in Chatswood.

In particular, one of these vending machines deserves a closer look:

China's Newest Innovation: Live Crab Vending Machines; The crustaceans even come with crab vinegar and ginger tea, by Gwynn Guilford (The Atlantic)

It’s that time of year again, when the people of China unite in tearing apart exoskeletons to suck up the flesh of hairy crabs. From August to October, the crabs—which get their name from the hair-like tendrils that grow on their claws—sell like hotcakes throughout China.

Except, hotcakes don’t sell in vending machines. Live hairy crabs? Apparently, yes.