The Mycha vending machine located at Pierce College just outside the student store is an appealing addition for those looking for a quick, impersonal fix for their chilled beverage needs.
Completely automated, the Mycha machine looks like your traditional open faced vending machine, allowing you to see its stock at a moment’s glance. Following the trend around campus, you aren’t able to pay with cash, but allowing for tap makes service even faster, and the responsive touch screen menu gives an informative description of each drink before paying. Priced from $4.50 to $4.99 and labeled to hold a net content of 400 grams per container, roughly 14 ounces, just below a conventional cafe medium and being priced accordingly.
Out of the 11 varieties of drinks, only four aren’t made with milk in case dairy isn’t your cup of tea. An impressive amount of care went into the machine and the contents, but is there enough flavor to satisfy paying cafe prices without the intimacy of a handcrafted drink? In short, yes.
The Thai Milk Tea is one of the more popular drinks, usually being sold out and for good reason. It’s a refreshingly sweet drink with the bitterness only black tea can bring, reaching the sides of your tongue and smoothed out with the welcoming nodes of the condensed milk. The mixture of flavors compliment each other rather than fight for your attention for a relaxing experience.
For tea, the Passionfruit Jelly Jasmine Tea started as a crisp green tea made special by the passion fruit jelly cubes at the bottom of the cup. Thanks to the wide boba straw you’re able to enjoy each part of your drink without trouble. The jelly kept its consistency and flavor, offsetting the tame tea with a sweet and juicy crunch, satisfying your thirst and light appetite.
Unfortunately, about half an hour after finishing the drink a froth reminiscent of chugging a 7-Up or Sprite began to form in the back of the throat. It didn’t completely ruin the drink, but it would make me second guess getting it again.
Not afraid of flavor, the Chai Milk Tea immediately hits with the sharp bitterness of nutmeg akin to pickled ginger. This is an issue if you like to chug your drinks, but won’t matter much if you like a strong spiced chai to sip on. The chai tastes more natural and steeped in flavor and a definite treat to find in a vending machine.
There isn’t much on the menu that will leave you outright disappointed from the bold flavors and clean design. Mycha doesn’t seem to be trying to reinvent the wheel but be the next step in convenience, giving you more choice besides chips and soda. Mycha offers a great option for anyone wanting to try something new or grab your tried and true on the go.
