Like many ’90s kids, one of the great joys of my childhood was mixing all of the sodas at Taco Bell. That rudimentary mishmash is still one of the best drinks I ever had, but it now seems quaint. Coca-Cola Freestyle machines let us customize our selections with a seemingly infinite number of combinations. However, that hyper flavor specificity is coming to the world of condiments with Kraft Heinz’s new Heinz Remix machine. It’s a first-of-its-kind customizable dispenser that will allow customers craft the exact dipping sauce they desire.
The Kraft Heinz Company has announced (in news we first saw at CNN) the next big innovation in condiments. (Please don’t ask us what the last one was.) The free-standing, touchscreen machine took only six months to develop from concept to product.
Here’s how it works. The Heinz Remix comes with a handful of base sauce options. They include ketchup, Ranch, 57 Sauce, and BBQ Sauce. The fun and personalization comes from what the company refers to as “enhancers.” As of now they are: Jalapeño, Smoky Chipotle, Buffalo, and Mango. But even those come with some variety. Users can select their “preferred intensity level” of either low, medium, or high.
This machine is a big leap from the company’s relatively new line of Heinz Remix combo condiments.
“As a company, we’re transforming through innovation by making bigger, more intentional bets to fuel our growth and create new experiences for consumers,” said Alan Kleinerman, Vice President of Disruption, Kraft Heinz, in a statement. “Heinz Remix is a great example of this consumer-first approach to innovation. We’re changing the game for foodservice operators and sauce lovers – dipping will never be the same. With Heinz Remix, it’s more than a sauce dispenser; it’s an insights engine and business model enabler that will help Kraft Heinz understand and respond to consumer trends and flavor preferences in real-time. Who knows – maybe our next new sauce combination will come from a superfan using Heinz Remix!”
The machine will make its public debut this weekend at the 2023 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago (May 20-23, 2023). Kraft Heinz says its current plan is to start getting them to restaurant operators in late 2023 to early 2024.
I volunteer as tribute. I am a ’90s kids, after all. We were customizable dispenser innovators.