It had to happen: a 3D printer that prints chocolate has arrived. It looks like a low-tech replicator from Star Trek that only makes desserts.

The Cocoa Press (open in new tab) is the name of this candy-making device (discovered by Tom's Hardware) (open in new tab). It's "sort of like an automated piping bag," says the company that developed the device.

The chocolate is loaded into the printer via a 70 g tube cartridge called a "chocolate core." The chocolate is either custom-made milk chocolate or dark chocolate made with palm oil. Hand-held chocolate can also be used, but the company says it may take some experimentation to get it to work well. The printer works by heating the chocolate to "slightly below body temperature" so that it hardens quickly in air, but it works differently for different types of chocolate.

The Cocoa Press has a build volume of 140x150x150 mm, so it cannot print a 1:1 chocolate replica of Master Chief's helmet. A further limitation is the size of the 70 g tube. The company has stated that it is researching ways to reload the chocolate core mid-print for larger pieces.

Cocoa Press offers designs to use (open in new tab), but, like other 3D printers, you can also make your own using CAD software. The pre-made designs range in complexity from small chocolate coins to fish, barrels, and of course the tiny 3DBenchy (opens in new tab) boat. Printing takes anywhere from five minutes to two hours, depending on the size.

Pre-orders (opens in new tab) for Cocoa Press begin April 17 and will ship in September; DIY kits start at $1,499 and require a $100 deposit. According to the company's FAQ, you have to assemble it yourself, which takes about 10 hours; the pro version of the Cocoa press costs $3,995 and ships in 2024. That may sound like a lot of money, but hear me out: if you sell the little chocolate bathtub Geralt (opens in new tab) for $20 a piece, you'll get a return on your investment in no time.