El Paso Nonprofit uses 3-D printer to make food

El Paso nonprofit Fab Lab is focused on making technology more accessible to the community.

One way they’re encouraging people to learn is by 3-D printing pancakes.

“With the food printer that we have, you can actually print with batter,” Fab Lab co-founder Cathy Chen said.

Designs are made on a computer program and then uploaded to the 3-D printer. The printer is equpped with pancake batter, and the batter is released onto a griddle.

“Having a food printer that prints something that is so comfortable as pancakes really helps people see this as something they can use at their home,” Chen said. “Rather than as something that’s tucked away at a lab in a university.”

Chen said the future of 3-D printing food is exciting. She thinks the technology can one day be used to make food for people with dietary restrictions.

“It’s a way for people to really customize their food to their own specifications, for their own nutritional content needs,” she said. “Ultimately the future of 3-D printing and digital fabrication is to let people have absolute control over their own consumer goods.”

As for how it tastes?

“The batter is a lot thinner than your traditional pancake batter, but does it really affect the taste? I don’t think so. I think it tastes pretty comparable to a pancake you would make at home,” Chen said.

Fab Lab hosts different events every month that allows the community to learn how to use these printers. For a complete calendar of the events click here.