If you had asked me this morning whether we'd ever reach such technological advancement that we could put dough in a pod and create a tortilla from it, I would have said no way! Years off. But wow was I limited in my pod thinking because tortilla pods are apparently now a reality.

The Flatev, which just launched on Kickstarter, works like both an Easy Bake Oven and Nespresso. Carlos Ruiz, co-founder and CEO, says he came up with the idea because he missed authentic tortillas when he lived in Europe and the US and struggled to make them himself. But really, he just desperately wanted a dang taco. I feel that. So he came up with the Flatev.

Once in possession of the machine, owners just have to buy Flatev-approved tortilla pods, pop 'em in, and then out comes a tortilla. The pods aren't reusable and only make one tortilla each. They also have to be refrigerated.

The machine is extremely cool-looking, and as a tortilla proponent, I'm excited! But let's be real, the Flatev takes a dish that's inherently cheap to make — corn tortillas are made with masa and water — and turns it into a bougie treat. The Flatev's "super early bird" price is $199 for the machine and one batch of tortilla dough. That will eventually retail for $437 with the pods costing around 79 cents each. Tortillas have existed for thousands of years, and I promise you the Mayans weren't relying on a Flatev to make them. You're paying for convenience, having a conversation starter, and I guess, eating tacos on the reg.

The Flatev might start shipping next summer if it ends up coming to fruition. And the company is reportedly experimenting with roti pods, too. ROTI PODS. Long live tortilla tech.

Update 6/8 10:02 AM ET: Updated to include our YouTube First Look video.



