“Would sell my soul for this device”: Americans can only dream of Finland’s avocado ripeness machines

If you’re fed up with awkwardly squeezing avocados every time you’re at the grocery store, it looks like you might need to move to Finland.

How Finland’s avocado scanners work

Promise (@caydusmusic) is a content creator who films her daily life in Finland with her Finnish partner, Jukka. She recently posted the trending video, in which she is shopping in a Finnish grocery store and comes across one of the scanners.

“I don’t know if this is just a thing in Finland, but have you guys seen the avocado checkers?” she says. Promise then holds an avocado up to the scanner and waits before 3 dots light up on an adjacent monitor. She then asks Jukka to translate.

“Wait two days,” he reveals. Promise then tests another avocado—this time much less ripe, as only 1 dot lights up, this time in yellow rather than green.

“Eat today,” Jukka clarifies.

@caydusmusic #livingabroad #internationalcouple #suomitiktok #finland ♬ original sound – Promise + Jukka Backlund

People outside of Finland were impressed with the device in the comments.

“Do we finally have avocado ultrasound in 2025,” wrote sendbac0n, while Mandy wrote “I would sell my soul for this device.”

Others were less impressed, with one user declaring, “It’s a wonder the U.S. isnt still churning butter and fixing wagon wheels.”

There was also discussion over how long the scanners had been in the country, with some Finnish TikTok users claiming they had never seen one. Other commenters clarified that the devices existed in Chile, Estonia, and Sweden.

Which countries have the scanner, and how does it work?

According to a quick TikTok search, the avocado scanner can also be seen in Dubai, as shown in this video from April 19, 2025, by Time Out Dubai.

A longer video by the UK news outlet bulletin also reveals that the scanners are currently being trialled in five Tesco supermarkets in England. The reporter explains that the scanner is made by a Dutch company called One Third, and that it uses infrared technology to read what the avocado looks like on the inside. Tesco is introducing them in an attempt to cut down on food waste.

“By helping shoppers pick exactly the avocado they need, fewer end up damaged or binned or disappointing when you cut them open,” the reporter explains.

@bulletinindy Tesco has launched its ‘groundbreaking’ avocado ripeness scanner. The Independent’s Madelaine Dowds went to Wokingham to try it out for herself 🥑 Bulletin – News for seriously busy people. #AvocadoScanner #Tesco #Wokingham #Avocado #TheIndependent ♬ original sound – bulletin.

One Third’s website confirms that this is one of the main reasons behind the scanner, as well as to increase sales in general. They explain that K-Citymarket in Jumbo Vantaa has installed the avocado scanner since June 2024, with positive results.

“We see in the last 18-week period an increase in sales of the most sold individual avocados and the whole segment. During the last 9-week period, waste in the segment went down. The scanner has already returned my investment, and it will continue to improve our customer experiences,” the supermarket said.

The avocado scanner continues to be rolled out worldwide, as for whether it will eventually come to the United States is currently unknown.

The Daily Dot reached out to Promise via TikTok for comment but have yet to receive a response at the time of publication.