Customers demand quality and choice. Gone are the days of offering a choice of a black or white coffee. Nowadays it is important to offer the very best coffee and coffee variations in different cup sizes together with a decaffeinated option.
The most convenient way of supplying this insatiable demand is with a bean to cup machine.
Bean to cup machine capacity (usage) is usually divided into three criteria.
Light volume - serving between to 30-80 cups a day Medium volume - serving 100-200 cups a day High volume - serving 250+ cups a day
If your expected number of cups per day is close to the overlap of volume then we recommend that you go for the next model up.
Perhaps the most important thing to consider when choosing a machine is whether to go for a model with a 'built in' milk frother'.
Cheaper models will not have a built in milk frother, but may have the option of an 'add on' unit that froths the milk. The more expensive models have a fully automatic milk frother built into the machine which is also refrigerated to keep the milk cool.
Since a high percentage of drinks served will likely contain frothed milk it only really makes sense to go for the fully automatic built in versions unless your budget is very restrictive. Add-on milk frothers can be clumsy and not function to a consistent basis. There is nothing more frustrating to a busy caterer than a shop full of customers and milk that won't froth!
If your budget is tight it is best to compromise on some other features rather than the fully automatic frother option. If you are happy for you or your staff to froth milk by hand then you might as well go for the more traditional espresso machine instead and froth the milk whilst waiting for the coffee to come through the group head.
Recently there have appeared on the market bean to cup machines which incorporate a canister of powdered milk for those who do not want the inconvenience of fresh milk, although this is a trade off with sacrificing overall drink quality.
Bean to cup machines are big business. There are now a large number of manufacturers of bean to cup machines and the number is growing all the time.
It is best to choose a model from a manufacture that they have been producing for a number of years so that any initial problems have long since been ironed out. Now is not the time to be a guinea pig with a brand new model however fantastic it may seem.
Most manufacturers produce a series of models with different functions and features suitable for low, medium and high volume coffee production.
This is where you pays your money and takes your choice!
Machines are available with one, two, three or even four bean hoppers. This gives extra capacity for busy periods and / or the option of a decaffeinated coffee.
Auditing facilities are also available on the top models where information about the drinks served over any given period can be obtained and maybe downloaded onto a computer for later analysis.
Digital displays, visual looks should also be considered before making your final choice. Note that many of the top models are available in a choice of colours to match the decor of the establishment.
However as already mentioned the two most important things to establish are that the machine can cope with expected demand and that it has a built in milk frother. All other features can be considered secondary.
Before contacting a potential supplier make sure you have decided which size and what features you would like from your machine with reference to this report. That way you will not be persuaded to upgrade or pay for things you do not really require.
Don't forget to pay particular attention to the servicing costs and water treatment systems.
Remember that without a built-in milk frother you will have to froth the milk by hand and that may cause problems.
However a reliable and well maintained bean to cup machine should give many years of profitable service and provide excellent quality delicious drinks to your customers.
Domestic coffee use has evolved from packets of instant coffee in the kitchen cupboard, to stylish and sophisticated pod and capsule machines. As a result, our expectations of good coffee have been raised, and as a business it is our duty to produce high quality drinks for customers which meet these expectations. So which way do we turn?
Traditional Espresso Machines
Available in various shapes and sizes i.e. 1, 2, 3 and 4 group machines (a group is where water is dispensed from, which passes through the coffee that sits in the group handle. A group handle can be a single or double group, which enables you to dispense either one or two shots of coffee dependent on the amount of coffee place into the handle i.e. usually around 7 or 14 grams) and semi and fully automatic (semi-automatic is where you control the dose of coffee and turn it off when you have enough, fully automatic means that the buttons have a pre-set dose and the machine will stop by its self). These machines usually feature either one or two steam arms for frothing/steaming milk, and one or two hot water outlets.
When you purchase a traditional machine package, they should consist of the following basic items:
?A grinder to grind the coffee ?Knock-out drawer which can sit either underneath the machine or under the grinder, enabling you to ?knock-out? the used coffee ?Barista kit which can include such basic items such as a frothing jug, thermometer, pallet knife, chocolate shaker and an espresso shot glass ?Water filter which is connected to a mains cold water feed to prevent build up of lime scale inside the boiler and on the element,
Ideally, you will also need to provide a mains waste connection. The size of machine depends on the size of establishment or how busy you think you will be. The most common one by far is a 2 group fully automatic machine, but some smaller sites will have 1 and larger establishments may have 3 or 4.
These machines are very much about theatre and indeed they are for show as making coffee is very much an art and good is extremely important and becoming skilled at understanding and making good coffee takes time and practice as it is very easy to make a bad coffee. Prices can vary from around ?800 to ?6000, but remember, you get what you pay for, so make sure that the machine you choose is new and fully warranted, including full barista training and a good support service. The great thing about traditional machines is that there are no major moving parts so less to go wrong.
In more recent years traditional espresso machines have become more advanced, incorporating things such as boiler or group head temperature control facilities which enable you to tailor the temperature of the espresso water to suit the varying brewing temperatures of coffee. Other innovations include automatic steam wands, also known as hyper wands or turbo wands, enabling you to automatically froth or steam your milk perfectly without any human intervention.
Bean to Cup Machines
A bean to cup machine does exactly what it says! The fresh coffee beans are placed inside the machine and on the press of a button the machine automatically grinds the beans and pours both coffee and milk into your cup.
Bean to cup machines, such as Jura coffee machines, are quick and easy, and make quality fresh coffee at the touch of a button. What you need to remember with this type of system is that there are a lot of moving parts so more to potentially go wrong and there is need for daily cleaning which has to be adhered to otherwise your great coffee won't be so great the following day!
This type of system is ideal for a pub restaurant where staff training can sometimes be a problem; it is also great for convenience stores or petrol stations where a take away coffee station may be required. Some smaller machines require very little installation or training and can be tank fed, so no need for plumbing. These machines will also usually feature some form of de-scale cycle instead of a water filter to prevent scale build-up. It usually takes between 30 and 50 seconds from pressing the button to filling the cup, depending on the cup size and type of drink selection. Some of the higher volume machines can produce two milk based drinks at once, while most will make two black coffees at once, an essential feature for some very busy sites.
As time has passed, even the bean to cup machine has developed, and can now be found to use various combinations which feature fresh beans, fresh milk or an instant/granulated milk, instant hot chocolate and instant coffee.
These various machines are designed to produce anything from 50 cups per day to over 500 per day. The cost of these can vary from under ?1000 to well over ?10000, so it is important you make the correct choice.
Both Fenton Wayne & Dennis Rogers are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.