How to choose the right coffee machine for your business
For decades now, serving good coffee has been something that lies at the heart of a number of establishments. From cafes to libraries, people value being able to get a reliable hot beverage while out and about. Choosing the right coffee machine can feel a little daunting - here’s how to get it right.
Work out how much coffee you’ll be making
Before you can start looking at what machine you should get, you’ll need to try to work out how much coffee you’ll be making each day. For example, if you’re getting a coffee machine for employees to use in your office, you’ll have very different requirements to a cafe serving drinks on a busy high street. Assessing your volume requirements will allow you to start your search, with some idea of what you need.
Different kinds of coffee machine
While there are a staggering number of ways that you can make coffee, here we’re going to look at the four main kinds of coffee machines that might be suitable for businesses.
Espresso machines
Commercial coffee machines are the best option for businesses looking to sell high-quality coffee in large quantities. Using the various functions on these machines, you can make most kinds of coffee, from americanos to cappuccinos. Good ones aren’t cheap, but they’re well worth the investment.
Bean-to-cup
These automatic coffee machines can make reasonably high-quality cups of coffee, all at the touch of a button. They can be good for youth hostels or petrol stations, where you want to sell good coffee but can’t afford to pay someone to make it all day.
Drip coffee
Drip coffee makers can be a great option for businesses that need to always have coffee on hand, often in large quantities. You won’t be able to make espressos or other fancy coffees with these devices, but if a high volume for low input is what you need, they could be perfect.
Coffee pod machines
Finally, if you’re looking for something that’s compact and really easy to operate, then single serve coffee pod machines might be perfect for your business. They use pre-packaged pods, meaning they don’t really require cleaning or much maintenance other than filling with water.
Training
When choosing a coffee machine for your business, you’ll want to think about what kind of training it will require to use. High-quality commercial machines will require a little more know-how, for example, compared to using a coffee pod machine.
You’ll also want to make sure that employees are trained to look after whatever option you go with. Most coffee machines require at least a little bit of effort in terms of regular servicing, to make sure that they can function as intended for as long as possible.
While some of these options listed above might be expensive, coffee machines can be a great investment. If you do your calculations on how much you’re likely to sell, you can factor in the price of coffee beans and come up with a fairly accurate timeline on how long it will take to see a complete return on your initial investment.
