Choosing a coffee machine

Coffee Machine - A Quick Selection Guide

Factors to consider first when choosing a coffee machine

• Usage
  How many people will be using the coffee machine each day? How many people take a break at the same time?
• Space
  Do you have room for a free standing coffee machine. Table top machines are the only option for some smaller areas.
• Plumbing
  A plumbed in coffee machine is always the best option. For smaller, low use machines you may consider an integrated water tank.
• Quality of drinks required
  For a waiting room you may only require basic drinks. Offices and meeting rooms may demand higher quality coffee such as 'Bean to Cup'.
• Operation
  How often do you want to re-stock your machine, daily or weekly? Do you have staff available to clean the coffee machine regularly or do you require a low maintenance machine.
• Payment method
  The following payment methods are available. Some smaller tabletop machines may only be available on free vend or with a coin validator.
  • Change giver - This is a coin mechanism that generally accepts all denominations of coin up to £2 and dispenses change.
  • Coin Validator - This accepts coins but does not give change (a cheaper option). The validator will be set to accept say 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p for example.
  • Cashless System - The use of a key or card to dispense drinks. If you want to allow your staff X amount of free drinks per day for example then this system loads credits on the key/card that are deducted each time the card is used.
  • Free Vend - No payment system, as all drinks are free.

Next you can consider the coffee machine type

1. The 'In - Cup' Coffee Machine

Available in tabletop or freestanding types these are machines that dispense disposable cups, which contain pre-packed ingredients. The cups are packed in vacuum sleeves, to fill the machine you simply unwrap the sleeve and drop the cups into the machine. Cups are vended by pressing a button (automatic) or by pulling a draw (standard and cheaper)

In standard models, which generally only have 4-6 selections the machine releases the cup and then the customer presses separate buttons to deliver the sugar and water. Automatic models such as the Jede 800/1200 or KBar will automatically drop the cup and pour in the water before turning the carousel to deliver the drink at the delivery station.

Pros	Cons
Simple to fill Low Maintenance Ease of use Cheap capital cost Consistent drink quality Easy to clean	Limited drink selection No strength variation for sugar/whitener Price per cup more expensive than instant

2. The Instant Coffee Machine

These coffee machines mix drinks from loose ingredients inside the machine and are available as freestanding or tabletop machines. Typically a machine will have canisters containing coffee, tea, whitener or creamer and chocolate. Most machines can make a variety of drinks from the basic ingredients which include black coffee, white coffee, cappuccino, latte, espresso, hot chocolate, tea and soup.

A fully automatic coffee machine dispenses into cups stored inside the machine. These can be paper or plastic cups. A semi automatic machine uses any type of cup that has been manually placed in the delivery station. Many of the smaller machines are only available in semi automatic.

Pros	Cons
Flexibility in drinks i.e. cappuccino, latte etc. Low price per cup Ease of use Large Capacity Takes up little space	Takes longer to clean than 'in cup' machines Filling is more time consuming

3. Bean to Cup Coffee Machines

Coffee beans are placed in a hopper on top or inside the machine. When a drink is selected the correct amount of beans are ground and put into a brewing chamber producing a fresh shot of coffee. This gives the smell and taste of real 'coffee shop' beverage and is the highest quality drink available through a vending machine.

Bean to cup machines will also come with instant ingredient canisters to produce a range of speciality drinks.

Pros	Cons
Highest quality drinks Real coffee aroma Higher prices can be charged on drinks	Higher ingredient costs Higher equipment cost Coffee beans can only be stored in hopper for up to five days. Longer delivery time on drinks

4. Fresh Brew Coffee Machines

Ground coffee or tea leaves are delivered into a brewing unit and infused with water before being dispensed into a cup. This is a 'real' tea or coffee and is of a higher quality than instant ingredients.

Smaller machines can only have one fresh brew option so if you choose to use the brewer for tea you will need to use the internal canisters for instant coffee and vice versa. With larger freestanding machines it is possible to have more than one fresh brew option.

Pros	Cons
High quality drinks Faster delivery time than Bean to Cup Higher prices can be charged on drinks	Higher ingredient costs Higher equipment cost

5. Multi Purpose Coffee Machines.

For the best selection of drinks you can choose a freestanding coffee machine with Instant, Bean to Cup and Fresh Brew options.

Once you have an idea of which system suits you please contact us to discuss your requirements in more detail.