Choosing a coffee machine for personal use is already quite the burden, let alone choosing one for an entire office. A lot of workers rely on their morning cup of coffee to kick start their day, and often continue having many coffees during the next eight hours to come. On top of that, you need to find a coffee machine that fits your companies’ budget.
Things to Look for in Your Office Coffee Machine
Let’s start with the basics. What features are important to look for when contemplating what coffee machine to buy for your office?
To find out, ask yourself:
- Should I lease a coffee machine?
- How many coffee cups per day should my machine be able to handle?
- How’s the durability and environmental impact?
- Do employees want to have instant coffee, pods, capsules or roasted ground coffee?
- What types of coffee should the machine dispense?
- Does the machine use fresh or powdered milk? (milk powder can be bought in bulk)
- Does the machine need to rinse automatically in cycles? Is it easy to clean? Is there any aftercare service?
The 4 Main Types of Office Coffee Machines
There are essentially four main types of coffee machines that businesses like using.
1. Coffee Machines That Use Pods or Capsules
Machines that work with capsules or pods are low in maintenance, but do have limitations when it comes to the type of coffee that can be served. It all depends on what capsules or pods the manufacturer of your coffee machine allows and how many varieties are available. This might result in a high cost per drink. Plus, you’ll need to separately foam milk as this is often not part of the machine.
2. Coffee Machines That Use Fresh Beans
You’ll normally see that the bigger companies use coffee machines that freshly grind beans. After the beans are ground, the coffee is then run through hot water and eventually dispensed. Often the grinder is already built-in these machines. These machines are very suitable for offices, as employees can make a coffee with one press on a button. They do tend to be a bit slower, but therefore you’ll have a wider selection of beverages. Machines like the NESCAFÉ Milano Combi offer the option of fresh milk and are capable of dispensing over 48 beverage types making them perfect for offices and large businesses.
3. Traditional Barista Coffee Machines
These are the ones you’ll see in bars and restaurants. With a thermostatically controlled boiler, water is heated until somewhere between 85 and 93 degrees Celsius. The water then flows through the ground coffee at the exact right bar pressure. An additional milk steamer is often attached to the machine. The quality of the coffee is impressive, but the maintenance and quickness of the coffee making process are often too much of a hassle for companies. Plus, your employees might need training in how to properly use the machine. Given that most workplaces are busy, this is not a practical solution.
4. Coffee Machines That Dispense Soluble Coffee
Instant or soluble coffee machines perfectly suit companies that either want to uplift customer experiences or provide they’re employees with value. NESCAFÉ Alegria and NESCAFÉ Milano machines are well known for their consistency and reliance. With a variety of volume sizes, these options are best for mid to large companies (Here are some testimonials). Furthermore, they are can be operated and cleaned with ease. With a state of the art display, the new generation of NESCAFÉ Alegria machines boast a stylish exterior and the technology to dispense coffee that can rival your local café.
How to Choose the Right Coffee Machine
In the end, it’s all up to you and your key priorities.
From there on you can start looking for what type of machine caters to this wish in the first place. Then add your maximum budget. Defining the cost per coffee can be tricky, as there are features like eco-power saving mode that some machines do and some don’t have. This is a good feature to look at, as it’s better for the environment and helps you save money in the long run.
With this narrowed selection, you can furthermore filter for the number of staff machines can serve. Many coffee machines tell you this in their specifications.
