There are 3 main types of coffee machines, so it can be difficult to figure out which is best suited to your business. Here is a brief look into each type of coffee machine so you can decide which one you will benefit from the most.
Traditional Coffee Machine
How it works
A traditional coffee machine is an espresso machine used by a trained barista. The coffee beans are ground in the machine into the portafilter which is attached to the group head to extract the coffee from the beans with hot water. The milk is added afterwards to taste.
Cost
- Lower cost than fresh milk bean to cup coffee machines
Footfall
- Longer production but a 3 group means multiple staff members can use it at one time to speed up the process
Customers
- Ideal for coffee lovers with time to spare and appreciate the final design
- Good for people who enjoy latte art and fancy crockery
Staff
- Once staff are trained and have used traditional coffee machines often, they will know it like the back of their hand
- It requires a lot of training so consider whether you can afford the time and money spent on training every staff member
Our favourite: Iberital IB7 Traditional Espresso Machine
- Available in 4 colours and 4 group types, including compact designs
- Produces delicious coffee for catering businesses with limited space available
- Anti-splash hot water outlet and automatic boiler fill.
- Fresh milk and mains water attachment
- Designed and created in Barcelona
- More information here
We have a huge selection of traditional coffee machines in all sizes, specifications, colours and prices. To discover your favourite check them out here.
Bean-To-Cup Coffee Machine
How it works
A bean-to-cup coffee machine is simply an automatic coffee machine that makes coffee using coffee beans. A push of a button causes the machine to do exactly the same process as a traditional coffee machine inside - grinds the coffee beans and extracts the coffee with the hot water and pours out milk.
Cost
- A powdered milk machine costs a lot less than one with fresh milk.
Footfall
- They have a faster production time so is best for busy businesses who have less staff available to serve.
Customers
- Ideal for customers on the go or are nipping in on their lunch break who need their coffee quickly but still enjoy a good quality taste.
Staff
- Training for using and cleaning the machine is super simple so it is quick and easy to teach new staff often.
Our favourite: Franke A800 Bean-To-Cup Commercial Coffee Machine
- Designed to deliver high-quality drinks at large quantities for busy businesses
- 10 inch HD touch screen for easy drinks selection
- Master of variety with so many options for flavoured and speciality coffees
- Additional options for units available to suit all types of businesses
- More information here.
Discover our huge collection of bean-to-cup coffee machines available here.
Instant Coffee Machine
How it works
Instant coffee machines are automatic machines that produce coffee using instant coffee and powdered milk. The user simply chooses their drink and the machine combines the hot water, coffee granules and milk powder to create a variety of coffees.
Cost
- Affordable to run and the ingredients are fairly cheap and can be bought in many places.
Footfall
- Best suited to busy environments with many customers at one time because of the short production time
Customers
- Customers on the go and need a quick fix of caffeine who are not too bothered about the overall appearance
- People who are there just for the caffeine and not necessarily for the freshness
Staff
- There is virtually no training needed to use an instant coffee machine so places with many members of staff
- Maintaining and cleaning the machine is always fairly simple too so not much time and money will be needed to be spent on this training
Our favourite: Bravilor Bonamat Bolero XL 423 Commercial Instant Coffee Machine
- Swift and efficient machine with a compact design to fit in small spaces
- Affordable price so businesses can invest in more than one machine
- 4 canisters for 9 options of drinks
- Coin mechanism additional unit available for places charging for drinks
- More information here.
Check out the rest of our instant coffee machines in our collection here.
Which is the best coffee machine for your business?
After reading this, you can hopefully decide which type of coffee machine to invest in for your business. Are your customers looking for an aesthetically pleasing coffee with beautiful latte art, a speciality coffee on the go or a quick caffeine fix on the way to work?
If you'd like more advice or would like to know what we can offer for you, give us a call and one of our expert reps will help you out! Our phone lines are open Monday - Friday 9am till 5pm > 0800 035 5584.