How to Choose the Perfect Coffee Machine for Your Office

www.honestcoffees.com@HonestCoffees

You've decided to offer your staff coffee? You are a beautiful person!

It can be a bit of a minefield sorting out which type of coffee machine to get (and, therefore, what sort of coffee), so we've created a handy guide for you. The device you use to make your cuppa will directly affect the coffee's taste, so it’s important to go through some checkpoints prior to purchasing.

What are the Options?

Bean to Cup Cafetiere Barista Style Filter Single Serve Pod

Factors to Consider● Staff Count● Environmental Impact● Durability● Convenience● Cost● Future Company Growth● Coffee Quality

Staff CountYou’ll need to make sure the coffee machine you pick can meet your office's needs, volume-wise. The simplest way to do this is a staff count. Consider how many people will use the machine every day and how many cups the average employee drinks. Many office workers drink two to three cups a day, but you have to account for those that drink more or none at all. We've found it is a fair bet to assume around one mug per day per employee. Add a bit if you have frequent client meetings.

Machine Type

Company Size Cafetiere Filter Bean to Cup Pod Barista

< 10

10 - 50

50 - 200

200 +

Environmental ImpactIf your business is aiming to go green, you may want to consider the environmental impacts of different machines. In addition to the power requirements for the machine itself, coffee pods are non-recyclable and non-biodegradable, which means they might not be the best option. Bean-to-cup machines will use the same amount electricity and water, but many include energy efficiency functions to turn off when not in use. Cafetieres just need a kettle full of boiling water, while filter machines are typically only turned on when brewing up a pot. You will need to dispose of filter papers when you're through, though. Think about how important is it to your business and your employees.

Environmental Impact of Different Coffee Machine Types

Cafetiere Filter Bean to Cup Pod Barista

Machine DurabilityQuality commercial coffee machines are investments that are usually leased over a few years to help defray costs. Therefore, you don’t want a cheap machine you'll need to replace after a year or two. Make sure your machine is a trusted brand, and the model is well-built. And check the warranty, both parts and labour. Many coffee machines only come with one year as standard, and you'll need to pay for subsequent cover. We've not done a little colour-coded chart, because durability and quality vary so much by brand, but in general, this is the scale of durability (from least to most).

Less - More

ConvenienceThere are two sides to the convenience coin:

1. How easy is it to make a cup of coffee2. How much of a pain is it to clean the machine

The first bit is pretty easy to sort out:

● Bean to cup and pod machines are one-touch coffee machines. Press a button, and you've got coffee 20 - 30 seconds later

● Filter coffee machines need the, well, filter filled with coffee before brewing

● Cafetieres need you to add water and wait a few minutes, and

● Barista machines, while quick, can be fiddly

Cleaning up afterward can vary quite a lot within each category, and it's something you want to ask the vendor about before buying your coffee machine.

Cost

Front and centre for many decision-makers, cost is a key factor when you're buying a commercial coffee machine for your office. We've broken down the total cost per cup for each of the five options assuming £15/kg for the coffee (or £0.35 per pod).

Cost per Coffee Drink (coffee + machine)

Cafetiere Filter Bean to Cup Pod Barista

12p 15p 22p 22p42p

Future Company GrowthMost coffee machine leases run across a 2-4 year period. Make sure you think about how much your business might grow over that timeframe when you do your sums to make sure you don't outgrow the machine. If you expanded quickly, could the machine cope with the increased capacity? Would you be happy to buy or lease another machine if you have to? There's a relatively linear relationship between machine cost and volume capacity, which means you want to max out the machine if possible. That is, if you need 100 mugs a day, you'll want 1x 100 mug machine rather than 2x 75 mug machines.

Coffee Quality

One of the advantages of offering good coffee in the workplace is the amount of time it saves an employee leaving the office to grab a drink. The taste will vary dramatically depending on the coffee used and the machine you use to make it. The big difference here is between pods and coffee beans / filter coffee. Whereas the coffee you'll use for a bean to cup machine, cafetiere or filter machine will / can be freshly roasted and ground, the coffee in pods could be up to a year old. It's also far easier to discover the coffee's provenance and sourcing methods (Fairtrade, etc.) if you buy it directly rather than using a pod.

Still Not Sure?

Take this quiz: https://apps.facebook.com/coffee_machine_quiz/

Honest Coffees supplies loads of delicious coffee to offices, and we have access to a wide variety of commercial coffee machines to match your requirements. Get in touch with one of the team if you’d like to hear more or to request samples.

www.honestcoffees.com@HonestCoffees