Do you need help with deciding on a coffee machine for a cafe? Call us on 01324 617618 and have a read of our guide to purchasing a coffee machine here. When considering acquiring a commercial coffee machine for your office or cafe, you can quickly think: ‘I could buy a car for the price of these machines!’ With the wide variety of machines available, it’s essential to have a detailed understanding of modern speciality coffee machine types, their performance, and how they work.
Caffia Coffee Group offer the full range of equipment from a filter coffee brewer to a heavy-duty bean-to-cup machine, and we’re excited to work with you. If you have any questions contact us on 01324 617618. Our team of coffee experts will answer any question you have.
Filter Coffee Brewers
These machines work by percolating hot water over a mixture of ground coffee. These coffee grinds are finer than French press coffee grinds but coarser than espresso grinds. These grinds pass through a filter paper into a glass jug or a thermos flask.
The resulting brew is pleasant, aromatic and delicious. Prepared in batches is the fastest coffee for service – simply pour it and enjoy. Filter coffee is an excellent choice for office meetings, breakfast coffee, conferencing, universities, hospitals and farm shops!
Commercial filter coffee machines start at the rugged Caffia CX-2 filter coffee machine with 2 glass jugs and go up to the monster Bravilor B10 Bulk Brewers with twin 40 litre urns. The sheer speed of brew in a bulk brewer means achieving a delicate and tasty brew can be challenging. The most recent machines, like the Marco Jet Brewer, have adjustable brewing parameters, which quickly creates excellent quality bulk drip coffee.
Cafetière Coffee Dispenser
Cafetière, also known as the French press, belongs under coffee machines because having a machine to dispense a carefully measured dose offers an easy and consistent way to make great coffee.
With a cafetière, you won’t use any filter paper and can easily create a very enjoyable cup of coffee. The coffee you’ll usually find from a cafetière can be robust, full-bodied and rich.
The Bravilor KMD unit is a large-scale cafetière doser, with hundreds of outlets filling cafetière quickly and easily. You can also browse our range of coffees for cafetières.
Traditional Espresso Coffee Machines & Grinders
There is one key element across over 150 manufacturers of espresso machines that are out there, and that is pressure.
The concept of an espresso machine originated in Italy, and the key point is the high-pressure extraction of intensely flavoured and concentrated coffee in short measure. This strong brew has spread from Italy to the entire world as a favourite – with the Caffia range of beans it comes in various taste styles but should always have a good ‘crema’ – the emulsion of coffee oils that floats to the top.
As you probably already know, the coffee beans are ground to a fine consistency and pressed into a strong, group handle. Once secured in the espresso machine’s group head through a quarter of a turn, the pump is triggered, resulting in this intense coffee. These machines come in between 1 and 4 groups, and we offer a range of prime coffee grinders.
Milk heating, foaming and texturing are done with the machine’s steam arms – and our team will train your baristas on how to do all of this properly. The strong points of espresso machines are fantastic coffee, good cup-warming storage, and entertainment, as customers can see the drink being crafted for them.
Also, consider that these coffee machines take time to make a drink in your cafe and skills acquired by practice. There can also be inconsistency in the end product with a human operator. Caffia Coffee Group offers a range of low-cost workhorse and luxury espresso coffee machines with barista training.
If your coffee requirements are for a high-volume workplace or would need to involve a self-service element (such as an office kitchen or guesthouse), you might be better off with an automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine.
Bean-To-Cup Coffee Machines
This type of cafe coffee machine is automatic. Fresh or powdered milk and fresh coffee beans are integrated into the machine with a bean-to-cup. From this, these machines will produce a full range of drinks at the touch of a button, like espresso, americano, caffe latte, cappuccino and, in some machines, flat white, mocha and espresso macchiato. The automation in bean-to-cup machines is beneficial in offering a consistent drink with zero skill on behalf of your staff or in an office or self-service situation.
A bean-to-cup coffee machine using fresh milk does produce a better quality drink, and the latest generation, like the Jura Giga series and Franke A600, are also easier to clean.
The Necta Koro Max Prime machine can use powdered milk and, often with hot chocolate powder, offers a vending option ideal for offices and showrooms.
In recent years, on the one hand, powder milk for touch button bean to cup machines has hugely improved; it is often 100% pure skimmed milk, and the myth that powder milk bean to cups is a lot easier to clean than fresh milk bean to cups is not credible.
The purchase prices on our range of bean-to-cup machines are between £1250.00 and £15,000+ – there is a wide range of machines for every site situation, volume and quality requirement. Browse our website for our range of bean-to-cup machines today.
Instant Coffee Machines
Our range of instant coffee machines uses freeze-dried instant coffee, cappuccino topping powder and powdered hot chocolate.
One of these machines – often called ‘dispensers’ – offers a compact and low-cost machine usually plumbed to the mains water supply – the principal benefit is very high-speed dispense or a very hot beverage: no fresh milk to cool the coffee: low-cost machines and low-cost drinks in high volumes.
In a factory or office with a short coffee break, these machines can be a real queue buster without breaking the bank. With instant coffee machines, the cost is lower than espresso machines or bean-to-cup in some ways, with less to go wrong.
Coffee Machine Rental & Leasing
Renting your coffee machine without paying a large sum outright can be helpful. We offer a simple 3-year lease rental deal with a finance company, billed by direct debit quarterly and spread out the payments, as these rental payments are 100% tax deductible.
When choosing a coffee machine, consider the types of coffee you want to serve, the volume of coffee you expect to make, and the level of automation you prefer. It’s also essential to consider the space available in your café and your machine and maintenance budgets.
FAQ
Do you have questions about which machine would best fit you? Here are some of our most asked questions to help guide you. If you still have questions, contacts us today and our team will be happy to answer any questions you have.
What makes bean-to-cup coffee machines perfect for cafes?
Not only are our bean-to-cup coffee machines user-friendly, but they can make large amounts of coffee with a single button.
Are traditional espresso machines the best choice for cafes?
Traditional espresso machines can be an excellent choice for cafes, but there might still be inconsistencies, as making every coffee consistent takes a lot of practice and skill.
Is renting a machine from Caffia a better alternative to buying?
If paying for a coffee machine upfront isn’t viable for your business, then renting one is one of your best bets. We offer a 3-year lease on our machines. And to top it off, renting your machine is 100% tax deductible.
What training would my baristas need for operating an espresso machine?
Your baristas need training in coffee grinding, tamping, and milk frothing. It takes some practice, but your baristas will quickly understand what to do. When you buy or rent a coffee machine, we offer training as part of our service.
Caffia Coffee Group
Lomond House
Russel Street
Falkirk
FK2 7HS
Tel: 01324 617618 | Email: sales@caffia.com
Caffia Coffee Group
Design Hub Clerkenwell
47 Gee Street
London
EC1V 3RS
Tel: 0203 096 7233 | Email: sales@caffia.com
This article – Help With Deciding On A Coffee Machine For A Cafe – is provided to try and give some context and advice with the myriad options available in cafe coffee machines and hot chocolate machines; please call us on 01324 617618 to discuss your needs further.