Bean to cup coffee machines allow the caterer to serve
superb tasting fresh espresso coffee drinks and speciality coffee
variations at the touch of the button with the minimum of fuss.
Espresso, cappuccino, latte, americano, macchiato, regular
coffee, cafe au lait can be dispensed in different cup sizes in a
straight forward and simple manner where staff training is kept to
a minimum.
A bean to cup machine serving fresh coffee straight from the bean
to the cup will be an asset to any catering establishment and keep
customers satisfied and coming back for more.
Coffee is not something to be taken lightly. People will go out of
their way to drink at establishments serving the best coffee and
these days serving bad quality coffee is simply not an option. With
the growth of popular high street coffee shop chains good
coffee is now the expected norm and anything less is now totally
unacceptable. Customers demand quality and choice. Gone are the
days of offering a choice of a black or white coffee. Nowadays it
is important to offer the very best coffee and coffee variations in
different cup sizes together with a decaffeinated option. The most
convenient way of supplying this insatiable demand is with a bean
to cup machine.
How they work
Literally they make the coffee direct from the bean to the cup. At
the push of a button a bean to cup machine grinds the coffee from
the bean for an individual cup, passes the ground coffee to an
internal brewing chamber where the beverage is made and dispenses
the beverage direct into the cup. The used coffee grounds are then
automatically ejected into a tray. Some models will also froth and
automatically dispense steamed milk into the cup according to the
initial selection made.
Deluxe coffee variations such as latte, cappuccino, macchiato etc
are all made in the same way - fresh from the coffee bean to the
cup.
What size of machine to consider
By size of machine we really mean the number of
drinks per days that the machine will be able to produce. Most
manufacturers produce different models to cope with different usage
requirements.
Machine capacity (usage) is usually divided into three
criteria.
Light volume - serving between to 30-80 cups a day
- Schaerer Coffee Factory
Medium volume - serving 100-200 cups a day -
Schaerer Coffee Art or Coffee Art Plus
High volume - serving 250+ cups a day - Schaerer Coffee Celebration
If your expected number of cups per day is close to the overlap of
volume then we recommend that you go for the next model up. For
example don’t try to serve 80 cups a day using a light volume
machine, upgrade to the medium use model for peace of mind.
Milk
frothers
Perhaps the most important thing to consider when choosing a
machine is whether to go for a model with a ‘built in’ milk
frother’. Cheaper models will not have a built in milk frother, but
may have the option of an ‘add on’ unit that froths the milk. The
more expensive models have a fully automatic milk frother built
into the machine which is also refrigerated to keep the milk
cool.
Another option is a semi automatic milk frother (perhaps made by a
third party) that fits onto the steam arm off the machine and
froths the milk in a semi automatic process. (The user starts and
stops the process).
Since a high percentage of drinks served will likely contain
frothed milk it only really makes sense to go for the fully
automatic built in versions unless your budget is very restrictive.
Add-on milk frothers can be clumsy and not function to a consistent
basis. There is nothing more frustrating to a busy caterer than a
shop full of customers and milk that won’t froth!
The Schaerer range of bean to cup
machines from Cafebar offer both automatic milk frothing and
traditional barista style frothing systems to ensure the perfect
beverage.
If your budget is tight it is best to compromise on some other
features rather than the fully automatic frother option. If you are
happy for you or your staff to froth milk by hand then you might as
well go for the more traditional espresso machine instead and froth
the milk whilst waiting for the coffee to come through the group
head!
Recently there have appeared on the market bean to cup machines
which incorporate a canister of powdered milk for those who do not
want the inconvenience of fresh milk. Cafebar supply the
Vega bean to cup machine that uses fresh
coffee beans and instant milk powder.
The different manufacturers
Bean to cup machines are big business. There are now a large number
of manufacturers of bean to cup machines and the number is growing
all the time. It is best to choose a model from a manufacturer that
they have been producing for a number of years so that any initial
problems have long since been ironed out. Now is not the time to be
a guinea pig with a brand new model however fantastic it may
seem. Most manufacturers produce a series of models with
different functions and features suitable for low, medium and high
volume coffee production.
Café Bar's main bean to cup machine range are produced by Schaerer
in Switzerland. They are an experienced and world class company
that produce high quality equipment and lead the market with new
innovations and milk technology.
This is where you pay your money and the machine takes your
choice. The machines are available with one, two, three
or even four bean hoppers. This gives extra capacity for busy
periods and / or the option of a decaffeinated coffee. Most
machines will give basic coffee speciality drinks but the top
models can give a truly staggering choice of drinks all at the
touch of a button and in up to 3 different drink sizes.
Auditing facilities are also available on the top models where
information about the drinks served over any given period can be
obtained and maybe downloaded onto a computer for later analysis.
Digital displays, visual looks should also be considered before
making your final choice. Note that many of the top models are
available in a choice of colours to match the decor of the
establishment. However as already mentioned the two most important
things to establish are that the machine can cope with expected
demand and that it has a built in milk frother. All other features
can be considered secondary.
Staff training and cleaning procedures
The one great advantage bean to cup machines have over more
traditional espresso machines is their sheer ease of use. Users of
traditional espresso machines need considerable training and skill
to produce an acceptable espresso or cappuccino. The possibility of
human error is much greater as the operator adds the coffee to the
group head, compacts it down and engages the head. Frothing milk
can be an art form in itself and this is a skill that the
traditional espresso machine operator must master.
Contrast this to the bean to cup machine - press the button and
serve! However both types of machines require regular (daily)
hygiene routines that should be undertaken as per the
manufacturer’s instructions. Clearly as fresh milk is being used
hygiene must be rigorous and the parts coming into contact with
milk cleaned and sterilized daily. The tray that collects the use
coffee grounds should also be given high priority during cleaning
procedures. The top models do offer self clean cycles and other
helpful features but it is still best to allow at least 20-30
minutes a day for cleaning and hygiene purposes.
Many commercial bean to cup machines
can be obtained on a lease rental basis and installments paid by
bankers order. In this way with the high mark up usually made on
coffee drinks only a small number of drinks need to be sold per day
to cover the ‘daily’ lease rental charge. On this basis even the
top of the range models can have their daily costs covered by as
little as 5-10 cups per day.
Service contracts
Even the best and most reliable bean to cup machine can break
down from time to time. Regardless of careful maintenance a bean to
cup machine is still likely to malfunction several times a year
such that an engineer is required.
Service companies will confirm that the majority of their call outs
requiring engineers are a direct result of user error and
inadequate cleaning practices. Problems can arise from bean
contamination resulting in grinding errors, failing to empty the
used grounds tray regularly and inadequate cleaning of the milk
frothing apparatus.
Most new bean to cup machines are sold with a 12 months parts and
labour service included in the price. However this type of
agreement only covers genuine machine faults, and NOT faults caused
by user error or improper cleaning practices. Such engineer call
outs are chargeable even if they fall within the 12 months
guarantee period.
For the second and subsequent years it is absolutely imperative to
purchase a service contract for your machine. Some firms
charge more depending on the ‘response time’ of the engineer. For
example you would pay more for a 4-hour response time than a next
working day response service. Bear in mind that if you want cover
for weekends and holiday periods you will have to pay a higher
premium and not all companies will offer this type of out of office
hours service. This could be very important should your machine go
wrong late on Friday afternoon and you have a very busy weekend
ahead of you. A engineer calling on the following Monday is not
going to be much help.
Café Bar offer a full range of service contracts, including 7 day
cover and offer full UK national coverage from their
fleet of 70 fully qualified engineers and additional service
partners. See our Service Centre for
more details.
What are the hidden costs?
In addition to engineer serving costs many caterers overlook the
expense of electricity and water treatment systems.
Most medium to large capacity bean to cup machines use 9kw three
phase electricity that draws a lot of power and can add
considerably to the monthly electricity bill.
In addition it is vital in many areas of the UK to have a water
treatment system installed to avoid scale build up in the machine.
Untreated hard water can damage the machine relatively quickly with
associated down time and servicing costs.
It is recommended that a calcium treatment unit is installed close
to the machine to eliminate limescale build-up. For the average use
medium volume machine a 18-23 litre calcium treatment unit is
recommended that will last for approximately 6000 cups.
In many areas of Britain particularly in the south-east a water
treatment system is an absolute must and not a luxury add-on! Most
areas now have water re-directed from outside the region in dry
periods so even if you live in a soft water region you may find
problems with hard water at certain times of the year.
Café Bar install the best type
of water treatment system for your drinks machine from the UK's
number one supplier - BRITA. This prevents damage due to scale
build up and improves the quality of the final beverage.
Coffee beans
Beans supplied by Café Bar undergo rigourous quality control
procedures to ensure that only whole coffee beans are packed and
there are absolutely no stones or other impurities.
Low-grade coffee beans can be obtained relatively cheaply ,
but good quality coffee beans are by far the best option.
Considering the high cost of a commercial bean to cup machine, the
cost of maintenance and the high selling price of the coffee it
seems rather pointless using a low quality coffee bean. Low quality
beans may contain impurities such as small stones, grit and twigs
that can damage the grinder in the machine and should be
avoided.
As tempting as it may be to cut costs by using a cheaper coffee
bean it can be a false economy. If the machine has 3 or 4
hoppers it makes sense to offer a more expensive bean as well as
the standard as some people will always like to pay for the best.
In addition a supply of decaffeinated beans can serve and satisfy
that particular niche market.
Conclusion
A quality bean to cup machine can be a real asset to any catering
establishment. It offers simple touch button selection of many
speciality coffee drinks made direct from the roast coffee bean.
Specialised staff training to prepare espresso and steam milk is
all but eliminated and the consistency and quality of drink is
tremendous.
Your local Café bar representative will be able to advise you of
the best and most appropriate coffee machine for your
establishment, together with coffee supplies and water treatment
system.
Choose a bean to cup coffee machine from Café Bar and look
forward to many years of reliable service, high profits and
delicious quality drinks for your staff and customers.