Posted August 16, 2018 7:20 am by Tony Hogarth
How to select the right coffee machine for you.
Have you been asked to source a coffee machine for the workplace or perhaps your own business and want to supply coffee for the staff and clients? No matter the reason there are various circumstances that will determine your final choice and which machine is best for you.
Capacity.
The first step is to determine how many coffees will you be making per day, smaller workplaces might make from 20 to 80 cups while large corporate offices make from 90 up to 150+ coffee per day. The capacity will determine your options and price range.
Something people often don’t consider is looking at two machines to manage coffee volumes rather than one, the advantage of this is being able to make more coffees faster during busy periods like lunch breaks or if you are hosting a conference. The other advantage of this is the ability to always have one running while the other is being serviced or for some reason needs repair.
Important components to consider are:
- Size of the water tank or maybe it is better to plumb into the water mains with commercial filtration.
- Bean container – how many beans can the machine hold at one time.
- Size of the machine – how much room do you have in the area you wish to use the machine
- Can you drain the drip tray and coffee grinds?
Coffee selection & features
The features between machines can vary a lot, from the choice of coffees you make with some machines offering hot-chocolate, along with steam wands for frothing your own milk and much more..
If hot-chocolate is not a requirement don’t be swayed unnecessarily, not all machines making hot-chocolate make great coffee too, the best thing to do is test the coffees first. Many suppliers offer a free trial or you can taste test at their premises before you decide.
Below download our pick of the best coffee machines for 2018 and their features
Download: Best Office Coffee Machines
Do you purchase, rent or finance your coffee machine?
Coffee machines are tax deductible, what you can claim depends on if you are registered for GST or not and if you are running your business from home. I recommend seeking advise from your tax agent to find out what your business is entitled to.
Purchasing.
If you would rather purchase and you have the money to purchase outright a new machine this is cheaper over time, or you might be selling coffee and in this case, by purchasing your coffee machine it is paid off in a few short months.
Leasing.
This suits some companies who don’t want to outlay the full purchase cost and they can extend it out over a 12-36month rental contract this also provides them with reassurance, as most rental plans will include servicing costs and replacements if something should go wrong. Some suppliers will even offer free on loan machines if ordering their coffee, be sure to read reviews first as some suppliers limit you to one type of bean which is not always the best tasting.
Rent to own finance.
There are finance companies that offer 3 year rent to own programmes, such as SilverChef. They provide your rental at a higher rate in the first year but drop by 30% in the 2nd and 3rd years at this time you become the proud owner, with this option they will also allow you to upgrade in the first 12months with no penalty.
Whichever you choose the most important thing you can do is taste the coffee and be sure you not only have all the features, capacity and payment structure to suit your requirements, you are happy with the coffee and the service providers ongoing support.