If you’re interested in modernizing the breakroom, a coffee bar is a must. Providing employees with a delicious shot of energy enhances productivity, and a comfortable meeting area complete with an espresso machine promotes strong teams. Ready to stock your breakroom with a commercial-grade machine that employees will love? Here, we share a few of our favorite options:
Which Features Are Most Important in Commercial Coffee Equipment?
When selecting an espresso machine for the office, you’ll want to ensure that the product is user-friendly and does its job of brewing up a great shot of espresso. Although must-have features are subjective and depend upon user preference, here are a few of the most popular factors to consider during the shopping process:
- User friendly interface: You do not want to overly complicate the coffee making process
- Intuitive Volumetrics: Easily extract delicious espresso with volumetric recipes and one-tap controls that make use fast and fun
- Direct plumb: Direct plumbing means that you can hook a machine directly to a water line so that you never have to worry about refilling your water reservoir or emptying the waste water.
Although commercial grade espresso machines with these features are often considered more complicated than products designed for home use, they’re straightforward enough for most to catch on quickly.
If you’d prefer a coffee maker rather than an espresso machine, there are several desirable features to consider. When choosing an option for the office, the following capabilities may be preferable:
- Programmable extraction controls
- Ability to brew hot and cold beverages
- Manual hot water faucet
- Easy to operate with minimal operator input
- Automated grinding and brewing
The Best Commercial Coffee Machine Options For the Workplace
Once you’ve decided to include a coffee or espresso machine in the workplace, it’s time to start thinking about the options. There are many products that can deliver crowd-pleasing results, including:
- Bean-to-cup or single-cup. Bean-to-cup coffee machines are easy to use and provide incredible consistency, making them an intuitive choice for busy workplace environments. A machine like the Bunn Fast Cup Bean to Cup Touchscreen Brewer offers both hot and iced coffee, providing a more customizable experience for the user than a conventional drip coffee maker typically found in offices.
- Commercial espresso machines. If you’re envisioning a coffee shop feel for the breakroom, a commercial espresso machine may be the best fit. Unlike bean-to-cup or single-cup machines, commercial espresso machines offer a high degree of control to the user. A commercial espresso machine makes it possible to achieve rich hot or iced espresso-based beverages like you’d find in a coffee shop, down to the smallest details like steamed milk temperature. However, there is a bit of a learning curve to the art of making espresso, which may not be the best choice for casual coffee drinkers. Commercial espresso machines are larger than the standard bean-to-cup or carafe brewers, but there are space-saving options available. For instance, the La Marzocco Linea Mini Espresso Machine is rated for commercial use and is equipped with direct plumbing so your team won’t have to worry about the hassle of refilling the reservoir.
- Carafe brewers or single brewers. For traditionalists, you can’t go wrong with a carafe brewer in the breakroom. This type of brewing device may be ideal for employees who appreciate the simplicity of a diner-style cup of coffee. The Bunn Axiom DV-TC Thermal Carafe Coffee Brewer has a brewing capability of up to 7.5 gallons of coffee per hour and is designed to save energy by reducing tank temperature when not in use.
There are a plethora of benefits in providing a coffee bar for employees, including staff satisfaction, increased productivity, and opportunities for team bonding. If you’re considering adding a new machine to the breakroom, it’s important to invest in the best product for the workplace. The aforementioned bean-to-cup or single-cup, carafe brewers, and commercial espresso machines are several of the excellent options that we carry.
If you have questions regarding the ideal machine for your office, our team would be happy to help. Please contact us to discuss your needs so we can assist you in purchasing a machine that your team will enjoy for years to come.