If you own a cafe or restaurant or you want to add a commercial coffee machine to your office, retail or industrial break room then you need to collect some pertinent information before you can identify what will be the best option to meet your requirements.
Here we have put together the top five considerations for you to look at when you are buying a commercial coffee machine. This list will help you to understand which machine will suit you best and what kind of training, accessories, tools and assistance will be necessary to ensure you have everything you need to create superb espresso coffee for yourself, your workmates or your customers and clients.
Read on to discover how you can make the most of your coffee break or serve your customer’s excellent espresso with our handy guide.
1. Espresso Output
Knowing relatively accurately what kind of output will be required of your commercial coffee machine is the first thing to consider. This will dictate which machine you choose in terms of the volume capacity the machine will be capable of producing. For instance, if you are buying for your factory, store or office break room, think about whether your employees are taking staggered breaks or if everybody wants a coffee around the same time.
Cafe or Restaurant
If you are looking for a commercial coffee for your hospitality business, as an upgrade or for a new business, then you need to think about your opening hours. Will you be attracting a lot of morning foot traffic? What percentage of your customers are looking for rapid takeaway service – or are you positioning yourself as a more upmarket dine in experience? All of these things will dictate what you will be pushing out in terms of coffee volume and how long your customer will expect to wait for that coffee. This will help you decide what size machine will work best.
2. Is Training Available with Purchase?
If you are going to invest in a fabulous coffee machine for your business, it pays to also invest in proper training for the people who will be using it. This is a no-brainer when you have a hospitality business, so it’s imperative that the crew that is supplying your commercial coffee machine can also provide your staff with training on the use, care and maintenance of your machine. If you choose your supplier well, your cafe or restaurant team will be able to produce exceptional coffee, you will have a great bean supply on tap, and if something goes wrong, you will have a technician to call on.
In-Office Training
If you are running a commercial coffee machine out of your break room, it makes sense to delegate a couple of keen employees to play barista. That way, you can put them through training, and they will understand how the machine should be cleaned and maintained. Incentivise this with a bag of coffee beans to take home once a month, extra time for breaks – or a cash bonus. You will generally find that people love to have a go on a commercial coffee machine, but you don’t want multiple people with no training working your machine – if you choose the right machine, it will be finely calibrated, and it will need proper care.
3. Quality & Durability
Another point to consider when you are choosing your commercial coffee machine is the quality of the construction and the potential longevity of the unit. When you are thinking about coffee, it pays to think Italian. The long history and immense passion put into the commercial coffee machines made by the predominant Italian designers will ensure that the investment that you make will have the highest return possible. Think La Marzocco Linea 3 Groups for high volume situations, take on a La San Marco 980 L for a busy break room or opt for Carimali Cento 1 Group for a restaurant that is only open nights or a smaller office.
Cheaping out on a less expensive machine might save you money upfront, but a quality Italian machine will go the distance, and you will taste the difference in every cup.
4. Ask About Rentals & Financing
Did you know that you can rent a commercial coffee machine? Even for your high volume morning trade cafe? If you want great service with a lease or rental, Segafredo Zanetti can set you up with good finance terms and leasing options, which are 100% tax deductible and come with the opportunity to buy the equipment. This is a significant point to consider when you are looking around for the perfect commercial coffee machine. Opting for a rental comes with the added advantage of an easy replacement if you find your trade is fluctuating, and it also means that if anything goes wrong, you know who to call.
Financing Your Commercial Coffee Machine
Financing will allow you to keep the outlay for your machine in your business, which can help with your operating costs and give you a better chance of success – especially if you are just starting out.
5. Choose a One-Stop Shop
Our final thing to consider when you are deciding on the right commercial coffee machine is to look for a supplier that can do it all. You will need coffee beans, a grinder, cleaning equipment, training and, potentially, onsite servicing. Selecting a team that does it all allows you to build a relationship that can be fruitful and economical over time. Segafredo Zanetti offers all of these services, plus a finely curated selection of coffee machines of all sizes created in Italy and in the Italian tradition. We also supply our customers, large and small, with the best beans, including fair trade and organic, from our plantations across the best coffee regions in the world.
Get in touch with Segafredo Zanetti for Commercial Coffee Machines
If you want the best commercial coffee machine for your requirements, we can help. We offer free barista training for your staff, we deliver beans to your door, and we can discuss finance and leasing options with you today. We offer full onsite servicing for our Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch clients and 24/7 support from our coffee technicians New Zealand-wide.
Shop our range of commercial coffee machines now, or get in touch for a chat with our friendly staff.
