The following information is designed to give general home elevators the product range of commercial coffee machines which are used in the Coffee Industry today. I apologise in advance if I’m “Teaching you just how to suck eggs.” Having been a consultant mixed up in Coffee World for a few years, advising clients and helping them choose the proper equipment to accommodate their needs. Trust me when I say that there has been many people who have asked the question, “What’s an egg?” Truth is facts so these is my interpretation and how I advise clients.
There have been many changes in the UK’s interest in coffee within the last few 10 – 15 years. The necessity for real espresso based coffees has increased dramatically. Instant coffee out a jar, or at best “Pour and Serve” filter coffee machines were the main means of providing coffee during the past thirty years. I could speak from past experiences when selling coffee machines that prepare “real bean” espresso based coffees to businesses in the food and drink sector. Today those kinds of business wouldn’t consider anything less when compared to a traditional Espresso machine or Bean to Cup machine. In the past, the British public was really only used to “instant” type coffee and Espresso was something foreign. Businesses didn’t see the requirement to go “foreign.”
Thankfully, all that has changed. With the evolution of the High Street big brands of Coffee Bars. The growth in Café Culture in the UK and the influence of the popular “American” food outlets. The public’s perception of Coffee has changed and be refined. In reality, the UK is currently officially a nation of coffee drinkers. To answer this many independent businesses have moved towards more sophisticated ways of producing coffee to compete in the coffee market. From the traditional Italian style Espresso machine to the more complex Bean to Cup automatic coffee machines, it’s possible to generate a wide variety of high quality espresso based coffees very simply.
In 1938, Milan coffee bartender, Achille Gaggia filed a Patent for a steam-free coffee machine. Unlike its predecessors, Gaggia’s design used a revolutionary piston mechanism which forced water through the coffee grounds at high pressure. It was his quest for the perfect espresso in 1930s Milan that gave birth to 1 of Italy’s most iconic brands, and heralded the production of the Espresso as we all know it. Traditional Espresso Coffee Machines are the kind you see in Café Nero, 咖啡儀器 Costa Coffee etc. There is another Grinder, which often sits together with a Knockout Drawer that is used for the spent coffee pucks. Although most Traditional Espresso Machines have automatic dosing nowadays, the coffee making process is manually (Artisan). The coffee shot; single or double is prepared utilizing the machine. The milk is foamed utilizing the machine Steam Wand. The coffee is then assembled to produce any certainly one of the most popular coffees. Cappuccino, Latte, Mocha and Macchiato etc. Most of the preparation enhances the “Theatre” of the Coffee Culture. Customers have an increased perception of an “Artisan Coffee” and are willing to pay for more. Training must ensure quality and consistency. With practice, staff will be able to provide customers with an excellent array of popular speciality coffees. Coffee making in this way is looked on quite definitely as an “Art form.” The size and complexity of espresso machines vary. Choosing the right machine to accommodate business requirements is important and should be provided with consideration. An individual formally competed in coffee preparation and has served coffee on a full-time basis for numerous years are known as a “Barista.” The term originates from the Italian name for a man or woman bartender.
Bean to cup coffee machines are relatively recent additions to the coffee machine market. The principle would be to have the ability to duplicate, pretty much, the product range of espresso based coffees which are normally handmade on an espresso machine. All at the “Touch of a Button” ;.As previously explained, when using an espresso machine, a Barista would make coffees by hand. Although not really a long process, it doesn’t permit the Barista to get ready other food orders for example. In fast food outlets, where staff do not need time and energy to hand create a coffee, or where there’s limited staff training a bean to cup machine is the ideal solution. Bean to Cup machines are present in many self-serve environments such as for instance Cafeterias, Company Canteens. Bean to Cup machines are becoming popular in Offices. Staff want exactly the same standard of coffee which they get from their favourite coffee shop. Also nowadays, many folks have domestic Bean to Cup machines in their kitchen. A Bean to Cup machine grinds the espresso beans to produce espresso coffee on demand. These systems also provide built in automatic milk foamers that are able to produce steam and foamed milk for producing Lattes, Cappuccinos and other milk based drinks simultaneously. The process of producing coffee from the Bean to Cup machine differs from the traditional espresso machine. The brewer in a Bean to Cup coffee machine works much like a Cafétiere. The espresso beans are ground into a brewing chamber and then the ram forces the heated water through the coffee, extracting the espresso coffee. A normal espresso machine creates pressure that forces water through “group head” to create the espresso coffee.
The software in a Bean to Cup machine enables various kinds of drinks to be produced. These vary depending on the form of machine chosen. Generally commercial Bean to Cup machines have between 8 and 12 drink selections. Basic and domestic bean to cup machines have another steam arm or foamer meaning that milk for Cappuccinos and Lattes need to be foamed separately. These machines are well suited for domestic use or small offices were significantly less than twenty drinks are required in anybody day. Please remember that if employing a machine in a small business environment it will have a professional warranty. This generally will not be available for low volume domestic machines. If you should be considering a Bean to Cup machine for your company it should be noted they are manufactured to different volume categories.
Machines need to be matched to daily cups/day requirements/estimates, drink size and how fast they will be needed. All Manufacturers’ cups/day specifications are based upon an 8oz serving with numbers spread evenly through the entire day. Typically low volume bean to cup can produce as much as 50 coffees per day. Medium volume machines range between 100 and 150 a day. Medium to High volume could be 150 – 200 a day. High volume could be 200 – 500 cups per day. Bean to Cup machines will protest if asked to complete significantly more than these were built to complete and will appear slow at busy times. There are no major training requirements to utilize a Bean to Cup machine. No Barista skills are actually needed. Some of the more powerful high volume Bean to Cup machines have traditional Steam Wands so some “foaming” skills might be needed. Training is more regarding how to use and look after the machine. Cleaning is particularly important when employing a Bean to Cup machine. It’s a good idea to have some knowledge of espresso beans in order to select a blend that may to accommodate your customers’ tastes.
The last kinds of machine to take into account if supplying a “real” coffee are those that have been familiar for many years. Filter type coffee made with Pre ground coffee. The kind of machines depends upon volumes required. As an example, high volumes of coffee might be necessary for breakfast coffees in Hotels. Conference Centres would require high volumes for seminar coffee breaks. Also, Function facilities, Staff canteens and Theatres the place where a high demand for fresh coffee is needed in a brief space of time. In this situation Bulk Brew coffee machines are highly recommended.
These machines can produce between 30 and 140 Litres of fresh filter coffee per hour. There are numerous popular brands for Pour and Serve and Bulk Brew coffee machines. Pour and Serve coffee machines range from an easy two Jug filter coffee machine with two hot plates or multiple hot plate Pour and Serve for four Jugs. The ultimate is really a Bulk Brew coffee machine. These have 1 or 2 brewing columns. They have detachable brewing containers, capable of holding as much as 40 Litres of coffee. The convenient control panels with LCD display makes it easy to regulate brewing times and volume requirements. The detachable brewing containers imply that high volumes of coffee may be served in different locations simultaneously. The other form of “filter” coffee machine could be the RLX type from Bravilor. They are modular fresh filter machines with added heated water and steam facilities, well suited for producing heated water for teas as well as a steam for foaming and steaming milk.