A coffee machine for a coffee shop is the main work tool, so you need to choose it as carefully as the accounting program for a coffee shop, and look at the characteristics at the stage of opening the coffee shop. The operating principle of professional coffee machines is the same, but there are different types of machines, equipment and costs. The taste of the final product depends on this, along with the grain. Together with expert Roman Tyutyulin, co-owner of the coffee shop chain “By the way, coffee”, partner of “Surf coffee vlg” and owner, we figured out what types and brands of coffee machines there are and which one is better to choose for a coffee shop.
Types of professional coffee machines for cafes
Depending on the flow of people in the coffee shop and the price level, you can choose a suitable coffee machine. For example, those who prepare the drink themselves or where the barista does 80% of the work: whipping milk and grinding coffee. We will tell you about the main types of coffee machines for coffee shops.
Automatic
Automates the coffee brewing process, there is an electronic memory for different preparation modes: cappuccino, espresso, latte. An automatic coffee machine for a coffee shop prepares one mug of coffee in about 40 seconds.
Rozhkova
It brews coffee from ground beans; you will also need a coffee grinder. This coffee machine for cafes prepares an excellent basis for coffee drinks - espresso. In its design, you definitely need to pay attention to the horn itself; it must be steel and massive in order to maintain the temperature and produce delicious coffee.
Capsule
Makes coffee using a coffee capsule. Boiling water passes through the capsule and the finished drink is obtained. The downside is that there is no variety of drinks. Separately, you can froth the milk with a cappuccino maker and prepare a cappuccino or latte.
Super automatic
A professional coffee machine for a coffee shop can literally replace a barista, since it prepares coffee and froths milk itself, and is programmed with several dozen coffee recipes that can be prepared by pressing one button. You can set up a semi-automatic coffee machine - only the drink is prepared, and the barista whips the milk himself. This coffee machine is suitable for a specialized coffee shop with a large flow, as it can prepare up to 600 cups of coffee per day. Of the minuses: high price, which takes longer to pay off, although the productivity of the coffee machine is higher.
The principle for all coffee machines is the same - using pressure, “pull out” all the flavoring and aromatic substances as much as possible from the coffee bean.
One more thing that all coffee machines have in common is the presence of a built-in boiler. There are multi-boiler machines, there are single-boiler machines, it all depends on the requirements and tasks that the machine must perform in the coffee shop.
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Conclusions on the topic
So, we figured out that horn models are suitable for a reputable establishment. But for ordinary eateries, bars, hotels, you can limit yourself to an automatic model. Manual coffee machines are more difficult to maintain, while automatic ones are more autonomous both in operation and in maintenance.
The presented rating will help you choose a decent coffee machine with the required performance. All the models considered have proven themselves to be highly reliable.
The price segment is varied: compact models are much cheaper, but they are also highly functional, differing only in lower performance.
Would you like to share your own guidelines that you took into account when choosing and purchasing a coffee machine for your own cafe or restaurant? Do you have useful information on a topic that is worth sharing with our visitors? Please write comments in the feedback block below.
Features of installing coffee machines
To make delicious coffee, you need to take care of the quality of water and grain. Coffee beans can be selected according to the type of roast and variety, but with water it’s a little more complicated - you have to figure out the mineralization and filtration of the water.
Water affects not only the taste of coffee, but also the calcification of the coffee machine - the formation of plaque. If you reduce the mineralization of the water so that plaque does not accumulate, the coffee will not taste good. If you increase it, there will be large deposits on the coffee machine. In this regard, everyone selects different filters. You can install a filter with high mineralization of water to get more tasty and aromatic coffee, but thereby shorten the life of the coffee machine by half than when using filters with low mineralization.
How to choose the right water filter
There are a lot of filter manufacturers, it all depends on the type of input water and what the tasks are. You can buy a filter for 40 UAH (100 rubles) and it will work, or you can buy it for 40,000 UAH (100,000 rubles) and it will not work, because no one has done laboratory tests.
For establishments that specialize in coffee drinks, you need to select a filter using laboratory water tests. Testing your water will help you decide which filter to choose to achieve the level of coffee taste you want.
98% of a cup of coffee is water, it should act on both the taste and the equipment. Therefore, preparing a drink in a coffee machine must begin with selecting and purifying water.
Capsule
To prepare the drink, use ground coffee capsules placed in an individual metallized container. It allows you to preserve the freshness of raw materials, its rich taste and aroma for a long time. The models are widely used in coffee shops with high traffic volumes.
Each coffee machine model has its own type of capsules. They are placed in the machine in mini containers through which hot water is passed. Each capsule is designed to prepare one serving of coffee.
Advantages:
- machines allow you to prepare a product of consistently high quality;
- simplicity of design and maintenance, which does not require special training;
- good performance
- multifunctionality.
Flaws:
- high price;
- the need to periodically descale the device.
How to choose a coffee machine for a cafe
To choose a coffee machine for a coffee shop, it is important to understand for whom and how many cups per day you will prepare. For example, there are super-automatic coffee machines that make coffee tastier than other machines, but here the uniqueness is lost.
An important attribute for specialty coffee shops is multi-boiler equipment. The multiboiler provides temperature stability, thereby ensuring stability in the preparation of each cup. That is, with a large flow, single-boiler machines can lose temperature, while multi-boiler machines are more thermostable.
Multi-baller equipment is not cheap, but in specialty coffee shops a cup of espresso costs 60 UAH (150 rubles) or more, which will allow you to recoup the costs.
What else you should pay attention to when choosing a coffee machine:
- Availability of a dealer in the region . For example, you decide to open a coffee shop in the city of Volgograd and plan to buy a coffee machine. You need to know if there is a Nuova Simonelli dealer in your city. This way you will know that the machine can be repaired if something happens or you can ask for help in setting it up. The service center always has spare parts and trained personnel for installation and repair of coffee machines. This is one of the very important factors for decision making.
- Aesthetic beauty. Agree, if a coffee machine is expensive, you want to show it to everyone. You'll want to place it on the front counter of your coffee shop. Here it is important to buy a beautiful coffee machine, but remember that a beautiful one must have a cool “filling”. Each manufacturer has top models: there are bright lights, lighting solutions, futuristic design, etc. You also need to pay attention to this if the coffee machine is on display.
- Convenience of work for employees. This is important, since baristas work 10-12 hours behind the counter and must be comfortable working on the fly. In order for the machine to be convenient for operation: the cappuccino maker should not burn, the drain should not become clogged. Please note that the width of the stand should be more than 50 cm, preferably +30 cm for different gadgets and devices.
Basic functions of coffee machines
A mandatory function of a coffee machine is to ensure safety; all cappuccino makers must be “cool touch”, that is, they must not burn. The purpose of a coffee machine is to simplify the preparation of the drink and make the coffee delicious. To do this, the coffee machine must be heat-resistant, that is, multi-boiler.
What other functions does the coffee machine perform:
- Grinding and Coffee - Not all machines have a built-in coffee grinder, but if they do, it's important to have access to the grind settings. The taste of coffee depends on the coarseness of the grind.
- Automatic On/Off - Helps reduce energy consumption and turn off the machine when not in use.
- Coffee cup counter - convenient for counting the cups of coffee brewed per day.
- Overheat protection - increases the service life of the coffee machine and helps avoid burns.
- Self-cleaning – removes coffee waste in a timely manner.
Weaknesses of coffee machines
The main weak point of a professional coffee machine is thermal stability. It all depends on the material from which the coffee machine is made, as well as the presence of several boilers. The second weak point is the elastic bands; if they are not original, they wear out very quickly. With a large flow of people, the ears on the holders quickly wear out and the so-called screws wear out in groups.
High-quality coffee machines have almost no weak points, since they are made from expensive materials that are wear-resistant to chemical and thermal stress. Plus, almost all professional coffee machines have a multi-boiler system, which allows them to maintain thermal stability.
Comparison of popular coffee machine models
Most often, coffee shops install automatic or super-automatic coffee machines, as they produce more cups of coffee and are more convenient to use. We have reviewed the most common professional coffee machines.
| Model | Characteristics | Price |
| Nuova Simonelli Musica Standard AD, Italy | Machine; power: 1.2 kW; connects to the water supply; Possibility of preparing 2 cups at the same time. | 50,000 UAH (130,000 rub.) |
| Jura Giga X3 Professional, Switzerland | Superautomatic; power: 2.3 kW; connects to the water supply; automatic cleaning. | 120,000 UAH (317,000 rub.) |
| Synesso Hydra MVP 1 GR, USA | Machine; power: 2.7 kW; programmable coffee dosing system; tap for supplying boiling water. | 400,000 UAH (1,000,000 rub.) |
Leading manufacturers
1. LaMarzocco and LaCimbali are Italian brands, distinguished by impeccable quality, stylish design, products occupy high places in the ranking.
2. LaSanMarso and Faema are more budget-friendly manufacturers, but they are not inferior in quality to the leaders.
3. Jura is a common brand on the Russian market, the products are functional and relatively inexpensive.
4. Gaqqia - the company produces inexpensive coffee machines (semi-automatic and automatic) with a small set.
5. Franco coffee machines are super-automatic machines that are produced using the latest technologies; the devices are easy to operate, reliable, and made in compliance with quality standards. Since Franco's automatic coffee machines eliminate the human factor, the drink always turns out to be of impeccable quality.
6. Elektra – the Italian brand offers stylish appliances; they are usually installed in a visible place.
7. Crem is a Spanish brand that specializes in the production of simple devices.
8. Coffee machines Samsung, WMF, Panasonic - manufacturers of devices with different functionality and pricing policies.
9. Nuova Simonelli - has been producing coffee machines since 1936, the products meet all the technical requirements for professional equipment.
10. Slayer - high quality products, assembled by hand, each model raises the global standard in the coffee machine industry. The two Slayer series have patented espresso preparation techniques.
How much does a coffee machine cost for a coffee shop?
A professional coffee machine can be bought for 11,000 UAH (30,000 rubles), or for 1,000,000 UAH (2,700,000 rubles). It all depends on the budget and the goal that you set for the coffee machine and your target audience. For example, a Synesso coffee machine is expensive, but thermostable. It can cook about 10 kg of grain in an hour and its temperature will not change. This is a very important factor in flow. The most common version of the coffee machine is “Nuova Simonelli”, costing up to 55,000 UAH (150,000 rubles). Of the minuses: there is no thermal stability and aesthetic beauty, some of the elements are plastic.
Superautomatic machines are the future, as this coffee machine practically replaces the barista. It works clearly and according to the settings: the barista can prepare automatic milk frothing or foam. The only drawback is the price; for a good super-automatic machine you will have to pay about 400,000 UAH (1,000,000 rubles), but for a high-end coffee shop this is an excellent option.
Care and maintenance
The most difficult and important stage of care is cleaning. It is important to follow the technology, otherwise the taste and aroma of the treat will suffer. The knowledge will be useful to those who plan to build a career as a barista.
The holder and work group need to be cleaned daily, this will extend the service life of the device. For cleaning you will need a blind holder - a device with no holes, you also need cleaning powder or tablets, and a special brush.
Algorithm of actions:
- pour the powder into a blind holder (or put a tablet);
- insert the device into the workgroup;
- press the free flow button, wait 20 seconds;
- press the button again, the water will go up, washing the working group;
- remove the holder, pour water for 20 seconds so that the chemicals come out;
- insert the holder into the working group and pour water several more times until the water becomes clear;
- rinse the holder with boiling water;
- Use a brush to remove the remaining grains from the working group and pour water again.
Now you need to check the cleanliness of the holder - to do this, you need to remove the portafilter, soak it for half an hour in a solution with the addition of powder or tablets (40 g per 300 ml of water). The holder is cleaned with a hard sponge. At the last stage, you need to rinse the tray and wipe the body of the machine.
Important! The most difficult part to clean is the milk frothing nozzle. The part must be soaked in boiling water for a quarter of an hour, and traces of milk must be removed with a needle. You can add powder to boiling water (one part powder to three parts water), this will make it easier to remove traces of milk.
Helpful Tips:
- use a cotton napkin, place it on the holder, insert it into the working group, all remaining grains will remain on the fabric, this reduces the time of cleaning the device;
- milk stains are removed with glass cleaner; it is sprayed onto a napkin or towel, but not onto the car;
- Regularly wipe the part of the device where the cups are, dust accumulates here.
Bottom line
Coffee culture is becoming more and more popular and demands for delicious coffee are also growing. A high-quality coffee machine will help your coffee shop reach a new level and earn more profit, regardless of the format; even for a coffee shop on wheels, the taste and quality of the drink are important. But to make delicious coffee, you need to spend a lot on coffee shop equipment.
You should not skimp on a coffee machine, as this is the main attribute for a coffee shop. Select equipment based on the flow of visitors and the format of the coffee shop.
