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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Types of coffee machines and how to choose
In most cases, among the coffee equipment for cafes, there are several types of coffee makers based on the type of operation:
- automatic;
- carob;
- capsule;
- drip.
How to choose a coffee machine by type?
To the begining
Automatic coffee machine
Speed and pressure: the most modern devices are able to remember many modes for preparing an invigorating drink. Espresso and Americano, cappuccino and ristretto, delicious latte and scalding chocolate - 40-50 seconds, and you can serve. The machine will select the desired degree of grinding of the beans and water temperature. Servicing such a machine will also not take much time: the service program will independently wash the components, remove scale, turn on and off. These machines are quite expensive, but they are economical and easy to maintain. If the bar's traffic is above a certain number of cups per year, such equipment can save significant money.
How to choose a professional used coffee machine? Start with automatic or semi-automatic. Semi-automatic coffee machines are close in characteristics to automatic ones . They are a little simpler, but also significantly cheaper. The difference between a professional semi-automatic machine and a household machine is noticeable even to the inexperienced. They are ready to work for a long time, have an increased water tank that is not needed at home, and can be connected directly to the water supply network.
An example of such a machine is the La Cimbali M21 Junior S/1 we offer, made in Italy. It is designed for preparing most common coffee drinks and tea in small coffee shops, bars and restaurants. The compact dimensions of the device meet the requirements of establishments of this type. The coffee machine is small in size, connects to a 220 volt network and can withstand high loads. This is a used coffee maker, like most of the products that Sklad140 offers, and has undergone pre-sale preparation. She received professional service and serious vetting to get onto our shelf. The price is significantly lower than the new device, but it works the same. Worth thinking about!
To the begining
Carob coffee maker
This type of coffee maker can be seen most often in mid-range cafes. An inexpensive coffee maker of this type will allow you to save money in a place with not particularly high traffic. Its peculiarity is that a carob coffee maker requires pre-ground coffee. No beans, coffee must be ground in advance. Operation is controlled using electromechanical control, which is not so convenient and requires attention. Stainless steel metal horn allows you to get a thick drink with high foam
How to choose a good coffee machine? Start with inexpensive models. The Fiamma Atlantic I PCI NV coffee machine is a good example of this type of coffee making device. Here are its main properties:
- Number of groups (carob coffee machines) - 1;
- Boiler volume - 5 l;
- Type of coffee - ground;
- Voltage - 220 V;
- Power - 1.95 kW;
- Width - 475 mm;
- Depth - 563 mm;
- Height - 530 mm;
- Weight - 45 kg;
- Cappuccino maker;
- Water supply pump;
- Connection to water supply;
- Water softener;
- Case material: metal;
- Manual coffee dosage;
- Cup warmer;
- Boiling water tap;
- The boiler and group are made of copper.
The price now is 70,950 ₽. Full set. Well, choosing this type of coffee machine means choosing the ideal machine of a good standard for a cafe with low traffic.
To the begining
Capsule coffee makers
This type of machine uses pre-prepared coffee capsules. The same principle: hot water is supplied to the capsule, high pressure extracts tasty and healthy substances from coffee particles. The simple design does not allow you to diversify the drinks you prepare, but it is quick and everything is clear. It is almost impossible to break anything here, and there is zero complex automation.
Check out the Lavazza Espresso Point capsule coffee machine. It has 3 non-programmable buttons for selecting the serving size (50, 75 and 100 ml), as well as automatic dosing. With the help of this inexpensive device (average cost 4,500 rubles), it is possible to manually prepare cappuccino using a built-in steam generator. Water tank 3.5 l, metal body, weight only 12.5 kg. Not the fastest car, but it takes up very little space. Suitable for a small cafe with undemanding visitors.
To the begining
Drip coffee makers
This type of coffee maker is familiar to us from American films: in any diner, a hero who runs in for a minute immediately receives a mug of hot coffee from a glass flask. The water in such a coffee maker makes its way through a pile of coffee on a moisture-resistant filter all day; the brewing process takes about 10 minutes. But the volume of the resulting drink depends only on the container for clean water. Filters require timely replacement. The taste of the resulting drink is more or less standard: as soon as it becomes as close as possible to an indistinguishable taste, it is given the name Americano and poured into paper cups.
To the begining
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.
Features of professional coffee machines
Several dispensing groups in the coffee machine
Unlike household and office appliances, equipment for professional use has:
- big sizes;
- increased power;
- increased volume of water tank;
- several bottling groups;
- automatic or semi-automatic control;
- precise control of parameters.
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.) |
How to choose the best professional coffee machine
When choosing a coffee machine, it is extremely important to consider in which establishment you plan to use it.
For a coffee shop
When choosing a coffee machine for a coffee shop, preference is given to automatic or super-automatic devices , which are designed for a large flow of people. Devices must be of high quality. The cleaning control function is extremely important here.
Among the main criteria that are taken into account when purchasing, the following are worth highlighting:
- the presence of attachments that allow you to prepare various espresso-based drinks;
- the ability to connect the unit to a water supply;
- customizable coffee brewing process;
- counter for the number of prepared portions.
For mobile coffee shops where people take their coffee with them, an espresso machine is considered the best option.
Important functions include the presence of a coffee grinder and the ability to froth milk.
For a restaurant
For restaurants, semi-automatic professional coffee machines are considered the best option. It is recommended to give preference to carob options, which involve cleaning and filling the reservoir with water manually .
For cafe
For such establishments, you should choose a coffee machine that can prepare a variety of drinks, including cocktails and hot chocolate. It is advisable to have a non-resettable counter designed to control the number of portions sold.
Semi-automatic devices with manual dosing of portions are suitable for cafes . The standard option is considered to be a horn device equipped with additional functions.
For the bar
When choosing a device for a bar, preference is given to models that are easy to use and maintain. The standard option is capsule devices. For large establishments, carob-type coffee machines are suitable.
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.
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.
