How to choose a coffee machine for a cafe

When starting your own business, there are no unimportant details, everything matters. You have to delve into all aspects, starting with documents and ending with the selection of the necessary equipment - this is the key to the successful functioning of the business, the speed of its payback, and the profitability of the project.

When opening a catering establishment, such as a coffee shop or restaurant, you need to purchase a coffee machine. Her choice should be given special attention. The question arises: what needs to be taken into account? What characteristics need to be considered and what will be of decisive importance for a particular establishment?

Diversity

Every day more and more technical innovations appear. The same applies to coffee machines. It’s difficult to understand them, and is it worth delving into the technical features of a particular model?

Of particular importance is the amount of drink prepared in a certain amount of time. It is worth paying attention to the price and reliability of the model, the cost of its maintenance. At the same time, depending on the focus of the establishment, the maximum number of clients and other features, different models of the device will be suitable.

Let's take a closer look at all the points that need to be taken into account.

Number of clients

How many people come to your establishment? You need to take this indicator into account when choosing a coffee machine. There are models that prepare a large amount of drink in a short time. If the flow of customers is large, then you will have to purchase a model with maximum capabilities and pay more.

If coffee is not ordered very often, then you should pay close attention to the other functions. Perhaps, if there are no other important requirements, you can even save money.

Important! The number of clients must be determined during peak hours. The number of visits depends on the time of day and at certain times (lunch, evening hours) the influx of people becomes maximum. It is necessary to take into account exactly this number of customers: if the coffee machine cannot cope, then the waiting time for an order will increase significantly. In the future, this situation will lead to the loss of customers and negative reviews about the establishment.

Price policy

It is important to determine what audience the establishment is intended for and what its prices are. The higher the final cost of coffee, the better quality and variety it should be. Owners of restaurants and other places with high prices should not skimp on a coffee machine: if you don’t like the drink, then at best they won’t order it again, at worst they won’t return to the establishment.

If the price level is low, you should not buy an expensive coffee machine. Having paid a lot of money for it, you will pay it back for a long time. But the most important thing is to recoup the investment as quickly as possible. And it’s rare to find connoisseurs among clients.

Important! The taste of coffee depends on the quality of the beans, its grinding, and the coffee machine itself. For the best result at a high price level, keep an eye on all the components.An omission in any way can negatively affect the quality of the drink.

Ease of use

The cost of a coffee machine depends on its ease of use. What options are there:

1. Cooking is carried out without human intervention.
2. Cooking occurs automatically with little human intervention.
3. It takes a person to make coffee.

You need to determine what you want to save on: on the cost of the device or on staff salaries. The less participation the drink requires, the more expensive the coffee machine will be. You will have to pay more for automated models.

The built-in coffee grinder will facilitate the preparation process: There is no need to select the required grain grinding; the dosage and specific press are done automatically. Cleaning of such a device is usually also done without human intervention.

If you have a qualified employee who can handle a manual model, you can use a simpler coffee machine. In this case, problems may arise when dismissing this employee, selecting a new candidate for the position, and there will be a need for additional training. There will be risks that are best avoided.

Attention! Manual models require loading already ground coffee, which means you will additionally need to purchase a coffee grinder. Time will be wasted loading grains and grinding them. In addition, manual models do not provide automatic cleaning, so you will need to do it and again waste time.

Coffee machine for a coffee shop or restaurant

People come to a coffee shop with a specific purpose: to have a good time with a cup of coffee. Therefore, for such an establishment, a coffee machine is of utmost importance, along with the interior and price level.

You will need to choose a model with a wide range: the more varied it is, the better. Customers can choose a specific type of drink, or try something new each time. This model will cost more.

The coffee in a coffee shop must be of high quality; the number of regular customers and positive reviews depends on this.

It is necessary to consider everything in a comprehensive manner: it is important to choose a model of coffee machine that is reliable and not very expensive, produces different types of coffee and is easy to maintain. How to find the “golden mean” and choose the right device?

Required functionality

Why should you buy a coffee machine? With its help, you can get the maximum amount of drink in a limited period of time without the participation of people, while the staff can do other things. It is possible to prepare several types of drinks at the same time.

What you need to consider when choosing a model for a coffee shop:

1. Variety of drink types.
2. Number of cups per hour. The more cups you prepare, the better. With a large influx of customers, it is important to reduce the waiting time for an order as much as possible. But even the capabilities of a coffee machine that are too large will be expensive and will take a long time to pay for themselves.
3. Automatism. The less staff involvement in coffee preparation, the more time people will have to perform other duties. This increases the speed of service and reduces maintenance costs. But the cost of such a device will be much higher than that of a manual model.
4. Design. The appearance of the coffee machine should fit harmoniously into the rest of the interior; the location of the device should be thought out in advance.

Additional costs arise if an energy saving mode is not provided.With a small number of customers during quiet hours, a working coffee machine will cost more.

Reference! Coffee machines vary in type: they can be built into part of the interior and save space, but it is necessary to plan the location in advance. If such a device breaks down, problems will arise with its replacement. Devices that are located independently take up additional space and their appearance must be taken into account.

Saving

The most important - the ratio of price and requirements for the coffee machine. Of course, cheap models will have some significant disadvantages. What you can save on:

• You can purchase a manual model if you have an experienced employee.
• If there is a small flow of customers even during peak hours, you should not buy a coffee grinder with the maximum amount of coffee prepared. Such models are much more expensive, and in this case this function is not relevant.
• If the device has automatic cleaning, its maintenance will be cheaper.

There are parameters that should be taken into account:

• Reliability. It is worth studying reviews about the service life of the coffee grinder and servicing it in a timely manner. A sudden breakdown of the device will be a disaster for the establishment and result in the loss of money and potential customers.
• Variety of assortment. Coffee is the main drink in a coffee shop; it is what attracts people coming. A small selection will encourage you to look for other establishments with other drink options.

Reference! The coffee machine may have additional functions that can make working with it easier. If there is an electronic display, information about the cooking process will be displayed on the screen.If there is automatic heating, the cups will be doused with steam; there is no need to do this manually.

The best choice is an automatic coffee machine with a variety of drinks and produces a lot of coffee in an hour. It will cost accordingly. The question arises: is such an acquisition justified? Before making a purchase, analyze the work of the coffee shop and make the right choice.