You know that Java powers your office. In that cup lies the energy to keep on working, the juice that fosters creativity, promotes social interaction, soothes the nerves and improves the mood when tight timelines or high stakes meetings are on the schedule.
Having the best and the most reliable coffee machine for the office is not a luxury but a must. It is a sound business decision and a good machine saves money. Read on for a list of the top four things you should consider when choosing a machine and a list of the top coffee machines for an office environments with high coffee volume together with Espresso Machine Expert recommendations
Top Four Features to Consider for the Best Office Coffee Machine
Coffee Variety
- Not everyone wants a regular coffee. You want a machine that can offer other types of drinks like espresso or milk-based drinks like cappuccino, latté, hot-chocolate or trending drinks like flat white.
- Don’t forget every office has tea drinkers too so having hot water on demand would be a great option.
- When considering variety of coffees, think about coffee beans. You may want a machine that affords the opportunity to have two bean varieties- a milder bean and a bolder coffee bean or maybe a caffeinated and decaffeinated option.
Espresso Machine Experts Recommendation
If coffee variety is your top consideration, then consider the Saeco Idea Duo Restyle or the JURA X7 and for a small office the JURA GIGA 6.
Usage
- If the coffee machine is in a really high traffic area and will be heavily used, you need to ensure the machine is capable of handling the anticipated traffic. Where there is going to be great usage, you will want to consider the size of the bean hopper and water tank for example.
- You may need to invest in a machine that offers direct water hook up to facilitate use.
Espresso Machine Experts Recommendation
If high usage is the primary concern in choosing a machine and you don’t have access to 220 v consider the JURA W3.
Maintenance & Durability
- How easy the machine is to maintain and keep clean are very important considerations.
- The quality of the materials used in the machine, especially the grinders and brew units which are the heart of the machine are key elements to look for.
- The availability of service centers, replacement parts and qualified technicians ensures the office unit will not experience extended down times. Do you really want an office without coffee for long?
Espresso Machine Experts Recommendation
If maintenance and durability are your primary drivers when choosing an office machine, then look at JURA X8.
Easy to Use
- You don’t want a machine that requires lots of time to operate. Time is money in an office environment, and you don’t need personnel wasting time making coffee.
- One-touch operation makes the process of making a drink easy. The no fuss, no mess is perfect for those who have other more pressing matters to attend to.
- If milk based drinks are going to be a popular option, be sure to look for machines that offer a milk fridge accessory so milk can be maintained at appropriate temperatures.
Espresso Machine Experts Recommendation
If ease of use is the one thing you absolutely must have then the JURA X8 is the machine for you.
Top Coffee Machines for the Office
Saeco Idea Duo Restyle
- This machine has two bean hoppers each holding 4.6 lbs. of beans.
- Available only with direct water hook up so if can pump out as many coffees as you need without disruption
- Can be hooked up to a drain for waste water (optional)
- You can brew coffee or cappuccino, extract water and steam milk (manually) all at the same time.
- High powered (220V -20 AMP) no down time.
- Used coffee drawer capacity is 100 dregs. You know this machine is built to make a plentitude of coffees.
- With NSF certification it can be used in a commercial setting without any worries.
- Rated for up to 250 cups/day
- A direct water hook is a must (not optional) and an inline water filter is highly recommended.
- 220 v electricity is required
JURA GIGA X7
- Two bean hoppers (23 oz. each) allow you to provide two different bean varieties. You can also make a coffee with beans from each hopper (so you can have , for example, a cup of half caffeine and half decaf)
- Can be used with water tank or with optional direct water hook up
- Can make a 20 oz. pot of coffee
- Ideal for up to 150 cups / day
- This is a very tall machine (22.2 inches) so be sure to check the clearance of where you plan to place it. Also consider, you need to lift the bean hopper lid to fill it so you need to ensure you have at least 30 inches to work with.
JURA GIGA W3
- This coffee maker can prepare up to 2 milk drinks at at time
- 43 programmable beverages
- Automatic switch over from milk to milk foam
- It is recommended for up to 120 cups per day.
- It has very large water tank (169 oz) and an optional direct water kit can be added if needed
- This machine also has a good size bean container which can hold 35 oz. of coffee beans.
- The fact that this machine has only one bean hopper, means you will need to use ground coffee in the bypass doser in order to get a decaf. If you have many wanting decaf, this may not be the best coffee machine choice for your office.
JURA GIGA X8
- 21 specialties to choose from
- The bean container and water tank can be locked to prevent manipulation
- You can disable functions for products and programming
- A very easy and intuitive user interface with 6 options
- Optional direct water kit. The water tank is 169 oz.
- The bean container is 17.7 oz but you can purchase a bean hopper extension so it can hold more beans.
- This is an ideal coffee machine for approximately 100 cups per day.
- The bean hopper is relatively small unless the bean hopper extension is purchased.
JURA WE8
- 11 programmable beverages.
- Front access to water tank gives you more flexibility on where the machine can be placed in the office.
- Water capacity 101 oz.
- Rated for approximately 30 cups per day.
- Direct water hook-up is not an option on this machine.
Saeco Aulika
- Water tank capacity is 135 oz.
- Direct water hook-up up is included but you can always use of tank if you wish.
- The coffee bean hopper capacity is 2.2 lbs.
- You can use either the auto foamer (cappuccinatore) or steam the milk manually.
- The price of this model is exceptional considering that direct water hook up is included and the bean hopper size is significant.
- Rated for approximately 50 cups per day.
- The removable brew unit must be removed and rinsed every few days depending on usage. This machine will need some extra time and effort in the maintenance department.
Saeco Royal One Touch Cappuccino
- It’s a simple machine to use in part because the selections of coffees it can make are limited.
- An ideal machine if you are looking make mostly espresso, coffee, cappuccino and lattés.
- Dubbed as a workhorse which speaks to its durability.
- Rated for approximately 24 coffees per day.
- The water and bean hoppers are side by side and if both are open at the same time it can cause issues. Water can splash into the bean hopper if care isn’t taken when refilling the water tank.
Top Brands for Office Coffee Machines
Saeco and JURAare both top contenders in the office coffee machine category for both small or high volume environments. Both brands certainly meet the criteria of the four top things you need in a office coffee machine:
- Coffee variety
- Usage
- Maintenance ad Durability
- Ease of use
While both brands are easy to maintain, the main difference between the two lies in the technology of the brew unit- the heart of any espresso machine.
The JURA brand has a built-in brew unit system which may be an advantage in a busy office setting. The built-in brew system does not require external handling. The machines will tell you when it is time to change the filter and descale. Simply using tablets, the machine will go through the process of cleaning itself. This is ideal in an office setting where multiple users may be required to care for the office coffee machine.
Saeco on the other hand, has a removable brew unit. They are easy to remove and clean making it more cost effective to rebuild for long term maintenance. The fact that brew units can be removed also makes lubrication cuts down on service costs. These machines will still prompt the user when it is time to descale or clean the machine,
If you are in the market for an office coffee machine, you will not go wrong with either a JURA or Saeco. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us.
