ABOUT ESPRESSO MACHINES
Whether you are looking for a machine that is suitable for home or small office or a dedicated coffee house, we can help you decide on the best machine for your needs.
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Deciding on an espresso machine for your home or office can appear to be a daunting task. Having been both Coffee House Owners at one time and Master Technicians, we are often asked what we recommend. Here are some things we recommend you consider:
What is your budget? If you want a quality machine, recommend a realistic budget. $500 – $1000 will ge a good starting point. $1000-$1500 even better
Will I be making 1-5 cups a day or 15-20? Do I want it plumbed so I won’t have to fil a tank everyday? Do I want a seperate grinder? Do want to just push a button and let the machine do all the work, or do I want to enjoy the Barista experience?
Will this stay on my counter or do I want to enjoy my espresso and put it away?
This is just as important as choosing the right machine. Believe it or not, the water you put in your machine is like the oil in your car or the blood in our bodies. It needs to be clean and low in Calcium* (note your machine must have some minerals to operate properly)
RESTAURANT / COFFEE SHOP
“I’m looking for an espresso machine for my coffee shop (less then 20 seats) or restaurant”
Considerations when looking to get an espresso machine for your Coffee Shop or Restaurant
What is your realistic budget. We are often asked by those looking to open a Coffee Shop or to add an espresso machine to the Restaurant, if we have a good quality espresso machine for an unrealistic price. We suggest that you read further to help you establish a realistic budget.
Traditional espresso machines come with ‘group heads’. For smaller coffee shops just starting out and restaurants, we suggest looking into a quality 1 ‘group’ espresso machine. Keep in mind that you will also need an espresso grinder, unless you plan to use pods. 1 ‘groups’ also offer you in most cases a 110 volt (typical home outlet) and a smaller footprint. Most 2 ‘groups’ come in a 220 volt (requiring a special outlet).
While it is impossible to know how much espresso you expect to sell, it is recommedned that you seriously consider how much you will require of the machine you intend to invest in. Do you expect to sell 10-50 shots a day? We recommend a 1 ‘group’. 50-150? a 1 ‘group’ might be sufficient 150-? We recommend a 2 ‘group’.
The next important item to consider is if you will need 1 steam wand or 2? While pulling quality espresso shots is important, here in the US, people love their latte’s. Latte’s require steam wands. We recomend that you follow the already mentioned guide. Do you expect to sell 10-50 Lattes a day? We recommend a 1 ‘group’. 50-150? a 1 ‘group’ might be sufficient 150-? We recommend a 2 ‘group’.Do you expect to sell 10-50 shots? We recommend a 1 ‘group’. 50-150? a 1 ‘group’ might be sufficient 150-? We recommend a 2 ‘group’.
We cannot stress enough the importance of properly filtered water for your investment. Please don’t skimp on a good quality filter system and most importantly, test your filtered water frequently. If not you’re asking for trouble. Also consider a system that offers ease of operation and ease of replacing the filters.
COFFEE HOUSE
How do I decide upon the right Espresso Machine for my Coffee House (over 20 seats)?
We are often asked what brand we recommend? We work with most brands and all offer quality machines. The answer lies in what you want and most importantly need.
- How many ‘groups’ will you need? While most locations wll do just fine with a 2 group, there are advantages to a 3 or even 4 group machine. More groups offer more espresso shots in a more time efficient (fast) manner.
- Will I need a Manual/Semi Automatic of Volumetric/Automatic machine? A Manual/Semi Automatic machine means that you must remain in front of the machine to ‘time’ the shot you are pulling. A Volumetric/Automatic machine is equipped with a ‘flowmeter’ that will measure the volume of the shots you are pulling and will stop once the desired shot is pulled. This in most cases allows you to steam and make multiple drinks while you are pulling shots.
- How many steam wands will you need? At a minimum 2. Remember in the Us, people love their Latte’s and Latte’s require steam.
- Will I need Auto Steam? Auto Steam is a special feature that will in most cases froth and steam your milk to a desired temp and stop once the temp is reached. This is a great feature if you want to maintain consistency of temperature of milk and to allow the Barista the ability to multitask.
A realistic starting point for a quality 2 group espresso machine is $5000 – $12,000.
We HIGHLY recommend you invest in a quality water filtration system.
It will require periodic service, just like your car. Be sure to locate a local or regionally certified service provider.
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