Best Office Bean to Cup Coffee Machine: Automatic and Vending Options

When dealing with offices the most common question we get is, “what is the best office coffee machine?” Although this can be a challenging question to answer, as there are a number of good options for offices depending on what your primary objectives are, if an office is after good quality coffee then a bean to cup coffee machine is often the best solution. There are a number of bean machines to choose from and we will try to answer the question of “which is the best bean to cup coffee machine brand for an office” below.

Why a Bean to Cup for your office if you want good quality coffee:

If quality is what you are after then the only two options which exist are capsules or beans. There are two different coffee camps (the capsule lovers and the bean fundis) and each believe their coffee is best but in an office environment even the most hardened capsule supporters will agree that the cost of capsules make them unreasonably expensive for the large volume use of an office environment.

What are the options when it comes to bean machines:

Bean machines come in two varieties : vending and automatic. Both options have their pros and cons. An automatic machine is typically a fresh milk bean machine whereas a vending bean machine refers to a powdered milk option. Fresh milk gives a more authentic coffee shop taste whereas powder is better when it comes to convenience and cost. (view our article automatic vs. vending coffee machine here)

Best Automatic bean to cup machine:

There are four big brands when it comes to office coffee machines each with their pros and cons.

Jura: Jura is renowned for two things : their coffee extraction ability and their thick milk froth. If you are after great quality coffee and cappuccino, the Jura is probably your best bet. The downside of Jura is that it is considerably more expensive than the other brands (feature for feature) so one would need to decide if it is worth it for them and if Jura provides enough value.

Delonghi: Delonghi is the best value for money brand hands down. All Delonghi machines are heavy on features and almost all feature a one touch cappuccino option. The negative of Delonghi is the quality of milk froth which they produce as well as the fact that the coffee extraction does not match the other brands. Also the water tanks and grounds containers are sized only for small offices and homes, making use in an office of over 10 people a little frustrating.

Saeco: Saeco is similarly priced to Jura machines and similarly spec’d as well. Aesthetics are probably not as impressive as the Jura range and dealers are also not nearly as ubiquitous. Saeco used to be the leading automatic brand in South Africa but has been eclipsed by Jura in the last few years.

Severin: Severin is the new kid on the block – especially in South Africa. Severin machines are sized really for domestic use more than anything else so if you have a small office they can be a good fit but are not ideal or intended for larger environments. Like Delonghi, offices of more than 10 or 15 people might start to feel frustrated.

Best Bean Vending Machines for Offices:

Bean vending machines are made by 5 major vending manufactures worldwide but labelled according to the company selling or renting it. For this reason it is hard to advise on the best bean vending machine as it is often hard to distinguish the actual manufacturer of a specific machine in a country due to its lack of branding.

For a list of vending suppliers in South Africa as well as all the brands they carry please view our article here (coffee vending machine suppliers in South Africa)

Verdict:
If great coffee is what you are after and you are an office, beans are most likely the right option for you. Which option is the best for you depends on your budget and coffee taste. Click here if you would like to view prices for bean to cup rental and purchase options.