Coffee Machine Solutions: Problems Coffee Machines Can Solve – And Those They Just Can’t
There’s no arguing that installing a coffee machine can have it’s “perks”; It can save some companies a ton of money and make the lives of employees and employers exponentially easier.
There’s also no shame in mentioning that sometimes installing a coffee machine simply won’t solve your problems.
We’ve curated a list of the times we were able to solve some common problems (big and small) at offices by installing a tailored coffee machine solution – and how some of these solutions didn’t necessarily solve every single problem.
Before you think we’re crazy – we appreciate the transparency of being 100% open with our customers, so even if you’ve already decided on a coffee machine, have no interest in one, or even if you are still in the very early stages of choosing your solution, give this a quick read so that you’re aware of whether a coffee machine could solve your specific issue.
Office Coffee Machine Solutions – What We Have Accomplished
We’ve seen some rather impressive improvements noticed and reported on by our customers. The installation of approximately 3 Instant Coffee Vending machines in an office space of about 50 people, saved one company about 50% of their average monthly spend on coffee and coffee products. This machine was customised by removing the cappuccino and milk-based coffee drink options, and replacing them with vending tea instead.
Unfortunately, while we managed to save a considerable amount of their monthly coffee bill, many of the staff do no enjoy the tea that is dispensed fro the coffee vending machine.
Similarly, many of the staff are not happy with the concept of having no control over their coffee, from having the machine locked (which may be a great solution to business owners and employers, but could make staff feel limited and “watched”), to not having the ability to choose how many spoons of each ingredient is dispensed.
It’s easy to see from this comparison that even in the same situation, a coffee vending machine solution is both a great and not-so-great solution for everyone – it really just matters what you are most geared towards in terms of what you want out of your coffee machine.
In another instance, the installation of a Bean to Cup Automatic Coffee Machine also posed both a major advantage and disadvantage to a customer. While the customer now had the absolute luxury of having café-quality coffee available in their boardroom, they noticed that the coffee machine was a bit noisy and sometimes interrupted the meeting being held if it was used while someone was speaking.
This problem is two-fold. We know know already that the freshest coffee is the type that has the beans freshly ground and brewed, almost instantaneously. To achieve this, automatic coffee machines are fitted with an internal bean grinder, which can be a little noisy (most understandably). This is a common problem on all bean to cup coffee machines because of their nature. A way around this could perhaps be to have the coffee machine located outside of the board room, and have an allocated staff member bring the requested drinks into the meeting. Or, another suggestion may be to install a simpler type of coffee machine which is far less noisy, like a filter coffee machine, where your guests can help themselves without disturbing anyone.
Sometimes, coffee machines as they stand already have their own restrictions. In a quick skim over, this is what you can expect – and what you simply cannot expect from a coffee machine, per type:
Filter Coffee Machine Solutions – Problems and Advantages
If we’re being completely honest here, industrial filter coffee machines are probably the most reliable type of coffee machine. The heating plates are regulated, it’s easy to use, makes no noise and is exceptionally cheap to run. Your only issues may be the limitations of coffee this type of machine can produce, as well as the lack of control it offers (it’s not a lockable type of system).
Capsule Coffee Machine Solutions – Problems and Advantages
We’d always suggest staying away from this type of coffee machine, because it has become notorious for giving the most problems of all coffee machine types. While the technology in the machine is very simple, it can be misleading in that we think simplicity means less can go wrong. We are mistaken, especially in this case. The reason the machine is so cheap is a) the machines technology lies in the capsule, not the coffee machine and b) because the machine is so cheap, it is hardly ever feasible to repair a broken capsule machine; it’s normal cheaper to replace it.
Having said that, this can be a great coffee solution for the home, but is not usually suggested for an office of more than 5 people.
Automatic Coffee Machine Solutions – Problems and Advantages
Automatic coffee machines have one main, undeniable advantage; luxury. They are bound to provide you with some of the best coffee there is to offer, but they too can have their own set of downfalls. Cost, product input and possible staff abuse of the machine can be huge pitfalls and dangers to owning an automatic coffee machine. Maintenance can be a bit of a pain, too.
Instant and Bean Vending Coffee Machine Solutions – Problems and Advantages
Unless you are looking to provide large quantities of coffee on demand – this will not work for you at all. machines means you have almost complete control over the dispensing and usage of the coffee product housed inside. The biggest downfall, as we mentioned in a relayed story above, is two-fold. Some staff may feel like they are being overly controlled, because they can no longer choose how many spoons of sugar or coffee they get to have per cup, and they may also not enjoy the type of coffee the machine dispenses.
Sometimes, installing a coffee machine can really alleviate costs, solve problems in the office, curb abuse and theft of coffee and coffee product and may bring life to an otherwise overlooked aspect of employee wellness.
However, you always need to consider each aspect of the problem you are trying to solve – and what knock-on-effects you may experience by solving that one problem.
Consider writing a list of problems you would like your coffee machine to solve, and then checking out one or two honest reviews about that specific machine. Look for reviews which are a year or two old; thee reviews are likely to have problems listed that you would only experience after owning the machine for around a year or so.
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