Filter Coffee Machine Reviews: Retail Machine VS Commercial Machine
Truth be told, filter coffee machines are probably the most cost-effective, reliable high-grade coffee machines which are able to operate at the lowest relative cost. They do not require any additional components, they are the easiest of machines to use and offer the best cost-per-cup value of all coffee machines. Below, we review the major differences in your run-of-the-mill store-bought filter coffee machines against commercial filter coffee machines.
Filter Coffee Machine Review: Retail Machines 
Home-based coffee machines which are readily available at most of your retail chain stores come in all shapes and sizes – in an unimaginably large variety of brands, too. Pretty much every brand has come out with a home filter coffee machine solution and prices range from R 350.00 all the way through to R 3 000.00. Now, what separates a general brand home-based filter coffee machine from a commercial filter coffee machine?
Firstly, the heating plate. For me this is the stand-out difference as it can mean the difference between returning to a pot of hot, fresh-tasting coffee or a bowl of bitter and burnt brew. Most retail filter coffee machines’ heating plates keep at a constant temperature; this isn’t a bad thing. The way the coffee reacts to it is a bad thing. See, ready-brewed coffee has already reached it’s optimal brewing temperature – that’s how you got to have the pot of coffee in the first place. However, once that coffee has been brewed and is placed back onto the heating plate, the temperature continues to rise. Without having a timer or cut-off for that heating plate, you face the risk of the coffee overheating and actually burning. You may not see or even hear it burning, but that first sip that tastes as bitter as gall will put you right off.
Also, most home based filter coffee machines have small water tanks and only one heating plate. This means you can, at best, still only make one pot of hot coffee at a time.
Lastly, because manufacturers have cottoned on to the fact that most appliances have expected life spans, they are able to get away with using inferior materials – such as plastic. These do not stand the test of time, nor high usage. If you are looking for quality, then retail filter coffee machines will probably not meet your requirements, and if they do, you will likely pay much more than you should for that machine.
Filter Coffee Machine Review: Commercial Machines 
If you are looking for office filter coffee machine solutions, you should consider this from the start. Commercial strength appliances are always the way to go if you are looking to cater for masses. The key component, as I outlined earlier, is the heating plate. Commercial filter coffee machines have clever override mechanisms – meaning that your plate will adjust the heat it provides according to the fluctuating temperature of your filter coffee pot. This means you run no risk of accidentally burning your beautiful brew – rather just extending it’s usable lifespan.
Most commercial filter coffee machines also have two heating plates. This means that you can brew one pot of fresh coffee, put it on the “spare” heating plate and brew another pot. This allows you to double your output and service a much larger complement, without any additional machinery.
Economical, much? Yes.
Quality materials. This is really what cost comparisons and lifespan comparisons all come down to. Commercial filter coffee machines use steel as opposed to plastic, increasing it’s lifespan and allowing for it be less breakable when used by masses.
So – retail or commercial?
All in all, if you are a small household or office who enjoys a good cup of filter coffee every now and then, or as a treat, then there is nothing wrong with purchasing a general retail coffee machine. Your care for the product and knowledge gained on heating plates and how they work will assist you going forward.
However, offices, reception areas and heavy-usage customers may want to consider renting a commercial filter coffee machine, or buying it outright (at a similar cost to a top-end retail filter coffee machine) will notice the remarkable difference a quality material and self-regulating heating tray can make.
Either way – we know it’s the cheapest and most convenient way to a cup of freshly brewed coffee – so go on and enjoy it either way.