How To Upgrade Your Home Coffee Machine
Coffee machines in the home and office have become somewhat of what the Walkman was back in the 90’s; at first, it was a luxury item that was almost always “too expensive”, and one that “served no real purpose”. Using that as our example, and moving along 20+ years, we now see ourselves all walking around with the modern equivalent of the Walkman – either in the form of music on our phones, iPod’s etc.
We can directly translate this to the boom of coffee machines in almost all spaces of late – it all started with a capsule coffee machine that coffee lovers brought into their homes, to get something in-between an instant cup of coffee and café-quality coffee.
Times have changed, again, and now we’re seeing affordable, pint-sized bean to cup coffee machines taking over that market. Even the capsule machines we have come to know are progressing at the speed of light – with attachable milk frothers and capsule selections spanning beyond our wildest imagination.
If you’re stuck somewhere between owning a capsule coffee machine and needing (read: wanting, desperately) a better quality coffee machine, here’s a logical way to go about making exactly the right selection for your needs.
What Type of Coffee Machine Is Best For My Home?
This question/answer is user-specific. However, it’s safe to say that size does matter, especially in this case. Instead of listing the “right” options for home users, let’s first mention what’s never going to be the right choice.
Vending machines and commercial-sized bean to cup machines are going to be a waste of all your resources.
-They take up far too much space to justifiably be placed in a kitchen or living room.
-They look bulky.
-In the case of a coffee vending machine, chances are you’ll be compromising quality either by using instant coffee or powdered milk, and a large commercial bean to cup machine will simply not be utilised to it’s full potential.
Now that we know what to avoid – what should we be scouring as “minimum requirements” for a home coffee machine? Well, that also depends on the users starting point.
If you are using instant coffee and want to bump it up a level, consider a capsule coffee machine. This is going to allow you to select different types of coffee, and if it’s a small home usage application, you won’t be putting yourself too out-of-pocket. Some of the more advanced capsule machines can have a milk frother fitted, allowing you to have creamy cappuccino’s etc. Consider that using a capsule daily may add up financially over time, so keep an eye on that.
If you don’t want the “fanciness” of a capsule machine and are more of a coffee purist – consider investing in a filter coffee machine. Using an industrial filter coffee machine in your home is the exception to the home/ commercial coffee machine dynamic. See, using an industrial filter coffee machine allows you to brew and maintain the temperature of your filter coffee, without the risk of it scalding. Also, it is usually made of far superior material, meaning less possibility of breakage of damage.
If you are already a capsule coffee machine user, and need to upgrade yourself, bean to cup is definitely the machine you’re looking for. You allow yourself the freedom to grind coffee beans on the spot – guaranteeing the freshest possible cup of coffee every single time. Automatic machines also come with a built-in or attachable milk flasks/frothers, granting you the ability to combine freshly-ground beans with freshly foamed milk.
Some coffee companies have incorporated the coffee product into the machine solution, ensuring you have three of the most important factors when you’re renting:
1) Coffee product
2) Backup support (in case anything goes wrong)
3) The flexibility to swap-out op upgrade your machine if it (one day) no longer serves your needs.
How Much Will A Home Coffee Machine Cost Me?
If you’re considering opting for a capsule coffee machine, consider these two factors:
1) Initial investment for the capsule machine is low
2) You end up paying per cup of coffee by the price of each capsule. That directly translates to the fancier the brand / more expensive the capsule = the higher price per cup of coffee you make.
Also factor in the price for sugar and milk to add to each cup, and you can expect to pay around R 8.00 – R 10.00 per cup of coffee.
If you’re opting for a filter coffee machine – factor in the rental or purchase price for the coffee machine, as well as the ground coffee. This is usually the cheapest route – for a reason. Your drink choices are pretty much limited to, well, coffee – or coffee.
If you’re decided to make the move to bean to cup automatic coffee machines for your home, and are considering doing it through a product-subsidised rental, you can pay as little as R 7.00 per cup. Considering this is using freshly ground coffee beans as well as fresh milk – it seems to the the most cost-effective solution that yields the best possible coffee at home.
If you’ve opted for the rental route – you’ll also benefit from the backup support the coffee company will usually offer, and get to enjoy the best coffee for as long ass you like.
All I know is that sometimes, the coffee you have in the morning can be the deciding factor in just how great your day is. Take it from an expert 🙂
