Looking for a rental machine can be daunting with all the options available, one common question is what machine type is best for me?
Bean to cup coffee machines
Some of the advantages of Bean to cup coffee machines are that they offer the best tasting coffee of all the machine types, and offer speciality drinks at the touch of a button. The speed of drink delivery (depending on size/type) is between 20/60 seconds and you choose between a fresh milk or granulated milk machine.
Generally, the machine itself is more expensive than other options but the cost per drink is significantly lower than a pod system but higher than a drink made from soluble ingredients. They don’t tend to suit low use environments.
Regular cleaning is a must to prevent breakdowns. Machines that use fresh milk MUST be cleaned every day. Machines that use powdered milk can be cleaned less but will still require regular cleaning.
Instant/Soluble coffee machines
One of the strengths of the Instant/Soluble coffee machine system is that all drinks are produced very quickly, often in less than 10 seconds. As with the bean to cup systems this will vary slightly depending on the type and size of drink.
Instant coffee lasts longer and takes up less space. So, unlike a bean-to-cup machine, you’re not repeatedly refilling the beans. You’ll get more coffees before it’s time to top up. There is no waste product so is an environmental friendly option.
Easy maintenance. The vast majority of bean-to-cup coffee machines and instant coffee machines have button-operated cleaning cycles, to reduce the amount of cleaning you or your team have to undertake. Because instant coffee machines use dried ingredients and don’t grind beans, there’s less mess and less cleaning involved. There is however more cleaning required than on a pod or capsule system.
Pod/Capsule coffee machines
There are a very wide range of coffee styles and flavours available. The drink range is one of the strengths of the capsule system. They are easy to look after and the products are kept fresh so there should be no wastage. They are also small so will fit into most spaces, are very easy to clean with only minimal regular cleaning required.
Can be slightly trickier to use as it isn’t as simple as pushing a button. Generally, the process to make a drink will take longer than the other two systems. The machines are cheaper but the drinks are expensive. From a cost perspective pod systems suit lower volume settings, for example under 150 dinks per week.
