Choices in Commercial Espresso Machines
There are many different choices that a business owner should consider when choosing a commercial espresso machine on the market. Especially if the business specializes in coffees, the owner has a big choice on his hands to make sure that the machine can handle all the different circumstances that his business might encounter with customers, such as special requests and high volume of customers at a time. Since these machines usually run in the thousands of dollars to purchase new, such as the Gaggia machines which cost from fifteen hundred to two thousand dollars, owners can often get a start by buying a used commercial espresso machine, as long as it is in good working condition.
How They Operate
The operation of a commercial automatic espresso machine obviously varies depending on which company manufactures it. Nevertheless all commercial automatic espresso machines do have some common features. For example, they are generally very easy to operate so that almost anybody can do it. You most certainly do not have to be a trained barista from Italy to make a cup of espresso with such a machine.
Commercial automatic espresso machines can be programmed by the user and they switch themselves off automatically once the coffee is brewed so there is no danger of a mishap. With the press of a button the commercial automatic espresso machine can quickly make all manner of different coffee beverages including espresso, cafe latte, Americano, macchiato and cappuccino. What's more all of the procedures needed to make different beverages such as grinding, brewing, tamping, dosing, and foaming the milk happen automatically inside the machine without the need for human interaction, so there is no chance of a witless employee messing things up. Some commercial automatic espresso machines can even clean themselves.
Features
Commercial espresso coffee machines will usually have to have a period of warming up so that the espresso can be brewed at the proper temperature. There are some machines that are faster than others, so owners should be aware of how quickly the machine warms up before buying one so that they are prepared at the start of every day. In addition, some commercial espresso coffee machines are faster than others in brewing each cup, as well as the fact that some can brew multiple cups at a time, while others can only brew one at a time. All of these factors play into how quickly the customers will be able to have their drinks, which affects if they will come back to that particular coffee shop or restaurant again for their espresso.
In addition, there are some commercial espresso coffee machines that help to automate the process by allowing the employees to key in how large a coffee is desired and if the espresso is a single or double shot. If the drink is a cappuccino or a latte, the milk can also be prepared at the same time as the coffee automatically, thus reducing the spillage and splatter that often occurs when inexperienced employees attempt to froth or steam the milk. In addition to helping the coffee making process to be more automatic, these commercial espresso coffee machines will also often have an automatic cleaning feature so that the internal parts can easily be cleaned and maintained in good working condition for the life of the machine. They also have easily removable parts so that the parts that must be cleaned by hand are easily accessible to the employees.
Tips
One feature that an owner should look for in a commercial espresso machine is how easy it is to operate. The best machines have a touch screen system in which the employees can easily push the size of the coffee and adjust the strength of the brew to the appropriate tastes of the customer. The touch screen will also often allow the employees to punch in what type of coffee it is, such as if it is a cappuccino or latte that needs the steaming or frothing done with the milk. This allows the milk to be prepared at approximately the same time as the brewing so that the coffee stays hot and perfect, ready to serve each time. There should also be an automatic cleaning feature on the best commercial espresso machines so that it can be kept in prime working order at all times. The bean hopper should also be easy to see and the machine should automatically notify employees when it is getting low so that more can be added before the entire process is stopped.
There are also some commercial espresso coffee machines that are more quiet than others. Almost everyone has experienced sitting in a coffee shop, trying to have a relaxing conversation with friends when all of a sudden there is the high pitched squeal of the espresso coffee machine. This makes it almost impossible to talk until the espresso has been brewed, which does not usually take very long, but is an unpleasant interruption to a pleasant time with friends over coffee, and can make a difference in the coffee shop owner's business. There are also other features that the owner should consider in the commercial espresso machine, such as how quickly the machine warms up and if the machine is consistent in the taste in the cups of coffee that it brews.
