How to choose the best office coffee machine for your team

 

Because let’s face it, who drinks instant anymore?

Somewhere in your building, there’s probably a jar of instant coffee that nobody admits to buying. It does the job, technically. But if half the team queues at the café over the road every morning, it might be time to aim a bit higher.

A decent machine can make a surprising difference. It keeps people on site and gives visitors a better first impression, and a good brew can turn a quick caffeine stop into a proper catch-up. Choosing between office coffee machines isn’t always straightforward, though. Size, milk, upkeep and budget all come into it.

Pure Foods Systems has over 30 years in the vending trade, and our commercial coffee machines range from compact tabletop models to high-volume bean-to-cup machines.

Types of office coffee machines

Office coffee machines come in a few broad formats, and each suits a different kind of team.

Tabletop bean-to-cup machines

These sit on a worktop and grind fresh beans for every cup, so you get proper espresso-based drinks from a compact footprint. Because the beans are ground on demand, the coffee tastes noticeably better than instant or pre-ground, and there’s no jar to run out of on a Monday morning.

They’re the natural choice for small office coffee machines, where a freestanding unit would take over the kitchen. At Pure Foods Systems, our tabletop coffee machines include the Zen, which comes in bean-to-cup and fresh brew tea versions, with touchless selection and custom branding.

Freestanding coffee vending machines

Freestanding machines are built for volume. They carry more beans and ingredients than a tabletop model and serve a wider menu. Many also come with a large touchscreen that can display your branding or company news between drinks. They suit busy offices, as well as sites like hospitals and universities where people want a hot drink at any hour.

If sustainability is on your agenda, look for reusable cup support and energy-saving modes. A machine that’s switched on all day adds up, so these features help cut both waste and running costs.

Fresh milk coffee machines

If your team takes its flat whites seriously, a fresh milk machine uses real milk rather than powder, and the difference in taste and texture is noticeable. Milk is usually kept chilled in a small fridge unit beside the machine, so allow a little extra space when you’re planning where it goes.

The trade-off is maintenance. Milk systems need cleaning every day, so someone has to own that job. Whichever format appeals, the next step is working out what your team actually needs from it.

How to choose the right office coffee machine

Before you compare models, it helps to answer a few questions about your team. Coffee machines for offices vary a lot, and the right fit comes from matching the machine to how people actually drink.

• How many cups a day? A machine that’s too small leaves people queuing at 9am, while an oversized one wastes money and space. A rough count of daily coffee drinkers is a good starting point.
• What do people drink? If your team lives on lattes, milk quality is a priority. If they’re mostly tea drinkers, a proper fresh brew tea option will earn more goodwill than a fancier espresso.
• Where will it go? Check the worktop depth and whether there’s a socket close by, and ask whether the machine needs plumbing in or runs from a water tank.
• Who’ll keep it clean? Every machine needs some daily care. Automatic cleaning cycles help, but fresh milk systems still need hands-on attention.
• Free or paid? Free coffee is a popular perk, but some businesses subsidise drinks or charge a small amount. Freestanding machines can often take card payments if you’d like to recover some of the cost.
• Is there a decaf option? Colleagues cutting down on caffeine will appreciate decaf or a decent cup of tea.

Answer those, and the shortlist tends to write itself.

What is the best office coffee machine for a small team?

For a small team, a tabletop bean-to-cup machine is usually the best office coffee machine for the money. It makes proper coffee without eating up the kitchen, and the upkeep is easy to manage.

It’s also worth remembering how low the legal bar actually is. The HSE’s guidance on welfare at work says staff need drinking water and somewhere clean to eat and drink during breaks, and where people eat, there should be a way of making a hot drink. A kettle technically covers it. A good coffee machine is a perk, and like any perk, it’s worth getting right if you’re going to offer it.

Commercial office coffee machines for larger teams

Once you’re serving dozens of people a day, reliability and speed start to outweigh everything else. Commercial office coffee machines are designed to keep up with the morning rush without running out of beans halfway through.

At the top end, Pure Foods Systems supplies machines like the Franke A800 FM, a fully automatic bean-to-cup machine with triple boiler technology and a FoamMaster milk system. It can serve espresso, lattes, hot chocolate and tea from one machine, which keeps a large and varied office happy.

Many freestanding models also come with touchscreens that can show your branding or internal messages between drinks, which is handy in a reception area where visitors wait.

With a bigger machine, the support behind it becomes just as important as the machine itself. A breakdown on a busy Monday is felt by everyone, so ask any supplier how quickly an engineer can get to you and whether servicing is included.

Buying, leasing or renting an office coffee machine

You don’t have to buy outright. Pure Foods Systems offers office coffee machines to rent, lease or buy, with free Lavazza coffee to get you started and nationwide installation and support.

Renting spreads the cost and makes it easier to upgrade as your team grows, while buying makes sense if you know exactly what you need and plan to keep the machine for years. If you’re unsure how much the office will actually drink, renting first also gives you real usage figures to base a longer-term decision on. Our guide on whether to buy or rent a vending machine covers the trade-offs in more detail.

Office coffee machine FAQs

How much does an office coffee machine cost?

It depends on the type of machine and whether you buy or rent. Renting turns the cost into a regular payment, and our commercial coffee machines are available to rent from £15 per week plus VAT. Buying outright costs more upfront, with tabletop models at the lower end and high-volume freestanding machines at the top.

How often does an office coffee machine need cleaning?

Every day, to some degree. Bean-to-cup machines need their drip trays and grounds bins emptied regularly, and fresh milk systems need cleaning at the end of each day. Many machines run automatic cleaning cycles, which takes a lot of the effort out, but it’s still worth naming someone to look after it.

Can an office coffee machine make tea and hot chocolate?

Yes. Freestanding machines like the Franke A800 FM serve tea and hot chocolate alongside coffee, and some tabletop models, such as the Zen, come in a dedicated fresh brew tea version. If your office is split between coffee and tea drinkers, check the drinks menu before you choose.

Should office coffee be free for staff?

That’s down to your company culture. Free coffee is a popular perk that keeps people on site, while a subsidised or paid setup helps cover the cost of beans and servicing. You could also go for a middle ground, with free drinks for staff and card payments for visitors.

Find the best office coffee machine for your team

The best office coffee machine depends more on your team than on the spec sheet. Small offices are usually best served by a compact tabletop model, while larger teams need a commercial machine that can handle the morning rush without breaking a sweat. Whichever way you go, think about the drinks people actually want and who’ll keep the machine clean.

Pure Foods Systems supplies office coffee machines for teams of every size, whether you’d rather rent or buy, with nationwide support to get you up and running. A great cup of coffee is one of the easiest ways to make the office feel like a place people want to be.

Get in touch, and we’ll help you find the right fit for your team.