Sooner or later, this is an issue that arises in any office or workplace where several people coincide in the morning for coffee. At some point, you might consider buying a coffee maker for the office or an appliance to replace the vending machine in which each coffee costs 50 or 60 cents (minimum) and which offers us very little quality.
The possibilities on the market are almost endless, but you have to be careful because a home coffee maker is not the same as an office coffee maker. Office coffee machines must be prepared to withstand several uses a day, and they must be versatile (unless it is agreed that all workers taste coffee in the same way, which is not often the case).
Business coffee makers: A good solution
Buying a company coffee machine is usually a smart idea. In the long run, they are generally much cheaper than a vending machine, and the more you use them, the more you save.
Of all the types of coffee machines on the market, we believe that there are two that are suitable or well suited to the role of “coffee machine for the company”. These are capsule coffee machines, on the one hand, and automatic espresso machines (for short: super-automatic) on the other.
Why do we think this? Let’s argue it:
- Capsule coffee machines are cheap, clean and fast. When you’re working, the main thing is that you can get your coffee fast, without having to intervene much in the process. In this sense, the comfort of the capsules is unbeatable. Moreover, they do not need much cleaning, and most of them allow you to make other preparations, apart from coffee, so that they can be adapted to different tastes. The Dolce Gusto Majesto is an example of this. They are ideal for small offices or places with few workers. The high price of some capsules is somewhat alleviated by being able to buy large quantities of each variety (it is not the same as if you buy them for your home, where you will only use them yourself).
- Super-automatic coffee makers, on the other hand, share several of these virtues: they are very fast and allow you to make any coffee at the touch of a button. They also usually have automatic cleaning and rinsing programs, so hygiene will not be a problem either. These types of automatic espresso machines are much more expensive than capsule machines. Still, in the long run, each cup of coffee is cheaper, and the coffee will usually be of higher quality than capsule coffee. Also, they have the advantage that their reservoir is much larger, so you don’t have to refill it as often. They have a larger capacity. If you’re considering purchasing a coffee maker for a large office or one that can withstand a lot of daily services, you can opt for one of these.
How to choose an office coffee maker
If you are purchasing a coffee maker for your office or workplace, you should take into account the following considerations:
- Size of the office (number of people): There are office coffee makers that are more suitable for a small number of users and others that are perfect for larger offices. Think about the number of coffees you will brew per day before you make a decision. If you’re looking to buy a small business coffee maker, the ideal is to opt for the capsules. If not, you can look at the large super machines.
- Variety of elaborations: Ask your colleagues for their preferences. If some of them are going to drink coffee and other chocolates or infusions, then you should opt for a capsule format that is compatible with these tastes. If you want to buy the coffee maker for the company just to make coffee, then a super-automatic will offer you better quality in the service.
- Consumables: in the long term, there will be a lot of money to be made here—much more than buying the coffee maker itself for the office. So you have to think about it first. One brand is not the same as another, especially in the capsule segment (if you opt for an automatic espresso machine, then things change because the only thing you will have to buy is the coffee beans).
- Office coffee makers: prices. The investment can be an important factor depending on how many people pay for the machine. In this case, there is no middle ground: capsules are usually very cheap, and automatic machines are quite expensive. However, as we said before, don’t forget to consider that where the money is going to go in the long run is in the consumables, not in the machine.
Apart from all this, another option you should consider if you choose a capsule coffee maker for the office is that some manufacturers have exclusive lines for companies. It is the case with Lavazza (Lavazza Blue capsules) and Nespresso (Business Pro line). Neither the capsules nor the coffee machines of the ‘professional’ range of these brands are the same or compatible with those of the ‘home’ line.
In particular, we only recommend Nespresso coffee machines for companies (or those from Lavazza) if you want to have a capsule coffee machine for a large office, where the coffee machine will be running and making coffee continuously.
Top 6 office coffee machines 2023
Having considered all of the above, it is time to decide.
As you can imagine, many models meet the characteristics already exposed. We are going to choose only five models of coffee machines for companies that we think are very representative, but we will also provide some equivalent alternatives.
These are the ones:
Tassimo Vivy
We start with the Tassimo Vivy, which is one of the most popular coffee machines for companies in offices around the world. Well, it could be any Tassimo, but we chose this one because it’s the newest one.
Why do we recommend it? Because it is very cheap, very comfortable and because Tassimo capsules have enough variety to please anyone.
Alternatives: as we say, any other Tassimo capsule fits this profile. Any cheap Dolce Gusto coffee maker, such as the Piccolo or the Mini-Me, would also meet these criteria. And a less known but equally exciting option: the Delta Qool coffee maker.
Nespresso Zenius
Nespresso Zenius. All the quality of Nespresso with the guarantee of professional service, specially designed for workplaces where the coffee machine will be on the move all morning without a break. Nescafé coffee machines for offices have the following pros and cons:
Advantages:
- Variety of coffees.
- Nespresso guarantee.
- Machines suitable for a large number of daily drinks.
Disadvantages:
- High price.
- You are only limited to espresso coffee (with many varieties, however).
The Nespresso Gemini, also part of the Nespresso Business range, is also the right choice as an office coffee machine. We’ve chosen it to represent the professional line of Nespresso coffee machines, in other words, Nespresso office coffee machines.
In both cases, remember that these Nespresso office coffee machines do not work with standard (for homes) Nespresso capsules but with those of the Nespresso Pro line.
Similar alternatives to Nespresso Pro-business coffee machines? Well, read on below.
Lavazza Blue
The Italian company Lavazza also has a separate section for office coffee machines. All the convenience of capsules and the quality of Lavazza coffee (the favourite of Italians), in a machine built with companies and workplaces in mind.
WARNING: these Lavazza office coffee machines only work with Lavazza Blue capsules, not with standard Lavazza capsules. They are two different formats.
Perhaps their main disadvantage is that they are not as accessible on the Internet as those made by Nespresso, Tassimo, or Dolce Gusto, and their system is closed and different from all these. So you will have to buy Lavazza capsules online at the office or be lucky enough to be in a big city and have a Lavazza shop nearby.
Saeco Royal Office
We changed our registration and switched to automatic espresso machines for companies. In this case, the coffees will generally be of higher quality, and the coffee machines are equally fast and clean. However, they cost a lot more to start with (in the long run, you get a return on your investment because each cup of coffee will cost you much less than a capsule), and they are bigger, so you can’t just put them in any corner.
We recommend them for large offices with many users, and if we talk about automatic coffee machines, an inevitable reference is Saeco.
We could have chosen any model from the extensive range of Saeco machines. Still, we have chosen the only one specifically designed for offices, as its name indicates: the Saeco Royal Office.
Other similar Saeco models, some more expensive but also newer, are the PicoBaristo, the Saeco Aulika or the domestic version of the Saeco Royal.
Jura Giga 5
We end our selection with a top model, which is perhaps excessive for the traditional office concept we have on the Internet. But which fits perfectly as a coffee maker for large companies or for corporate offices where not only employees but also visitors, customers, etc., consume coffee. In other words, those offices where you have to give the right image.
The Jura Giga line of coffee machines has a price and features that make it prohibitive as a domestic coffee machine. They only fit as a business coffee maker or as a coffee maker for large offices.
It has a tank capacity of almost 3 litres, prepares up to 19 different drinks (not only coffee) at the touch of a button, and maintenance is also nearly 100% automatic. It’s perfect for a company where workers spend a lot of time and where there is a budget to buy it.
Cecotec Power-Matic Ccino 9000 Series
We include this model of the Cecotec Power Matic-Ccino, only in the 9000 series (the most advanced) because it includes the possibility of memorising up to 10 user profiles, each with its own settings and customisations. This is ideal so that everyone can make their own coffee to their own taste without having to enter all the parameters from the beginning every time they want to use the machine.
As you can see, our ideas cover a bit of every range: from efficient and affordable coffee machines for offices that want to be as uncomplicated as possible, to semi-professional coffee machines for companies with many workers and a lot of visitors at the end of the day. Nor should we forget the coffee vending machines or vending machines, which in the sale or rental format are the right solution for medium-sized businesses that cannot be satisfied with a standard domestic machine.
