Coffee's global popularity makes it a great item to bring onto your menu to expand your offerings or provide as an amenity at your office to boost the employee or guest experience. This guide will go over the types of coffee brewers and their pros and cons, so you can choose the best coffee maker for your needs. Be sure to check out our commercial coffee machine reviews as well!
Brewing convenience, ease of use, price, volume, and coffee flavor are all important factors to consider when finding the best coffee maker for your business.
Automatic coffee makers must be attached to a direct water line. By hooking directly up to a water line, these units eliminate the need to constantly fill your machine’s water tank, which allows you to serve your customers faster.
Output: 40 to 240 cups per hour
Best for: diners, offices, and convenience stores
Pourover coffee makers do not need to be attached to water lines, so you will need to fill the machine’s reservoir with water for each brew. These units are portable and easy to set up without any major installation or plumbing procedures required.
Output: 55 to 65 cups per hour
Best for: offices, break rooms, and convenience stores
Espresso machines are a type of specialty coffee maker that brew fresh espresso that you can serve as a shot or use as a base to make a variety of specialty coffee drinks. There are manual, semi-automatic, automatic, and super-automatic espresso machines that give a range of control over the brewing process.
Output: (240 to 720) 4 oz. demitasse cups per hour
Best for: coffee shops, cafes, sandwich shops, and restaurants
Satellite coffee makers are designed to brew coffee into insulated servers, thus allowing you to brew coffee in one location and then bring the coffee to another setting such as a self-service station.
Output: 10 to 302 cups per hour
Best for: catering, banquet halls, cafeterias, buffets, and restaurants
Coffee machine urns are designed to brew, hold, and serve coffee with one unit for maximum convenience. They are ideal for self-service stations at private events. We also offer high-volume coffee urns that are perfect for large crowds.
Output: 22 to 69 cups per hour
Best for: caterers, schools, churches, and offices
Liquid coffee dispensers use a bag-in-box system for fast dispensing from a direct water line, making it quick and easy to load and dispense coffee. Because there is no brewing required, these dispensers eliminate labor costs associated with the frequent brewing and oversight of traditional coffee brewers.
Output: 62 1/2 to 400 cups per hour
Best for: cafeterias, hospitals, convenience stores, and buffets
Cold brew coffee is made by steeping ground coffee in cool or cold water for 12 to 24 hours. Prepared cold brew concentrate can be stored for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Output: 3 to 20 gallons per extraction
Best for: coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants, and diners
Great for self-service, single cup coffee makers are perfect for brewing single portions of coffee in hotel rooms, lobbies, and conference rooms without the hassle of a big and bulky machine.
Output: 1 cup at a time
Best for: hotel rooms, vacation homes, break rooms, and waiting rooms
During the French press brewing process, the coffee grounds stay in contact with the water throughout the entire brewing period. A French press filters the brew directly through a metal mesh filter, which allows the essential oils found in the grounds to remain in the brew. The result is stronger, richer coffee with a more aromatic flavor.
Output: 1 to 4 cups at a time
Best for: restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, bakeries, and vacation rentals
A Vietnamese coffee press, or phin, consists of four parts: a perforated filter plate, a brew chamber, a perforated filter press, and a lid to keep the heat in. It typically brews into a cup that is filled with a small amount of sweetened condensed milk or coconut milk.
Output: 1 cup at a time
Best for: coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants, and cafes
Choosing the correct voltage is an important factor when selecting a coffee maker. Typically, the higher the voltage, the faster the machine's recovery time is. Therefore, establishments with a high demand for coffee should look into coffee makers with a higher voltage rating.
To decide on the correct voltage you'll need, you should ask yourself two questions:
Many coffee machine types come with ratings of cups per hour, generally referring to 5 or 8 oz. portions, to help you decide what unit is best for you. Additionally, you'll need to make sure you have the correct electrical setup for the machine you require. 120V units can often be plugged into a common wall outlet, whereas 208V and 240V machines may require a different outlet formation.
In addition to choosing the best coffee maker, ensure you have all the accessories you need to brew the perfect cup of joe!