The heartbeat of your business. The espresso machine is the most important piece equipment in your business. You can not run your coffee business without it.There are several options and you will need to consider what will be best for your business. Having the wrong machine will devastate your business dream. I will break it down so that you can understand it simply.
There are:
- Manual machines
- Automatic machines
- Super-automatic machines
I am going to speak first about the easiest machines to use, and work towards the more complex machines to use.
- The super automatic machines are the easiest to use. You fill a hopper ( the part that holds the beans to be ground for the espresso shot ). The machine will grind the beans for the shot of espresso. Heat the water to a set temperature, and the machine will draw the espresso extract for your beverage. It does it all automatically! Many of these machines also have a refrigerated compartment that holds a jug of milk. At the touch of a button, the machine automatically froths the milk for the espresso based cappuccinos and lattes and add the milk to the beverages. This process is done with a system of computers and hoses and much technology. Some of these machines offer a pre-programed wand in which you hold the pitcher of milk, submerge the steam ward into the pitcher and pre-programed computer will froth the milk and you add that froth to the drink. This type of machine takes no skill to produce espresso and espresso based beverages. It does offer consistent drinks because the machine will be preset. This will save on the labor cost, training employees. This method will be offer the quickest speed from the customers order to the customer enjoying their favorite beverage. If a customer comes through at different times of the day or different days they will receive consistently the same drink.
Problems with this type of machine is that your entire business is totally dependant on the machine. With the complexity and sensitivity of the internal workings, service repair can be difficult if not impossible. Often if your machine gets to this point you are talking about switching out the brain of the system which is very costly. If you can afford multiples of this machine, this is a great option for speed and consistency. Another huge benefit to these machines is inventory control. There is no waste. There are not shots of espresso missed ground, missed measured, miss tamped. All the variables for waste are eliminated.
2. The automatic espresso machine are also referred to as a semi automatic
machine. These machine are a blend of automatic technology and the manual art of drink preparation. As for the grinding and tamping of the beans- you will find two styles. One is like what I spoke of above, in which a hopper is filled and the machine grinds and tamps the shot for consistent espresso. Another style is one in which the Barista ( person preparing the espresso ) uses a separate machine to grind the beans and the espresso machine automatically draws the espresso shot. Some of these separate grinders will also automatically tamp the ground beans, sometimes the Barista will have to hand tamp the grounds. Also, with the automatic espresso machine, the Barista will need to prepare the frothed milk. This process is easy and usually done with a knob that is twisted. It is a easy skill for an employee to learn. It can offer easier flexibility for switching between low fat milk, 2 % milk, soy milk, whole milk or cream. With this method there are still some computer variables and more human variables. My overall opinion is that this machine option is a nice mix. I say that due to the fact that not all employees become excellent Baristas and this is sorta a helping hand. It will allow a person who is working alone in a shop to be able to heat a muffin, dish up some soup or take the next order.
3. The manual espresso machine also known as a piston machine is operated by pulling a lever that forces water through the espresso .By pulling this lever it creates pressure with piston assistance. The Barista controls the water flow and the length of the extraction time. This machine does not require as much electricity and the process adds to the drama of the gourmet speciality beverage. It does take skill to learn to properly prepare espresso with this method. Some purist say there is no other way to prepare espresso. It is more time consuming and there are greater variables for mistakes. Some coffee shops have these manual machine there mostly for beauty and flare. They really do not make practical sense here in the US where function and speed or so important and presentation or skill are less so important.