Today’s workforce has high expectations when it comes to coffee. They don’t want second best – even at work. So if you’re considering buying a commercial coffee machine for use in your office, there is a lot more to consider than just the price.
Provision of staff teas and coffees in offices has undergone huge changes over the years. Back in the 1950s and 60s, an apron-clad tea lady was the norm. She would push her trolley up and down the corridors dispensing tea and gossip in equal measures.
Moving on to the 1970s and 80s, the erstwhile tea lady found herself replaced by anonymous, low-cost vending machines dispensing beverages of dubious quality. But today’s office workers want proper coffee and if it’s not available in-house, valuable working hours can be lost as they leave the building in search of their favourite and expensive latte.
When it comes to your purchasing decision, the price of the commercial coffee machine should not be your biggest consideration. Of course everyone has budgets and limited resources, but saving money on the coffee machine itself could lead to greater expenditure and inefficiencies in other areas of your operation. So we’ve put together a list of six key factors to think about before you take the plunge.
Location of the coffee machine
Firstly, consider where you will position your coffee machine. As well as the physical space available, you must also think about accessibility.
In a big office complex, staff might have to spend several minutes walking to the coffee station. They might have to queue to use it. If the coffee machine is located on a different floor, an additional flow of people can result in lifts being overstretched at peak times.
Your staff might make this trip several times a day. Realistically, each person could spend an hour a day in search of their coffee fix.
Although the initial investment might be higher, opting for a machine in different areas of the building could result in efficiency savings and increase staff productivity.
Machine capacity
Commercial coffee machines come in different sizes, so you will have to consider the capacity of the machine. Don’t forget to take the number of visitors into account.
The WMF 1200S has a maximum capacity of up to 100 cups per day. This offers great value for money and is the perfect entry-level coffee machine for the smaller company.
If your capacity is greater, the WMF 1500S will deliver up to 150 cups a day. The 1500S is one of a different ‘family’ of coffee machines and has the added advantage of a large touch screen for ease of operation. One of this machine’s most popular features is the ability to change the colour of the side panel illuminations. It can be set to reflect your corporate colour or your décor, or even to reflect mood or ambiance.
Type of machine
Another consideration is the type of machine. If your objective is to match Starbucks or Costa’s choice and quality, a bean to cup machine that delivers everything from an Americano to a Latte is the answer.
Alternatively, filter coffee is growing in popularity and with the WMF 1200F you can choose between brewing a cup at a time, or a jug if you need refreshments in your meeting and conference rooms.
Servicing your commercial coffee machine
A service maintenance agreement makes sense when you invest in a commercial coffee machine for your offices. To maintain peak efficiency, your machine will need to be serviced and in the event of a malfunction, you need to be sure you have an engineer available to minimise any down time.
Ease of use
This is critical in an office environment. If your staff find it difficult to use the coffee machine, they will quickly abandon it. The WMF coffee machines are intuitive to use with a simple touch screen operation.
Day-to-day maintenance
Finally, don’t forget to consider how you will manage the coffee machine on a day-to-day basis. You will need a designated member of staff to keep it stocked and ensure it’s regularly cleaned.
The WMF range of commercial coffee machines make cleaning easy. The on-screen easy-to-follow instructions will guide even the most inexperienced user through the process – step by step.
And don’t forget, if you want more information on which commercial coffee machines are best suited to your office’s needs, WMF is only a phone call away.
