So, you’re thinking of getting a commercial coffee machine for your office, but you’re weighing up the pros and cons of each type. We understand. In a few short years, the UK’s burgeoning coffee shop culture has changed the way we drink coffee. Go back a decade, and if you weren’t totally tea (as opposed to teetotal), then the chances are you kept a jar of instant coffee in the cupboard over the kettle. But instant coffee drinking in the home has dropped as percentage of market share. Between 2012 and 2014, for instance, home consumption of instant coffee dropped by around £40m, according to Mintel.
But we think there’s still a strong market for instant coffee machines - particularly in offices and businesses where budgets are a little tighter. The chief criticisms of instant coffee are that it’s more bitter (because it typically contains more robusta beans than arabica), and that it’s less fresh and so delivers less depth of flavour.
Yes and no. Premium instant coffees may contain as much arabica bean content as some coffees served in high street chain coffee shops. And as for depth of flavour – that’s also about the quality of the blend, the method of brewing and the type of drink being prepared.
Instant coffee machines are a very different proposition to pouring the contents of a kettle onto a spoonful of supermarket instant. Many consumers won’t be able to tell the difference between mochas made by one of our instant coffee machines and the same drink from a bean-to-cup machine. And of course you still get a good selection of hot beverages, from hot water to brew a good strong cuppa, to cappuccino, espresso, hot chocolate and even chocomilk…
So, perhaps your decision needs to be guided more by budget, convenience, location and usage. Many small mobile catering businesses will find an instant coffee machine will keep the customers satisfied; in an office setting, it could be exactly the right fit for your business.
The advantages of an instant coffee machine in your business
- Size. Our best-selling instant coffee machines are compact, well-designed and slot easily into any kitchen size – or a mobile catering van. So, if space is at a premium, you’ll want to take a closer look.
- Convenience. Instant coffee lasts longer and takes up less space. So, unlike a bean-to-cup machine, you’re not repeatedly refilling the beans. You’ll get more coffees before it’s time to top up.
- Easy maintenance. The vast majority of bean-to-cup coffee machines and instant coffee machines have button-operated cleaning cycles, to reduce the amount of cleaning you or your team have to undertake. Because instant coffee machines use dried ingredients and don’t grind beans, there’s less mess and less cleaning involved. It’s just simpler.
- Budget. Our commercial coffee machine range runs from premium to budget – they’re all good models, depending on what you want from them. But if providing perks for employees comes with a strict limit, an instant coffee machine can minimise costs while still showing staff you care
- There’s no compromise on health benefits. Instant coffee still contains antioxidants – sometimes more than freshly ground coffee – and usually lower caffeine levels.
If you’re still unsure which sort of coffee machine would suit your business best, ask the experts. There’ll be no hard sell – we’ll just help you prioritise what you want from a machine, well within your budget. Drop us an email to info@nationwidecoffee.co.uk or call free on 0800 840 9023.