The Complete Buyers Guide: Coffee Makers for Every Space

Coffee Maker Types

Your coffee maker options can span the entire length and breadth of every category, as outlined below, depending on your requirements. Selecting the right type of coffee machine is the first step in this process; knowing the type of machine that will work for your specific needs is going to make the rest of the process exceptionally easier.
Your options can be divided as follows:
• Capsule Coffee Maker
• Drip Coffee Maker
• Bean-to-Cup / Automatic Coffee Makers
• French Presses / Manually-Operated Devices
• Coffee Vending Coffee Machines
Naturally, each of these options comes with it’s own set of advantages and disadvantages, limitations, requirements and appropriate application areas.

Capsule Coffee Makers

Capsule Coffee Makers have infiltrated supermarket shelves, prime-time advert spots and retailers’ coffee aisles – luring you in with a free sample. This is an excellent home coffee machine, if you fall into one of the following categories:

1) You will be preparing a small amount of coffee per day; the capsules can become a costly expenditure, averaging at up to one dollar per capsule.
2) You enjoy non-speciality or milk-based coffee drinks; most capsule coffee machines do not hold the functionality required to produce a milk-based drink (they also do not have milk frothers). If
you are happy with powdered milk bases, this option could be considered as well.
3) You are happy to buy the machine. Capsule coffee machines are hardly ever rented out.

Drip Coffee Makers

Commercial / industrial drip coffee makers and retail drip coffee makes are the easiest, and often cheapest options for home use. Because of the simplicity of these machines, the range of
drinks it can produce is greatly compromised: you can only get filter coffee from a drip coffee maker.
It’s a great choice if you:

1) Are looking at having better-than-instant coffee – at a reasonable price.
2) Enjoy your coffee plain.
3) Appreciate a quickly brewed pot of coffee
4) Don’t mind separately adding milk and sugar.

Consider other options if you enjoy freshly ground coffee beans, if you prefer milk-based coffee drinks or if you enjoy a higher quality coffee blend than filter coffee can provide.

Bean-to-Cup Coffee Makers/ Automatic Coffee Makers

This specific type of coffee maker is gaining notoriety. Bean-to-Cup coffee makes have specific requirements and mechanisms, which is what drives the price up.
These may be a great choice if you:

1) Want nothing less than café-quality coffee at home or the office.
2) Know how to operate and get the most out of each feature of the machine; training is usually provided – so make sure you pay attention during demonstrations!
3) Have a bit of cash to spend (Bean-to-Cup is almost always the more costly coffee maker option, because of the components it requires)
4) Enjoy fresh milk coffee drinks – and don’t mind footing the milk (and sugar) bill.

French Presses and Manually-Operated Devices

“Coffee Cones”, French Presses and manually-operated machines like the Aeropress, would appeal mostly to moderate coffee-lovers. A great tool for single or double cup, manual coffee brewing; i.e. – you enjoy a good quality coffee now and then, you are the only coffee drinker and you are not looking for a high-end coffee solution.

A French Press can be used to make filter coffee in small quantities (usually two cups per pot) and with the inclusion of an independent milk frother, you could very well make your own cappuccino at home. The Aeropress uses a wooden stand and man-power to produce Espresso’s; useful if you are the only Espresso-drinker looking for a way to get your fix without costing an arm and a leg. The Coffee Cone is the most basic of the manually-operated devices – it is simply a cone-shaped cup with a broadened bottom. You fit a customised filter into the cup, add your filter coffee and pour-over your hot water. Having placed a cup underneath, you can filter the water as slowly or quickly as you like. Easy and appropriate if you are the only coffee drinker and want to make a cup or two for yourself per day.

Bean Vending Coffee Makers and Instant Vending Coffee Makers

These machines are really targeted at your high-usage and cost-cutting machines, excellent for factory spaces and large office spaces where you want to control usage. Both machines have a
similar functionality, the difference lies in the quality of the coffee they produce, respectively. Bean Vending coffee machines have, in general, three canisters; one larger one for coffee beans,
another for milk, and another for hot chocolate. This is great if you are looking for a high-quality, low cost bulk solution that can help your monthly budget – while still giving you a quality cup of
coffee. Instant Coffee Vending machines typically hold four canisters – one for instant coffee, one for sugar, one for powdered milk and another for hot chocolate. The coffee quality is definitely lower than a fresh bean, but the machines are physically lockable and fit well into a factory setting – because of their low cost product input requirements, and less of a need for high quality coffee.

Coffee Machine Requirements and Considerations: Things To Remember Before Any Purchase / Rental

• Space
Whether you live in a five-storey mansion, a one-bedroom apartment, or you’re in an office of 5 or 50 people – you’ll need to consider the amount of space your machine is going to need.
The majority of Bean-to-Cup coffee machines have “top-loader” bean hoppers, which are either internal or external. In both cases, you’ll need a certain amount of cleared space above the Bean
Hoppers. Why? If it’s an internal cannister, you don’t want to run the risk of anything possibly falling into the canister and being ground up into your coffee. If it’s an external canister, you’ll
need the space above the machine for it to be able to fit in.

Coffee vending machines will also require a considerable amount of space, as well as a plumbing structure if you choose to hook it up to your existing water supply. If you choose to hook your
vending machine up to an external water bottle, the amount of space required to do such will need to be factored in as well. Also consider the dimensions of your machine. One centimetre too high – and that perfect undercounter spot you had reserved for it could be nullified. Inversely, remember ratio’s (if aesthetics of the machine are important to you). You don’t want to
place a 25cm x 25cm capsule coffee machine in a large training room – it will likely look “out of place”.
• Water Requirements
Different coffee machines have different water input requirements. Higher-quality machines, and larger sized machines have internally-contained water canisters, ranging anywhere from 1.5 litres all the way up to 6 litres on your larger machines. Some of these machines also come with plumbed-in capabilities; you can hook up your water supply directly from your own plumbing,
meaning you never have to worry about refilling water canisters. Home usage wouldn’t require a plumbed-in solution because of the expected lower usage and internally-contained water canisters, but if convenience ranks high on your priority list then this is definitely something to look into.

• Coffee Product
Coffee product can single-handedly be the biggest cost influencer. The balance between coffee maker and coffee product is usually that the higher the price of the coffee machine, the lower the
coffee product price – and vice versa. This refers to product-subsidised rentals (in our case) where your monthly machine rental price may be lower if you buy a minimum monthly coffee product
bundle in conjunction with the coffee machine. There will always be the exception though – for instance, the Bean-to-Cup range of Coffee Makers. The machine is expensive – and so are the coffee beans it requires. But, in relation to other coffee products, beans rank in the middle-price- range. Capsule coffee makers are relatively cheap, but capsules are much more expensive in relation to
product cost and yield.

Price differences in coffee makes are usually due to the technology applied to each; the capsule coffee makerholds it’s major technology in the coffee capsule – which explains why the capsule
is more expensive in the long run. Inversely, Bean-to-Cup coffee machines hold their major technology in the machine itself, which is why this type of machine is so much more pricey than a
capsule coffee maker.

Instant coffee is much cheaper – but compromises coffee quality greatly. If you are looking for quality – any machine containing fresh beans should be your first consideration. If the opposite is
true in that quantity trumps quality – instant and pre-ground coffee machines should be your first consideration. Also think about what coffee products you’ll need outside of the machine; fresh milk and sugar are necessary if you use Bean-to-Cup machines or Capsule makers.

Coffee Maker Brands

It’s not hard to see that Nescafé dominates the coffee market – and their capsule coffee machines (as well as their instant coffee range) are some of the most popular coffee brands worldwide. They
tailored their brand for the coffee market and made the name Nespresso synonymous with glass cups, sipping special coffee on a yacht – and generally living the good life.

Another renowned brand is DeLonghi; they cater for every imaginable coffee appliance environment – home, office and speciality. Incorporating Bean-to-Cup and Drip Systems into their
range ensure there is a product at the ready for anyone in any setting.

Jura carries a lot of weight in it’s name: Swiss-manufactured quality that can stand the test of time, Jura imports and resells throughout South Africa. Their range is as extensive as the imagination can span. They have a superb range of machines, accessories and maintenance products with the right fit for you. Some Jura products are available here, too.
Illy is the Italian-made go-to; their coffee products are most popular in coffee shops throughout South Africa and their coffee machine range is geared more to home users – in terms of sizing and
pricing. Their home coffee machine range is quite something; stylish designs coupled with extensive functionality.

It’s become a trend that general kitchen appliance suppliers have begun branching out into this booming market; you can see coffee machines for home use made by Russell Hobbs, Kenwood, LG
and Mellerware.

Brand is just as important as the right style; bigger brands generally carry a longer guarantee / warranty period, they use higher quality materials and have usually had a considerable amount of
research and technology put into their design and functionality. This explains your generally inflated price tag when you opt for a better known brand of coffee machine.

Lease VS Buy

This decision will tie in closely with pricing; for home use – renting might be better if this is your first time having a coffee machine. Renting, in this instance, affords you with the opportunity to
“test” the machine; if you don’t like it, you usually have the option to return it. Rentals usually include support and maintenance, and sometimes even coffee product. If you appreciate the factors
renting has to offer, then that’s the right choice for you. Smaller machines like the capsule machine and French Press will always be an outright purchase; for larger outright purchases, you may find you fit if you are happy to have to log and pay for maintenance call outs; if you prefer paying one lump sum and not accruing interest, it’s your best bet.

This guide may help you if you’re stuck in this part of the process, and if you’re short on time – watch a quick video to help your decision-making process, here.

“Essentially, there is no right or wrong; just right or wrong for you “

Get in touch with us today for information and pricing on our Jura Coffee Makers.!