Automated Machines for Workplace

shortmaccc

Hi all,
My workplace has about 80 ppl in the office. The boss has asked me to research a fully automated machine with the following specs:
Bean grinder (not pods)
Easy to clean machine, by a non coffee professional
Make Hot Chocolate as well (hot water for tea as a bonus)
Milk Chiller

The last might be the hardest to meet: I have been looking at some Saecos and a Gaggia online. Any reviews, tips, hints, other brands to look at? I've never looked at the world of fully automated machines.

WotB

I reckon #2 will be the hardest one to do. There is a high likelihood that the machine will not be well looked after, regardless of intentions.

Koffee_Kosmo

I work in for many businesses in building services The machines I see most is the Jura brand they service both the staff and customer needs One client (car sales) is putting in a new super auto and I will report back on Saturday evening on the brand they chose Yes they have milk chillers KK

mycuppa

I have supplied office machines for years and know that side of the market very well. It's a very hard gig indeed and I sometimes pass up opportunities if I've recently experienced machine failures that have hurt us too hard (having one of those moments right now actually). Some machines are more reliable than others and service/support of certain brands can be surprisingly bad. I'm not going to name & shame.........I've had a very expensive $15K machine down for 4 weeks because of problems so bad it now needs to be sent to Sydney for the importer to resolve. One reality check is certain - all autos fail and this expectation needs to be factored into any commitment. Most brands now have a lot of plastic components. #1 issue is cleaning and maintenance. End-user cleaning needs to be daily (or under heavy loads more so), intensive weekly cleaning (brew group, choc mixer, etc) and maintenance needs to be bi-monthly by a technician or semi-skilled - this of course depends upon workload. Milk frothing is the primary issue with autos. It's hard to make a decent, hot froth at the rates people expect. The technology is getting better, but it's still a function of speed. Autos try to prepare milk fast and therefore the trade-off is foam quality and speed. It is possible though to prepare a half-decent cup. Hot chocs also require a lot of cleaning as the mixer bowls get gunked up quickly. Always look for a machine that is rated around double what you expect. If you think your office will go through 40 cups a day and then try to save money buying a machine rated at 40 cups a day I will bet a sheep-station you will have tears inside of 3 months. Go for double - something that is rated at 80 cups a day. Milk coolers are easy and relatively cheap. Some of the personal coolers by a certain brand may look nice, but they can fail inside of 12 months and they don't cope with hot days very well. This can be overcome by placing the milk into the main fridge at the end of the day and on weekends so the cooler is not having to cope with loads. Most of the cooler-style fridges are intended for short-term storage of milk which is generally OK in an office environment. Approx budget guidelines. $6.5K for a decent machine with grinder and milk fridge. Cleaning is manual for milk and automated for brew. No choc. $10K for entry quality level machine with choc mixer and fridge. $15K for advanced plug & clean milk system (sanitary system), choc mixer, plumbed in and quality fridge.

beanflying

Cleaning aside for a little as the major office kitchen bug bear. With the sorts of figures you are looking at depending on the office/staff spend some significant $$ saved on training of the interested staff and consider a good quality semi auto with a grinder? This option certainly won't suit all office environments but you would have the chance to get some better coffees and simpler maintenance. Good quality 2 group ful sized territory for peak volumes and 2 users for speed. End of the day one persons task will be 20 minutes or so cleaning and tidying up for the next day. Even with a lot of the autos some of this is needed. Just another option and not for every office either.

WotB

Save $15k on a machine and hire me to do pourovers for your office.  You'll also save on milk and sugar, because you really won't need it.  I don't break down that often, and I'm quite clean (except for language).  I'm also house-trained.