tabletop machines...

FILTER COFFEE MACHINES

The smallest kind of tabletop machine is the filter coffee machine or pour and serve brewer. They are sometimes incorrectly called percolators. Ground Coffee is placed into a paper filter within a filter basket. Water is filled into the top of the machine and the water filters through the coffee and into the jug, which sits on a hotplate on the base of the machine.
There are many variations on this theme. Some machines have two or more brewing units, some have two or more hot plates, some plumb directly into the mains, but the principle is always the same. The coffee is produced relatively quickly in and usually in quantities of between 6 and 12 cups at a time. If consumed quickly the quality of the coffee is excellent, but it has a tendency to “stew” if left on the hotplate too long. Whilst it is possible to make one or two cups at a time, this can be messy and a bit hit and miss. Another way to get around this problem is to have the coffee dispensed into vacuum pots, but this is still not quite the same as "freshly brewed" coffee.

As a result, there can be a considerable amount of wastage with this system. You will find that some companies will provide these machines on a free on loan basis. The only requirement is that you purchase an agreed number of cases of coffee per month. Occasionally, there is no minimum requirement. Be warned. Nothing is FREE!!! The supplier has to make a profit, and if the equipment comes free, you will be paying a premium price for your coffee. You may well find this acceptable for your business. However, I would suggest that you also investigate the possibility of either purchasing or leasing the equipment and paying the “normal” price for ingredients, before making a final decision. However, if you only want to provide coffee, and it will be consumed quickly, this is an ideal system for low usage areas.

+ Plusses
· Good quality coffee ( if consumed within half an hour)
· Easy to use
· Low maintenance
· Inexpensive to acquire (possibly free on loan)
· No plumbing usually required (plumbed machines are available)
- Minuses
· Drink quality deteriorates rapidly
· Limited drink selection
· Milk and sugar need to be added separately
· Water needs to be carried to machine ( if not plumbed)
· Coffee prices can be inflated (if machine is free on loan)

vendingabc is from cafe azzurro limited