Office Coffee Machines

[NDA]

I'd like to equip my office with 3 coffee machines - serving around 30 people in total I should imagine. 3 machines because of different floors.

Is Nespresso the only way to go - or are there alternatives I should consider?

I use a proper Gaggia thing at home with real beans - but this is not suitable for an office as we're media folk not barrista's

Are there deals to be had on coffee machines? I've not bought for an office before.

Many thanks....

[Gren]

We've a Lavazza Blue at work. Makes a decent cup. Makes around 50 or so cups a day for us and aside from the lcd display playing up and needing the odd clean it's been pretty good. Assume we have it on some sort of lease/maintenance contract deal.

Like a heavier duty version of a Nespresso machine.

[devnull]

Few offices I go to have Flavia Creation 400 machines - make a reasonable cup of coffee. They also do other drinks such as tea and hot chocolate. Coffee is good, tea is rank. Depends on what your office mainly drinks.

[Hackney]

Talk to these guys
http://www.greencup.co.uk/

[Pints]

We have a few Nespresso machines in our office (for when we can't be bothered to go downstairs to the in-house Costa). The muck these machines produce is utterly vile.

[Cotty]

I have never had a good coffee out of a machine, don't start me on tea.

I prefer a hot water source, boiled water on tap (scuse the pun) and a tea bag.

[Pints]

Cotty said:

I prefer a hot water source, boiled water on tap (scuse the pun) and a tea bag.

H&S rules dictate we are only allowed tepid water from any button that declares "hot water".

[Johnnytheboy]

I wouldn't be surprised if the companies that supply office coffee machines rent/lease them.

I'd be tempted to go down this route as you won't end up stuck with a bunch of manky old machines you can't get refills for.

[NDA]

Hackney said:

Talk to these guys
http://www.greencup.co.uk/

Thanks - I've mailed them.

[juliann]

1st (or last) rule of office coffee machines (depending on whether you're paying for the coffee or not)

Don't get one that uses pods / sachets that can be used in a domestic machine - they will walk.....

[Cotty]

Pints said:

H&S rules dictate we are only allowed tepid water from any button that declares "hot water".

Something like this does the job.
http://www.zipheaters.co.uk/zip-hydroboil

[Pints]

Cotty said:

Something like this does the job.
http://www.zipheaters.co.uk/zip-hydroboil

Our H&S department would still have a fanny wobble if one of those were suggested. Our "boiling" water is permitted to be as much as 93C.

Apparently we're all going to sue the company when we burn ourselves with something we've chosen to extract from a machine on their premises.

[jinkster]

Seen the Miele Standalone coffee machines?

http://www.miele.co.uk/coffee-machines/CM6100-368/

[NDA]

jinkster said:

Seen the Miele Standalone coffee machines?

http://www.miele.co.uk/coffee-machines/CM6100-368/

A £1,000 a pop. Nice machine, but costly if I'm buying 3.

[jinkster]

Ah didn't you you wanted to buy 3. I'm guessing its classed as an investment and Im sure I read somewhere they're guaranteed for 20,000 coffees.

[Jazoli]

Cotty said:

Something like this does the job.
http://www.zipheaters.co.uk/zip-hydroboil

They are very good, I fit and service these every day, they are pretty reliable and will comfortably produce enough hot and cold water for the numbers you are talking about, as for h&s rubbish about max temps it is just that, rubbish, a number dreamed up by the h&s person at the office, its going to burn whether its 90 or 98 degrees, saying that most machines will dispense at the temp you want.

I would recommend leasing your machines, that way they should get fixed rapidly and at no cost, parts for them can be a bit pricey, I would echo what has been said about not using domestic pods, they will walk in their dozens every day.

[Cotty]

Pints said:

Our H&S department would still have a fanny wobble if one of those were suggested. Our "boiling" water is permitted to be as much as 93C.

Apparently we're all going to sue the company when we burn ourselves with something we've chosen to extract from a machine on their premises.

Thats not boiling then.

[Pints]

Cotty said:

Thats not boiling then.

Hence the quotes. They try and have us believe it'd be a kettle's finest, but I doubt the manufacturers have ever tried making a decent cup of Earl Grey with it.

[RizzoTheRat]

We have a twin jug filter coffee machine, a nespresso machine and a kettle between about 45 people. The company provides the ground coffee, instant decaf, and a couple of types of tea bags but staff supply their own nespresso capsules if they want them. The first nespresso machine lasted less than a year, I don't think they can take the amount of use it gets.

[Hackney]

NDA said:

Hackney said:

Talk to these guys
http://www.greencup.co.uk/

Thanks - I've mailed them.

They're our sister company, hope they can work something out for you.