The foundation of coffee lies in a simple extraction from the coffee bean coupled with the right temperature and amount of water. Coffee machines have been invented for convenience and to maintain consistent standards. Anticipate your daily volume; is your establishment coffee-oriented or java is just a side beverage option? Cafes typically select semi-automatics as it offers more control and customers also tend to be more selective in their coffee therefore the expertise of a barista is required. A smaller automatic unit should suffice for smaller production. A conscientious barista should clean the coffee filter before making a new cup to remove any residual flavours as well as wiping down the steam wand to prevent milk from caking on the wand. Some distributors offer basic training on operating coffee machines as an added-value service and after-sales services is a must.
Semi- Automatic
The most common variant used as they effectively bridge the gap between producing good coffee and a barista’s competency. A barista still needs to know about getting ground coffee in the right amount with right water temperature and opt to manually activate the pump to control total water flow for each shot of espresso. A tamper is used for compressing ground coffee- inadequate resistance causes water to flow through without picking the required elements but over-tamping results in a bitter coffee. If you are planning on using coffee beans, a grinder is needed to grind coffee on demand. Usually business establishments use a specified ‘dosing’ grinder where the dosing chamber is kept full with beans and the barista pulls the lever to get the coffee grounds, depending on the amount needed. A steam wand is fixed on the coffee machine for the heating and foaming of milk. Semi-automatics come in 2-4 groupheads capable of producing 4, 6 or 8 drinks at once. The larger it is the more workspace you would need and a larger purchasing budget plus more staff to operate the machine as well.
Automatic
The functions can be pre-set and upon a push of the button, the machine will deliver pre-determined amounts of espresso. It focuses on producing the espresso shot so the operator can do other tasks, such as steaming milk. A higher level of consistency is guaranteed and this type is popular with establishments that offer a wide range of drink configurations. It also comes with a manual button to prepare custom order drinks.
**Special thanks to Classic Coffee & Beverage Sdn. Bhd. for the information on coffee machines.
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GOH CHEE WAN
Classic Coffee & Beverage Sdn. Bhd. – Coffee Consultant
“The Group Gasket needs to be changed every 3-6 months, according to volume of usage to prevent hardening of the rubber which causes leakage from the group head. Replace the Shower Net regularly; otherwise coffee oil will be stuck to it, causing imperfect extraction.”[/box]
