Guide to Espresso Machine Selection

Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
RAISING
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
Guide to
Espresso Machine Selection
Brought to you by the
BSA
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
RAISING
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
Contents
3-7
4-7
4-7
7-8
Introduction
Automatic or
Semi-automatic
Where to start
Understanding
Specifications
5-76-7
6-7
Guide to Machine Capacity
9-7
10
11
Space & Style
Pedigree & Price
Grinder Selection;
Freshness and Aroma;
Hot Water Output
Dosing Consistency;
Wastage & Speed of
Temperature Control
Dispense
Content information originally supplied by Andrew Tucker, SanRemo and Coffee West. T: 01364 644445
EDITOR (FOR BSA): Martyn Herriott
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Martyn Herriott [email protected]
DESIGN: Gail Blackman – Krunch Design, [email protected]
PRINTED BY: Nova Press, Thatcham
Guide to Espresso Machine Selection was published by the Beverage Standards Association
T: 01364 645761
All articles are copyright and remain the property of the BSA.
Published September 2012
2
Brought to you by the
BSA
RAISING
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to “Raising Beverage Standards”, a new
regular Beverage Standards Association publication.
Alongside the many initiatives the BSA is trying to
achieve this publication is an integral part of our key
aim to raise training and education standards within the
Industry.
The focus for this issue is on Espresso machine
selection. There have been many developments
in recent years including advances in equipment
and this guide aims to help buyers understand the
considerations they should take into account when
looking to select a commercial espresso machine and
grinder for their business or organisation.
Purchasing such an important element of your catering equipment is exciting. Your new espresso coffee
machine is likely to be the biggest profit generator for your business and is often the one item that owners,
management, staff and not least customers will really become attached to.
It is also likely to have a bearing on the degree of commercial success your coffee operation enjoys.
This BSA information will not tell you which machine to buy; however it will help you to demystify your
selection process.
To assist out of home operators develop and maintain these standards the BSA offers the City and Guilds
VRQ in Barista training. This training through approved centres of excellence provides attendees on the
course a comprehensive knowledge in producing all types of beverages. At the end of the course a practical
and theory exam ensures that the candidates have the required knowledge before receiving a City and
Guilds VRQ certificate. At this time the Beverage Standards Association has twelve approved training centres
throughout the UK. Please visit our website for full details on these locations and how you and your staff
would benefit from attending one of these courses.
Building upon the success of the City and Guilds training the BSA now runs their annual Beverage Standard
Awards. The awards have been designed to deliver a valuable and fair assessment of any establishment
serving hot beverages, whilst at the same time celebrating the very best beverage quality and overall
service delivery in the UK.
The BSA hopes you enjoy this edition of “Raising Beverage Standards”. If you would like more
information about any of the subjects covered in this issue or the wider industry please visit www.
beveragestandardsassociation.co.uk or call the BSA office on 01364 645761 or email info@
beveragestandardsassociation.co.uk.
Martyn Herriott
Executive Director, BSA and owner of Complete Beverage Solutions Ltd
Brought to you by the
BSA
3
RAISING
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
Guidance when purchasing espresso machines
Where to start
Understanding specifications
There seem to be hundreds of different machines to
choose from and trying to sift out the best one for
you can be daunting task. But when it comes to
helping people identify what fits their situation, there
are really 4 areas of primary consideration:
The primary considerations here are how many
coffees you expect to produce each day and what
the likely maximum hourly output is likely to be.
• Space/Size/Specifications
• Style (what looks best to suit/enhance my
business or service area)
• Pedigree
• Price/purchasing arrangements
Size does matter!
Then, you shouldn’t forget the all important
• Grinder selection
Other considerations
• Ancillaries
• Training
• Ongoing support
Table 1: Max coffee outputs by machine size
Interestingly, most say 2 group, traditional espresso
coffee machines will produce espresso coffees at
the same pace as each other, i.e. a bigger machine
is no faster than a smaller machine.
However, bigger spec’ machines will handle higher
outputs for longer durations with greater ease
whereas, over press a too small machine and the
coffee produced will vary considerably in quality and
availability of steam and hot water will be a problem.
Machine size
Max Espressos
Max Cappuccinos /
with one Barista
per hour
lattes/Americanos ph
1 Group
180
60
30
2 Group
280
120
60
3 Group
360
150 +
90
4 Group
400
150+
120
Clearly if you have 2 Baristas working on a 4 group
machine, output from a machine could be higher
than specified above, particularly on larger drinks.
However, given that customers tend to purchase
drinks in 1’s and 2’s foremost and then 3’s, 4s’
4
Max Flat white/
Large/double
shot coffees
p.h.
or more less so, and that demand has significant
peaks and troughs during each day, it makes sense
to specify your needs in line with your peak hourly
output and also consider realistic output at around
70% of above.
Brought to you by the
BSA
RAISING
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
GUIDE TO MACHINE CAPACITY (speak to your supplier for more information)
Small to medium coffee shop or Café
If you have a coffee shop or café with up to
30 covers, a standard 2 Group machine with mid
sized (approximately 9 L) boiler will most likely
suffice. A larger boiler will not go to waste but a
smaller boiler machine is likely to struggle.
Medium to large coffee outlet
A coffee shop or café with around 50 covers
will require a 2 group with 14 L boiler (if possible
connected to 3 phase 415V power) at minimum
and may be worth considering a 3 group machine
to cope with busy periods, particularly if the
machine is to be your only producer of coffee.
Large outlet
A coffee shop with 60 covers or more may consider
a 3 or 4 group machine or perhaps two or more
separate 2 group machine stations to allow more
staff easy working access.
Getting size into perspective
It is unlikely that a smaller coffee shop or café will
use a 1 group machine even though it may have
the working capacity to service the custom, as the
machine is not likely to communicate ‘the coffee
message’ in the same way that a 2 group will.
Pubs and restaurants tend to err on the lower side,
of these guidelines, although a two group tends to
be the norm both for presentation and to service
busy periods.
For the same reason, coffee service sites may
opt for larger than necessary machines just
to communicate a ‘strong coffee message’ to
customers – i.e. a bigger machine looks more
serious and conveys a more specialist coffee
connotation.
Brought to you by the
BSA
5
RAISING
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
Quite simply a coffee machine needs to stay at
optimum temperature to ensure the group head
and water temperature at point of infusion stays
at 90-95°C. Most coffees are made from only
around 1 f luid ounce of water (espresso) allowing
the machine to remain stable during slow and busy
times. Taking out lots of hot water for tea however,
means replacing it with cooler water. This has two
main effects:
• Espresso coffee being under extracted (weak and
sour tasting coffee.)
• Reduced steam availability or power for working
the milk
Therefore it is advisable to consider a separate
water boiler if any volume of tea or hot water will be
required.
HOT WATER OUTPUT
Standard configuration machines will vary in
temperature, some far more than others, but they
will all vary to some degree.
In simple terms, group head temperature rises,
sometimes higher than 100°C when machine is not
being used and cools down well below 90°C when
being heavily used. Coffee infuses properly usually
between 90 and 95°C. Hotter than this and more
bitterness is extracted by over extracting and
burning the sugars. Too cold water will limit
presence of sugars and extract primarily sour
tasting components.
Although hot water is available from espresso machines, if you plan to use lots of it for pots of tea or
large cups of tea, you will impair the performance of most espresso machines during busy times.
6
Brought to you by the
BSA
RAISING
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
Skilled Baristas keen to produce consistent tasting
drinks will try to mitigate these effects, particularly
of over heating, by f lushing repeatedly before each
espresso extraction. You will sometimes see this
with as many as 6 or 8 f lushes. Even with this level
of skill there is of course still a variability in coffee
extraction and f lavour as no Barista can ‘know’ what
the temperature inside the group head is.
It is probably fair to say that as with everything, “you
get what you pay for”. Generally, the more expensive
machines will be more temperature stable, with
heavier componentry, larger boilers; and more
power.
There are now machines available like those used
in the UK Barista Championship which take this a
stage further and control the temperature of water
by feeding each group head from a separate mini
boiler which is controlled to deliver a programmed
temperature.
This not only avoids the inconsistency issues but
also gives the ability to set the machine to ‘optimise’
extraction by finding the ‘sweet spot’ of each coffee.
This results in a far higher quality and consistency of
extraction, i.e. consistently good coffee, more or less
regardless of Barista skill level.
It also means less wastage, throwing away of
unwanted shots.
So is temperature control right
for you?
As with any product there are no real rights and
wrongs. Non temperature controlled machines have
been around for almost a century and we have
enjoyed coffee from them for all those years.
An interesting point to note is that most TCS
(Temperature Control System) machine purchasers
are second machine owners. Most first time buyers
can’t really see the value of temperature control and
therefore the price differential deters them.
Automatic or Semi Automatic
Semi automatic espresso coffee machines are
sometimes preferred by experienced Baristas who
like to have control over every coffee shot they
create. In simple terms, to make a coffee you turn
the Group switch on until the desired quantity of
espresso has been expressed, then you turn the
switch off.
With an Automatic machine, there are usually
5 buttons which electronically control the amount
of water pushed through the coffee, plus one for
dispensing hot water for tea.
When using an Automatic coffee machine, if making
a single shot of espresso for Cappuccino for
example, simply press the Single Espresso button
and the electronics do the rest, leaving the Barista to
continue with preparing the milk.
Brought to you by the
BSA
7
RAISING
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
Table 2: Group switch configurations
Config 1 Single
Espresso
Single
Espresso
Double Espresso
Double
Espresso
Continuous Hot Water
Config 2 Single
Espresso
Single
Espresso
Double
Ristretto
Double
Espresso
Continuous Hot Water
In today’s fast service environment, Automatic
Espresso machines offer a quick and efficient and
accurate production of coffee.
EXAMPLE 2 lattes, 1 cappuccino and an
Americano can all be produced simultaneously and
easily on a 2 Group Automatic Espresso Machine.
The Barista takes 2 shots of coffee into both
Porta-Filters, tamps the coffee in each, then places
the Filters into the Groups. Both Double Espresso
buttons are pushed initiating the production of 4
espressos, into 1 cappuccino cup, 2 Latte cups
and a standard coffee cup.
8
The Barista can then steam the milk to create the
froth for the Cappuccino, and textured milk for the
Lattes, by which time the espresso coffees are
ready to receive the milk. The Americano is then
prepared by topping up the Coffee Cup with hot
water from the tap. An Americano can also be
made by adding the espresso to a prefilled cup of
hot water too.
This whole process can be completed by properly
trained and practiced staff in around 11/2 to 2
minutes.
Brought to you by the
BSA
RAISING
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
Space
Before you go any further, consider where you wish
to locate your machine. We would recommend
where possible positioning the machine to face your
customers as they approach the buying position as
this helps sell coffee as well as promote the high
standard of everything else you offer.
Bear in mind that it may be worth altering the space
you have to ensure the machine you decide on is
the best to suit your business.
It is important that you take into account
1. W
idth and depth of the machine AND Grinder
(with knock out drawer if applicable).
2. H
eight of machine AND Grinder (with knock out
drawer if applicable).
3. A
ccess to steam arm (e.g. if machine is in corner
with only one steam wand)
4. Space to pour milk into coffees etc
5. Power and water availability
6. Drainage/waste facility if possible
Weight – some espresso machines are heavy e.g.
a SanRemo Roma 3 group, with SanRemo Conical
grinder will weigh in at around 140Kg. Thus a
strong counter is necessary to support it.
Style
This is where the buying becomes more fun.
Traditional espresso machines have for many years
been fairly industrial in appearance with stainless
steel box like styling.
More and more espresso machines are now
breaking with this mould, some with excellent
success and others which may only appeal to
limited locations.
It is important to visualise each machine on your
coffee service counter to see which style will fit and
hopefully enhance your interior presentation and the
‘coffee’ message. Looks at colours, size, whether
retro or modern, how appealing.
NOTE: You will need water and power within 1m
of your espresso machine and preferably waste
drainage, plus a plug socket for your grinder.
NOTE: See BSA guide to
water filtration – good water
care is essential to good coffee
production and machine care.
Brought to you by the
BSA
9
RAISING
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
Pedigree
Price
Once again there are an excellent number of
espresso machine manufacturers and though
originally from Italy, Espresso Coffee Machines are
now made across Western Europe. The danger is in
selecting one from the other is that price can often
direct buyers away from good and into what we
would call “The Coffee Suppliers”, who will provide
the training and support necessary to ensure
their machines produce professional results and
therefore ref lect well on their equipment.
Your coffee machine is likely to be the engine of
your business, playing a major part in making your
mark on customers and driving them and profits
into your business.
Try to look realistically at your demand expectations
and consider the style of machine what would work
best with your premises/brand image etc..
Beware:
There are many Catering Equipment suppliers
which supply espresso machines. However,
these while cheap are often of the lower end
and the machines will be delivered (and may
be installed) but you will be given little if any
Barista Skills training and therefore your coffee
production is likely to be substandard. An
espresso coffee machine is a specialist piece of
equipment and should be purchased as such
from a company which knows and understands
them and has an interest in how successful your
coffee sales are.
NOTE: Generally speaking, Italian is best and it is
best to look at serious, experienced manufacturers
such as La Cimbali or SanRemo.
NOTE: You should also buy through a reputable
coffee or machine company who has the expertise
to install and set up the machine to obtain good
coffee results and train and support you on an
ongoing basis.
10
Then look at the price against the likely coffee
turnover and review your machine as an investment
with a return.
For example: if you expect to serve 200 coffees
per day, your coffee cost will be around 10-15p
per cup, with milk and sugar taking this to around
30p. At a sales price, of say £2 your daily return in
gross profit terms will be £340 and in a 6 day week,
£2,040!
Which equals around £106,000 per year.
So spending the extra to get a good machine does
make financial sense, particularly if the machine
helps to attract coffee customers to buy coffee and
importantly delivers a standard of coffee customers
will keep coming back for!
Brought to you by the
BSA
RAISING
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
Grinder selection
Freshness and aroma
Selecting the best grinder to complement your
machine is also very important. Good ones are
expensive but they do make a difference to
performance and quality of coffee produced. In
short, there is little point in going to great lengths to
choose a great coffee machine and then buying the
cheapest grinder to go with it.
Every shot is perfectly fresh, providing optimum
aroma retention, whereas with a standard grinder
coffee can be held for time in the dosing chamber
where it can be deteriorating / staling relatively
quickly.
Specifications
Electronic dosing is extremely precise and therefore
coffee production consistency is good. Dosing
chambers have much bigger potential for inconsistency
with coffee compressing when full and chambers being
partially empty (often resulting in staff trying to ‘add a
little more’) completely throwing dose levels.
Most of your decision will come down to :
• G
rinder type – on demand, standard auto,
standard timer, standard manual
• G
rinder specification – output capacity which is
related to blade size and type, motor power
Dosing consistency
Wastage
Generally there will be no advantage either way
although with the standard grinder, any coffee left
over in the dosing chamber should be thrown away
before service the following day whereas with an on
demand grinder, this will not be necessary.
Tip – Do not fill more than a quarter full (or 4 hours supply)
Do not leave beans in hopper overnight
Empty ground coffee hopper in the evening
Speed of dispense
On demand or Standard
Standard grinders operate by grinding beans from
the hopper and storing the ground coffee in the
dosing chamber. Each dose is then dispensed by
pulling a lever on the side of the chamber.
On demand grinders are a relatively new introduction
to the industry. In short, they grind a shot (or double)
at the push of a button at the time it is required.
This has some important advantages.
In this area, the standard grinder wins. While both
varieties use the same blades and motors and
therefore in theory can grind the same volume
of coffee in the same amount of time, the speed
difference is noticeable in operation. Standard
grinders have coffee ready for dispense and two
shots can be dispensed with 2 f licks of the wrist in
around 1 second.
Whereas, most on demand grinders take around
4 seconds to grind a dose of coffee. Some of the
fastest take this down to less than 2 seconds.
Brought to you by the
BSA
11
RAISING
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
Application
SPECIFICATIONS
In practice, locations in pursuit of the optimum coffee
quality and consistency will be most likely to opt for
an on demand grinder
Deciding which grinder is right for your business will
come down to using the advice of your supplier. The
key factors are daily output and speed of output. It is
difficult to provide a full guide because grinders will
vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Locations with particularly high volumes (say 400
coffees plus per day) will find on demand grinders
restricting and therefore are more likely to prefer a
standard dispense grinder.
Price
Tipping point
Grinders have a range of price options, from around
£200 to over £2,000. As with coffee machines
you do get what you pay for. Cheaper grinders will
generally not last as long, and particularly will have
a tendency to reduce performance more quickly in
terms of grind particle size variation (which affects
drink extraction quality), dose inconsistency and
parts failure.
Perhaps it is worth pointing out that there is a
recognized tipping point of 42oC above which coffee
being ground will deteriorate significantly and this will
affect coffee quality and consistency.
Some grinders therefore have a cut out built in to trip
the grinder if over used to protect coffee quality and
potentially the grinder itself. Others do not.
Some grinders also have a built in cooling system to
protect the grinder from overheating and therefore
the coffee it dispenses.
12
Brought to you by the
BSA
RAISING
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
Ancillaries and cleaning products
To ensure you create the best coffee and milk based drinks you will need a range of ancillary products which
we show below.
Essential
Good to have
Knock Box
Water Filter
More jugs including 1 L and 1.5 L
Steam jug 0.6-0.75L
Milk frothing thermometer
Tamper Scales suitable for weighing
5-20grammes of coffee
Espresso shot glass (for espresso testing and
grinder setting)
Whisk for chocolate mixing
Espresso shot pots (for pouring into tall
cups and glasses)
Latte Glasses
Grinder blades brush
Group head cleaner and brush
Shakers for chocolate,
cinnamon etc
The above is a small selection of what you will require; therefore ensure you include these in your budget
and discuss your requirements with your machine and coffee supplier. Pictures courtesy of Jaguar Espresso Supplies
Brought to you by the
BSA
13
RAISING
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
BEVERAGE STANDARDS
WATER FILTERS
TRAINING
Water is the largest ingredient by weight in all our
drinks; therefore it is necessary that you install the
appropriate filter on your espresso machine to ensure
drink quality remains at a high standard and the build
up of scale is reduced to the minimum.
You will have committed a lot of money to your
new venture and it is simple to believe that making
espressos; cappuccinos and other hot beverages
is easy. Perhaps it is; however your supplier will be
able to train you and your staff to a level where you
can produce good quality drinks to a consistent high
standard. Use your supplier’s skills and knowledge
and you will both benefit in the long term.
We have many reputable suppliers of filters and
they will have a filter or filters that will solve the
problem. The only way you can purchase is to either
completely understand the problem and define the
filter specification, or rely on the representative from
the filter company to give you the right solution. You
really do not have the time to become a ‘filter’ expert
and on the other hand, not all representatives are
fully conversant with the challenges of the beverage
market. You may have to settle for a halfway house,
where you know enough to question your filter
supplier and from this get the confidence to know you
are dealing with someone who is a professional.
Please ask for a copy of “Raising Beverage
Standards: Water Quality” from your supplier for more
information.
14
ON-GOING SUPPORT
If you can, use a local (BSA) supplier who can be
available swiftly should you experience challenges
with the beverage equipment or a delivery is required
at short notice.
Longer term you may wish to increase your
knowledge on beverage production and a skilled
outside Barista trainer can be employed to enhance
your skills along with your staff. Further to this the BSA
offers a City & Guilds Barista Level 2 VRQ (Vocational
Related Qualification) Certificate through a number of
our approved BSA Training centres. Find out more at
www.beveragestandardsassociation.co.uk.
Brought to you by the
BSA
Passion : Excellence : Quality
BSA
The Beverage Standards Association
The Beverage Standards Association serves and
represents our members interests by delivering,
developing and endorsing best practice in
our industry through training, education and
networking, to improve the standards and quality
of products and service in the out of home hot
beverage market.
Our members represent manufacturers, distributors
and retailers of coffee, tea, chocolate, cold drinks,
ancillary products, machinery and services including
training within the UK market.
Flavour needs Water.
Water needs BRITA®.
PURITY Quell ST
PURITY C Quell ST
Optimum water quality and extended
life for coffee machines.
About membership – if you are dealing in any of
the above products or services then the BSA can
provide you with a host of benefits.
For further information please contact
BRITA Professional on 01869 365851
or visit www.brita.co.uk
Beverage Standards Association members assign
to a Code of Conduct and are specialists in the field
of coffee; tea and chocolate beverages. They will
therefore look after your needs professionally and
with your business interests at heart; thus ensuring
you will receive the best service for your business.
Perfect Espresso,
Every time.
The ethos of the BSA is to foster the growth of the
UK Beverage market and to sponsor such growth
and our members’ are an important part of this.
This publication has been brought to you by
the Beverage Standards Association (BSA) with
the help of sponsorship from BRITA; Sanremo and
La Cimbali, who have shown their commitment to
raising standards in the industry by supporting the
publication. The BSA’s members have wealth of
knowledge about the beverage market and you can
share in this knowledge by joining us and taking
advantage of our many membership benefits. Go to
www.beveragestandardassociation.co.uk and
join us now.
Perfect Grinding System
(PGS) and Bluetooth
Technology from La Cimbali
www.cimbali.co.uk
Brought to you by the
BSA
15
“90%
of Championship Baristas
recommend
SANREMO”
Click: www.sanremouk.co.uk
Call: 01364 644 445
InnovatIve by desIgn
Model featured: Verona TCS 3 Group in Pearl White. Used in the UK Barista Championship 2009-2012.
Specification: Multi boiler PID precision temperature control, 6250W capable of up to 360 coffees per hour,
twin rapid steam arms, espresso timing function, self-cleaning, auto on/off, optional auto milk frother.
UKBC research shows the Verona TCS rates 33% better overall than competitors current equipment.
95% Rate Sanremo as good or very good for solid build. 90% of entrants would recommend a Sanremo.