Three Myths about Coffee Machines: The 3 lies some coffee companies tell
When I first started out in the world of coffee, I was looking for a coffee machine for my drive-through coffee shop. I looked at all the options available at that time and consulted with many a coffee company who all propagated similar stories. It wasn’t until I launched my own coffee machine rental and sales business that I discovered a lot of the information that I was told, well, was wrong. I wanted to write this post to debunk the three most common coffee machine myths that coffee companies around the world spread, so you the customer can select the right machine for you based on the real facts.
Coffee Machine Capacity: If you exceed the rated capacity your machine will break (Myth #1):
An omnipresent feature on all coffee machine spec sheets is capacity. The dictionary definition of capacity is “the maximum amount that something can produce” which applied to coffee machines can be defined as “the maximum amount of coffee that a coffee machine can produce”.
The question then is what happens, when the capacity of a coffee machine is exceeded? It will stop working right? Well this is what many companies will have you believe.
An interesting thing about coffee machines is that almost all coffee machines of a certain brand contain exactly the same internals (the same grinder, the same brewing unit, the same pump). What really determines the longevity and lastability of one’s coffee machine is the brand first and foremost and how one looks after the machine.
To use Jura as an example (one of the brands that we sell), the smallest office Jura, which is the Jura F8, contains exactly the same components internally as the Jura Z9 which is a machine more than double the price.
So where does “capacity” fit into the world of coffee machines, what does it really mean? Capacity means how many cups a machine can be used for each day without becoming a nuisance. One needs to refill and empty all coffee machines. The number of times one needs to do this per day depends on the size of the machine and this is what the “capacity” really refers to. If you have an office and want to buy or rent the cheapest option available and you don’t mind having to refill your coffee machine a number of times per day then you should opt for the machine with the smallest capacity within your chosen brand. Capacity is a feature which refers to a machines ingredient storage capacity, and not to a machines production capability.
Myth #1 Lesson: Don’t be “pushed” into buying or renting a bigger more expensive model because you are worried about your coffee machine breaking if you exceed the “capacity” of your coffee machine.
Can I use any coffee beans in my machine? (Myth #2):
The next most common myth told in the coffee machine community is that if you use a certain type of coffee in your machine (usually a coffee not supplied by the company which you bought your machine from) then you run the risk of your coffee machine breaking. There is no coffee company in South Africa (and possibly the world) who supplies coffee beans which are accompanied by sticks and stones. We have never received or heard of any company receiving a machine for repairs because of a “poor quality” coffee bean. Yes a poor quality coffee might not taste great, but your machine will be just fine.
All coffee beans work in all coffee machine brands just fine. One simply needs to choose a coffee bean according to one’s taste and budget and not based on one’s fear that your machine might self-destruct if the “wrong” bean is used.
Myth #2 Lesson: All coffee beans work in all coffee machines
An expensive coffee bean means a good coffee (Myth #3):
The following mantra applies to pretty much every industry – High prices, whilst sometimes indicative of high quality, are not a guarantee. It is true that coffee beans can vary drastically in quality but one should look at the following factors rather than using price as a quality indicator:
1) Arabica vs Robusta – Arabica is the more premium of the two and has a lighter more palatable taste. Arabica/Robusta blends are common but try to opt for 100% Arabica as your first point of call
2) Region – One can tell a lot about a coffee simply by knowing the origin of the coffee. Each region is renowned for a certain level of quality with Kenyan, Ethiopian and Colombian coffee all featuring high up on the list of the go to coffee growing countries.
3) Freshness – It doesn’t matter what quality your coffee is if it’s not fresh. Ask for signs of freshness and the time between roasting and delivery to get an indication of how fresh your coffee is. Store or supermarket bought coffee is often not your best bet in terms of freshness.
4) Taste –The most important of all is if YOU like the coffee that you are drinking. If the highest quality, freshest 100% Arabica coffee is not to your liking then don’t buy it. Coffee is a lot about preference so the number one factor which should drive your decision about which coffee you buy on an ongoing basis should be whatever tastes best to you 🙂
Myth 3 Lesson: Choose your coffee based on real factors which are indicative of quality rather than using price to predict the quality.
