Super automatic espresso machines: where do they fit?

When the machines are used in “back of house“ operations all employees can quickly make every type of coffee drink, at the touch of a button, with no special training required. The result is that your customers receive their coffees more quickly and drink quality is consistent from beverage to beverage. Servers who are working their first day on the job become “instant baristas“ they just place a cup on the tray of the machine and press a button – the Concordia machine does the rest. Servers can also add an extra touch to their service by providing steamed milk with hot cereals or with coffee – again, at the touch of a button. Special barista training is eliminated and the machine never phones in sick or shows up late for work.

When super automatic machines are used in the “front of the house“, even more self-serve options are available. If you serve a breakfast buffet your customers can choose and make their own beverages, at the touch of a button. No employee involvement is required. Caterers and Hotelkeepers now have the ability to rapidly sell buns and pastries, along with coffee drinks. The customer would come to your counter to order a coffee and pastry. Your server hands a cup to the customer and the customer selects and prepares their choice of beverage, while the server prepares the pastry. The automated machine helps reduce queuing, which is particularly important in small spaces. The process also reduces the need for a second employee to make beverages, on a standard espresso machine, while the other employee serves pastries and takes money.

Concordia has now gone one step further in full self-service by introducing their new “Self-Serve Espresso Bar.“ More than 70% of all espresso beverages sold in US cafés are flavoured. The trend toward flavours continues to grow all around the world. To meet this evolving consumer preference, Concordia released its second-generation espresso bar product. The new unit comes with the first ever fully integrated flavour infusion system. Fresh water, fresh beans, and fresh milk are used to create beverages and flavoured sauces and syrups are automatically steamed into the beverage at the touch of a button, thus providing a genuine café experience without a barista. A full vending system is also included which accepts debit/credit cards, bills and coins. The freestanding Self-Serve Espresso Bar is approximately 2.5 meters high and 2 meters wide and can be made available 24 hours a day without having an attendant present. It fits perfectly into hotel lobbies, convention centers, and other locations where there is a demand for world-class espresso throughout all hours of the day.

WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE THE MACHINE?

We talked earlier about the three keys to making outstanding coffee beverages,

1. Grinding, quality and quantity 2. Perfect pressure and extraction timing, and 3. Proper milk steaming and preparation for all types of espresso based beverages. Let us examine how the super automatic espresso machine addresses these three key areas.

In most coffee shops the grinding process is done using a tabletop grinder. Each barista determines the “appropriate“ grind and powder quantity through a trial and error process. Continued changes to the grinder settings and use of inexpensive grinders may mean that there is no standard beverage profile/recipe and the return customer experiences varying beverage quality.