Great office coffee starts with high-quality office coffee machines – but words like “high quality” have cost implications, and when you are trying to pitch a great office coffee service to your boss, it is often the price that matters most.
Being able to provide a little information that justifies the cost of equipment is a vital string in your bow when it comes to these meetings.
So today, the experts at Corporate Essentials have come together to give you a crash course in all the factors that contribute to the true cost of your office coffee machines.
Type of Coffee Machine
The number one thing to consider when you are evaluating the cost of office coffee machines is the type of equipment your office requires. Some coffee machines, like the La Marzocco Strada MP, are highly specialized and designed to provide a single, dedicated function to a particular faction of the coffee-loving people in your office. You can expect office coffee machines with a pedigree like the La Marzocco to cost a bit more, as with any other finely-tuned piece of equipment.
On the other hand, more ordinary coffee makers from common office names like Keurig, Flavia and Starbucks are generally lower cost options that still offer a level of specialization that makes staff feel valued. When establishing the price point for your office coffee machines, it is vital to cater for the audience you are actually serving.
If your staff is an assorted group known for enjoying a wide variety of hot and cold beverages, La Marzocco is likely to be nothing more than a very beautiful place to stack cups. On the other hand, the flexibility of “common” machines like the Flavia or Keurig can provide a wider selection of beverages to meet the demands of your staff’s diverse tastes.
Serving Capacity
While we are on the topic of catering to the correct crowd, it is important to consider the capacity of the office coffee machines you’re considering. Being able to brew individualized beverages is a great offering for the office break room – but it’s a tiresome solution for providing coffee for meetings and office gatherings.
So you need to think about the different occasions, venues and groups you need to serve coffee to at your office, then determine which office coffee makers are best suited to meeting those demands. Bulk brewing equipment may be less expensive overall, but if it does not truly meet the needs of your office coffee drinkers, the money you are investing in an office coffee service could be wasted.
So, consider the people you are brewing office coffee for – what do they like, how many of them are there, how diverse are their locations? Your answers to these questions will allow you to consider the number and type of coffee machines your office really needs. The best approach for many offices is a combination of single and multi-serve coffee machines.
Finding the right balance may take a little guidance from a seasoned office coffee expert – which is great, because ordering a variety of office coffee machines from a single vendor like Corporate Essentials can help you secure preferential rates.
Changing Technology
One of the most difficult factors to account for when making cost comparisons between different pieces of office coffee equipment is how changes to coffee technology impact the price of coffee makers. The “revolution” in office coffee that names like Keurig and Flavia have brought to the workplace has had a tremendous impact on the cost of providing office coffee that is worth having to the masses.
In some cases, the new technology available for office break rooms is more expensive, but as their popularity with staff increases and more offices have them installed, these machines become more and more affordable for offices with smaller budgets.
The other office coffee technology point worth bearing in mind is that the flexibility of machines from top brands like de Jong Duke can mean you need fewer machines in the office overall. This is a great point for savvy office managers hoping to get a budgetary bump to cover new, flexible office coffee machines that can do more than make a straight pour of black coffee or iced tea.
Having a state-of-the-art office coffee maker – investing in a small number of powerful, flexible office coffee makers can be a great alternative to signing off on dozens of machines that offer mediocre results.
Ongoing cost factors
The last factor you have to consider when budgeting for your ideal office coffee machines should be the ongoing costs associated with office coffee. These costs include:
- Installation – does your office coffee service agreement include delivery and installation of the equipment?
- Training – will your office coffee supplier provide training for key staff to ensure smooth rollout and operation of your new office coffee machines?
- Maintenance – what routine maintenance is included in your office coffee agreement?
- Repairs – if your office coffee equipment breaks down, what does it cost to have it repaired or replaced.
The last and arguably most important ongoing cost of your new office coffee machine is likely to be the cost of supplies for your coffee machine. The cost of your filters, any necessary cleaning supplies and of course coffee, should all be considered when you are pricing the options for your office coffee machines.
Obviously, this is a lot to consider and it is difficult to put a firm price on the variables without a clear idea of what your office coffee needs are. If you are looking for a hand sifting through the options and getting costs together for your new office coffee machines, reach out to one of the office coffee experts here at Corporate Essentials. We are here to help you find the right office coffee machines for your workplace.
