Trying to find the best super automatic espresso machine for the office? We've got you covered. This guide is going to tell you everything there is to know about finding the perfect solution for your business.
Here's a rundown of what's included in this guide:
- The top 5 super automatic espresso machines for small to large offices.
- Why you might want a super automatic machine over other types.
- Key features to be checking for when you're shopping.
Best Super Automatic Espresso Machines
Quick Mill Monza Deluxe Evo
Made in Italy, the Quickmill Monza is a high-quality super automatic espresso machine for office staff sizes on the smaller side.
Though it's built with one hopper, it can take ground decaf espresso to make a decaf latte in addition to regular espresso, giving it great versatility.
As a one-touch (one-step) system, it's the whole kit and caboodle, making your drinks from start to finish. But a manual steam wand is also equipped.
For a basic model, the Monza has some pretty advanced functions like programmable pre-infusion. It's a nice option for both newbies and espresso aficionados.
- Office Size: Small office
- Majesty Coffee Price: $2,695
- Number of Hoppers: 1
- One-Step or Two-Step: One-step
- 5 Color LED Display: With a different color for each screen, it's easier to navigate the LED display. This display provides detailed information, including brew group and steam boiler temperatures for the savvy user.
- Digital Touch Pad: The touch pad has six different buttons with pictures to guide the user. There's a button for programming drinks, different espresso doses, hot water (accessed through the steam wand), steam, and the auto milk frother.
- Removable Cup Pedestal: Take away the cup pedestal to fit a larger mug or use it for something as small as an espresso cup.
- Programmable Pre-Infusion (0 to 4 Seconds): Pros will appreciate this feature. Pre-infusion pre-wets the coffee to open up the flavors, giving you a better cup of coffee.
- Manual Milk Steaming Option: Don't want the machine to make your latte? Use the manual steam wand.
- Decaf Accessible: To make decaf espresso, just open the door and add pre-ground decaf to the brew group.
- Direct-Connect or Water Tank Convertible: Switch from the manually refillable water reservoir to the automatic water feed via a connection to a water line when convenient.
Nuova Simonelli Microbar II Pour Over Super Automatic
The Nuova Simonelli Microbar II is the next incarnation of the original Microbar, and it's better than ever.
Designed to give you consistently superb coffee every time you make a cup, the Microbar II doesn't cut any corners on quality.
The adjustable dispenser allows you to make drinks in any cup you like using the easy one-step system.
With the automatic washing program, end-of-day maintenance is easy-breezy.
- Office Size: Small to medium office
- Majesty Coffee Price: $5,940 (1 Step configuration)
- Number of Hoppers: 1
- One-Step or Two-Step: Available in either configuration
- Comprehensive Control Panel with LCD Display: Through the easy LCD display, program any drink you like. You can get pretty in-depth here and program the dose, tamping pressure, and the temperatures for brewing, steaming, and the group.
- Thermo-Compensated Group: This is nothing the user has to worry about, but it's key in delivering accurate temperature control, which ensures quality consistency.
- Automatic Washing Program: After a long day, just hit the button for the auto wash program and let the machine take care of cleaning.
- Robust Grinder: Constructed with special steel burrs, this machine's grinding discs will last longer than average and absorb operational vibrations for better consistency.
- Manual Water Tank: This machine comes with a manually refilled reservoir, which means that it's usable anywhere (away from a water line).
- Adjustable Spout: Move the coffee and milk dispenser up and down to fit taller and shorter cups underneath. Make a cappuccino in your to-go cup or a small porcelain cup.
Nuova Simonelli Prontobar
Running a larger office with a medium-sized staff? Whether you prefer a one-step or two-step machine, the Nuova Simonelli Prontobar might be the best option.
Like the Microbar II, the Prontobar has a thermo-compensated group, auto wash program, and heavy-duty grinding capability.
Since you have two grinders, you can use two different types of coffee or just double up for less frequent replenishing.
The Prontobar makes high-end espresso and fancy coffee shop drinks available to every office worker without asking for much in return. Just that you admire its intelligent design and amazing consistency.
- Office Size: Medium office
- Number of Hoppers: 2
- One-Step or Two-Step: Available in either configuration
- Simple LCD Display: Select everything you need right through the LCD display. You can also program doses and brewing, steaming, and group temperatures.
- 6 Programmable Drink Buttons: You get a great variety of drinks with this machine. Program cappuccinos, Americanos, cappuccinos, lattes, and more.
- Thermo-Compensated Group: Providing excellent temperature stability, the therm-compensated group ensures consistent perfection.
- Automatic Washing Program: Automatic washing cycles make cleanup much faster and easier.
- Robust Grinders: The sturdy Nuova Simonelli steel burrs are long-lasting and absorb vibrations to allow the machine to work in any busy environment.
- Auto Steam Wand: If you choose manual steaming, the auto-steam wand is designed with a temperature probe to shut off when the right temperature has been reached.
- Adjustable Spout: Repositioning the dispenser lets you use cups of various sizes.
Franke A1000 FM CM Super Automatic
For a medium or large office with employees who need a quick cup of coffee, the Franke A1000 FM CM goes way beyond expectations.
A unique super automatic, this model takes the best of the one-step machine and specialty coffee shop espresso machines and combines them.
What you end up with is a smart drink-making system that can be programmed to make a drink exactly the way you want it. With iQFlow technology, all you do is tell the machine what coffee profile you want for unique results
And with three separate hoppers and grinders, you can provide any combination of decaf, regular, and specialty or flavored coffee.
Drip coffee, mocha lattes, hot chocolate, cold flavored milk with foam on top—whatever you want, you can have with this incredible machine.
- Office Size: Medium to large office
- Number of Hoppers: 3
- One-Step or Two-Step: One-step
- 10.4 Inch Touchscreen with Multimedia Function: The huge touchscreen display is incredibly user-friendly. It features pictures that are customizable and even allows you to place messages on the display.
- Brewed Coffee Option: Individual brewing units can be used to make espresso, freshly brewed coffee, or multiple cups at a time.
- Milk Options: The Franke A1000 FM CM can take powdered milk and can also come with a second fresh milk type function—whatever is convenient for the office setup.
- Optional Flavor Shots: If you want to provide flavored coffee, lattes, and milk, go for the flavor shot option.
- FoamMaster System: This technology gives you different frothed milk choices for both hot and cold drinks. Try different textures and temperatures for any beverage and mix and match as you please.
- iQFlow System: Franke's iQFlow regulates consistency and lets you choose different taste profiles that you want from any coffee type.
- CleanMaster Auto Wash Program: The fully automated milk cleaning system is up to HACCP hygiene standards and does the cleaning all by itself.
Nuova Simonelli Talento
The Nuova Simonelli Talento was created for the large office lacking barista credentials.
On top of built-in quality control, the Talento has all the requisite easy-to-use features like an adjustable drink dispenser and a self-cleaning function.
One of best things about this machine is how many different drinks can be programmed into it (up to 20!).
It even comes with a diagnostic program that tells you if an issue comes up, which can potentially help you avert a major crisis.
If you want to maximize your investment, the Talento is a great choice.
- Office Size: Large office
- Number of Hoppers: 2
- One-Step or Two-Step: Available in either configuration
- Simple LCD Display: The LCD display controls programming the coffee dose, milk dispensing, tamping pressure, and brew, group, and steam temperatures for simplified usage.
- 10 Programmable Drink Buttons (20 Drinks Total): Want tons of drink options? The Talento has 10 different drink buttons plus two digital pages you can program with 20 different beverages.
- Thermo-Compensated Group: Like Nuova Simonelli's other super automatics, the Talento has a thermo-compensated group for temperature stability and quality assurance.
- Automatic Washing Program: Office employees can just touch a button for machine cleaning.
- Auto Steam Wand: For manual-style steaming preferences, an auto-steam wand will froth the milk to the correct temperature per programming.
- Adjustable Spout: You can use your tall coffee cup by moving the adjustable spout up.
- Self Diagnostic Program: This can be a huge help to an office where nobody is really familiar with espresso machine maintenance. The self-diagnostic program alerts you if something has gone wrong.
Why Buy a Super Automatic Espresso Machine for an Office?
So, your search for an office espresso machine has brought you to the super automatic variety.
Is it really all that different from other espresso machine types?
Yes, completely. To give you an idea, it's like the difference between a regular stick shift or automatic vehicle and a self-driving car.
In other words, a super automatic machine can do everything for you.
It can make your espresso from grinding the beans to pouring the espresso into your cup. It can froth milk into delicate microfoam. And many super automatics can make your entire latte from start to finish just by pushing a button.
So what are the advantages to buying a super automatic espresso machine for office usage?
All the following:
- Convenience
- Efficiency
- User-friendliness
- High Capacity
- Low maintenance
Convenience
There's nothing more convenient than a machine that instantly gives you whatever it is you want. At least, this would be ideal for most busy people.
If you asked your staff, you probably wouldn't hear anyone dismiss the idea of a coffee machine created along the lines of this philosophy.
Depending on factors like work load, time crunches, and proximity to local cafes, office employees may not get the chance to pop out and get a latte for a midday brain boost.
Why not supply the espresso right in the office, then?
For all those who just don't have the time, an on-site super-automatic machine is a top contender.
Efficiency
More and more, businesses are looking for automated features and functions in everything from office equipment to software to help them run more efficiently.
For many offices, it goes beyond convenience. When you automate an espresso machine for office employees, you give them the freedom to push a button for their coffee and then get back to work.
Even if you choose a super-automatic espresso machine that provides some manual control of steaming, it will still subtract multiple steps and streamline the whole process.
It will take someone less time to make a latte, which translates to more time focused on productivity.
No distractions with finicky espresso grinders (you don't need one with a super automatic), no stop-ups because of incorrect shot pouring.
User-Friendliness
Everyone loves a user-friendly espresso machine—even the most proficient baristas.
But some situations require simplicity more than others. An office environment is one of these.
Most office employees probably aren't going to have barista skills. Some might, but others likely won't. In fact, your whole staff may not have ever touched an espresso machine before, let alone made a macchiato.
The super automatic is strategically designed for the utmost usability. Anyone who doesn't know how to operate espresso equipment can use it on day one.
High Capacity
There are many different types of espresso machines out there, like semiautomatic, volumetric (automatic), and manual machines.
Capacity tends to depend on a variety of factors. These commonly include boiler type and size, number of groups, and other details that might be specific to the model.
A super automatic is generally rated for a higher capacity. Sometimes for a very high capacity—drinks in the hundreds every day.
With all that power, supplying an office with a staff of 10, 50, or 100 (or more) employees is no trouble for a super automatic.
Low Maintenance
How easy is that espresso machine you're looking at to take care of?
How much daily or hourly maintenance does it require?
With a super automatic, you know that the maintenance is pretty much as minimal as it can possibly get.
Not only are you combining an espresso machine with a built-in grinder, you can also choose a machine that does things like froth milk with no user input, build your drink right in the cup, and at the end of the day, clean itself as directed by a program.
An office is not a coffee shop. There's much work to be done, and nobody wants to be on coffee machine maintenance duty.
Make it simple with a super automatic that does it all.
Features to Look for in a Super Automatic Office Espresso Machine
1 Step or 2 Step System
Super automatics come in different flavors. The main subcategories are what we'll refer to as one-step and two-step types.
A one-step or a one-touch super automatic espresso machine is the kind that does drink making by itself.
It quite literally prepares your drink without you having to do anything but push a button. You can watch the machine create your delicious cappuccino in your favorite office mug.
You don't even have to fill a milk pitcher. Everything is set up in this machine to be fully automated.
A two-step system breaks down the process a little to give the user more control. While the machine will still grind the coffee and brew the espresso automatically, it will allow you to pour the milk into a pitcher and steam it.
Sometimes you have the option of manually frothing the milk or steaming with an auto-steam wand that shuts itself off when the correct temperature is reached.
The one-step machine is the best option for those with no experience. There's nothing more that the user needs to do than select their drink from a menu.
The two-step machine can be good for an office with diverse needs. If someone has a dairy allergy and wants to make a latte with cashew milk (and the machine has only one milk option), they can make their own latte quickly and easily.
Flexible Menu Offerings
When you look for a machine that's making your drinks for you, you'll want to consider what kinds of drinks it can make.
How many different drink types do you get? Are they customizable and programmable?
The good news is that there are tons of super automatics that do have incredibly versatile menus. Most often, you can plug in your own menu and tweak the recipes to get them just right.
You may also be interested in a machine that does more than espresso. There are super automatics than can make a fresh cup of coffee as easily as a latte or a cup of steamed milk.
Whatever you want for a drink selection, make sure the machine you're buying can do it.
Multiple Hoppers and Grinders
Some super automatics come with one hopper and grinder. Others come with two or three.
If you want a machine that offers more than one type of coffee, like decaf and regular, you'll want a super automatic with at least a dual hopper and grinder. That is, unless the single-hopper model you're considering has an integrated decaf system (many do).
Otherwise, you'd have to change out the beans every time you wanted to switch, which could be a major hassle.
However, you might be able to provide instant decaf espresso in the office. That way, employees can mix it with hot water for a quick espresso (just make sure that the machine has a hot water function or there's access to a kettle or hot water dispenser).
It all depends on what your preferences are.
Simple Display
A super automatic espresso machine should have a comprehensive display.
Why? To make operation even easier. After all, this is the most user-friendly machine you can buy.
Some super automatics have large touchscreens with pictures that show the drink type. Others have LCD screens and nearby buttons that the user presses.
Programmable functions should also be easy to access. If you can't find them on the display, you can't really use them. But most super automatics ensure that it's not difficult.
Automatic Cleaning Functions
A common feature in a super automatic is some type of self-cleaning mechanism.
But it will be different from machine to machine. Some models take care of milk cleaning functions all on their own while others might require you to add the cleanser.
Any self-cleaning mode is great for efficiency and for prolonging the life of your espresso machine (office staff may not be up to taking on all those necessary maintenance tasks).
But it's good to know what the machine can do before you buy it and be as prepared as possible.
Wrap Up
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