When it comes to office coffee setups, bean-to-cup machines are often seen as the premium, fully automatic choice. But one huge mistake many businesses make is choosing based purely on price, without matching the machine's capacity to their actual daily demand.
At Office Barista, we believe in helping you make informed decisions - not upselling you a machine you don't need.
Why Capacity Should Be Your #1 Concern
- Queue frustration kills productivity. A machine that's too slow or small becomes a bottleneck during breaks.
- Under-spec machines get replaced early. We've seen clients pushed into "upgrades" by unscrupulous suppliers after being sold a machine with inadequate capacity.
- Match cost + quality+ capacity = the best long term solution. It's not about the cheapest - it's about the right.
What "Capacity" Really Means for Bean-to-Cup Machines
- Cups per hour/peak throughput - how many beverages the machine can deliver during busy times.
- Bean hopper size & refill frequency - bigger hoppers reduce staff intervention
- Waste & grounds bin capacity - if these have to be emptied too often, it damages the user experience.
- Water tank & boiler performance - can the machine sustain continuous brewing without overheating?
These specs together decide whether a machine will keep up in low, medium or high volume environments.
What's "Too Small" for Your Office?
In our experience - and backed by real-life case studies - these rules of thumb hold:
- Fewer than 50 staff: smaller models like the Coffetek Vitros often suffice.
- 50 to 150 staff: you'll need intermediate machines with higher throughput and larger hoppers like the Gaggia G100
- Over 150 staff, multiple shifts, or heavy afternoon usage: premium/industrial machines are necessary to avoid queues and failure.
(We always recommend doing a site audit or usage estimate before purchase)
What Office Barista Does Differently
- Transparent feature breakdowns, so you can compare cost vs capacity vs quality.
- No pushy upgrades - we'll help you pick what fits now, and what can scale later.
- Flexible options - we offer lease and operated agreements, so your upfront cost is minimised.
- Support for full lifecycle use - training, maintenance, and supply logistics are part of the package.
Quick Coffee Machine Recommendations by Use Case
| Office Size | Suggested Machines |
| Small office (<50 staff) | Coffetek Vitro |
| Medium office (50-150) | Mid-capacity bean-to-cup models with robust specs like the Gaggia Range |
| High-demand/Multi-shift | Industrial, high throughput models |
Regardless of which you pick, choosing quality beans (we favour Lavazza) makes a world of difference in taste and consistency.
Final Thoughts: Don't Let Capacity Catch You Off Guard
Manu businesses come to us after regretting an initial "cheap" bean-to-cup buy that couldn't keep up. We're here to prevent that. Prioritise capacity, understand your usage, and choose wisely - your team (and your sanity) will thank you.
If you'd like a free site survey, usage projection or machine comparison, give us a shout - we'd love to help.
