There are several reasons for getting one of the direct connects machines for small businesses. For household usage, this may be a good option if you have a huge family, and they love to have multiple espresso shots per day. We have listed out several reasons why small businesses should get plumbed coffee machines below.
What are the advantages of plumbed coffee makers?
1. Ease of Use
Believe it or no, but I always prefer to have an espresso maker that is easy and straightforward to use. You can install these machines in commercial spaces or shops, so ease of use becomes crucial in such a situation. You do not want to conduct a separate session to educate them on using the coffee machine! Instead, having a more specific device that can dispense the coffee at the touch of a button ensures that they can quickly get their cup of joe. It even reduces your head-ache to train each employee on how to use it.
2. No more filling of water reservoirs!
One of the most common reasons why small businesses opt for plumbed espresso machines rather than the traditional ones is the direct line. Having a direct water line ensures that you do not have to refill the water tank now and then. Apart from that, most consumer machines are quite bulky and have water tanks present in the backside. So, refilling them is not an easy task. Generally, you need to slide out the machine from the installation mount, fill it, and then put it back in place. This tank filling can become cumbersome in installation places like offices.
3. These machines will always use fresh water!
Many coffee enthusiasts prefer this type of setup to avoid brewing coffee with water lying in plastic tanks. Although this is not an issue since most modern machines use BPA free materials, it can be an issue for quite a few people. With a direct line coffee machine, you need not worry about it. Your espressos and coffees will be using fresh tap water every time.
4. Consistent water quality
In traditional tank only models, there is a high chance that you may not get the same consistent water quality, which can hamper the quality of the coffee. This deterioration of quality happens because you might use tap water sometimes. In contrast, on other occasions, you may end up using bottled water or distilled water for brewing, which can change the flavor of coffee altogether. You will not face these kinds of issues with plumbed ones since they use the same tap water to prepare every drink.
5. Improved Pre-Infusion
Pre Infusion is one of the crucial factors to boost the flavor of your espresso. What it does is saturates the espresso before extracting while gently settling the beans and minimizing any errors that may have occurred while tamping it. Although some pour-over coffee makers do have this option, you will need one of these types of machines to get customizable options. The ones who prefer to have espresso shots will notice the difference immediately.
6. Prevent damages caused by spills
There are certain occasions wherein the machine gets damaged due to the spilling of water on internal components. This spilling is entirely unavoidable and can happen if you are refilling your device a couple of times a day. Even if you are super careful, there are still chances for spillage. It can prove a costly affair to repair in case if the PCB gets short-circuited. You can avoid this entirely by using one of the plumbed espresso maker recommended by us!
7. Maintenance
These types of machines are typically used in offices and small coffee shops. It should not stop you from using at home, since they can prepare some great coffee. The advantage of using them is they require little maintenance, which can be done easily.
What are the drawbacks of getting a plumbed coffee maker?
1. Initial Setup
Setting up this type of coffee maker will be an easy or tedious task, depending on the installation location. This process usually takes a couple of hours, and you can have a machine set up in a couple of hours. The problem arises with setting up one if you wish to install it on countertops or other locations. These types of installation places have compact space and are usually away from the direct water line. So, installation can be a bit tricky and may take longer than the average time required.
2. Usage of water softener
If you are going to use hard water to make coffee, it will destroy your machine. Sure, you can use the water softener, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. It would be best to use water which has less than 50 ppm to protect your machine. For direct water lines, you should use the inline water softener. It is advisable to keep a check on the cartridges and replace them regularly. Some manufacturers require you to use their water softeners, which is fine as long as it softens the water. Using suggested softeners even helps to maintain the quality and taste of the coffee.
3. Budget
No matter which option you choose from the above or like, the budget will always be an important factor affecting your decision. Even if you have the budget, spending $8000 on an espresso machine that will be used by you daily for a cup of coffee doesn’t make sense at all. You’d better get a compact coffee maker, which will be more than enough to satisfy your needs.
Fortunately, there are lots of espresso machines which are present in every price range. If you are looking for a plumbed coffee maker for your business or cafe, then you may prefer the one with direct lines. For home or casual usage, I would highly recommend the pour-over model or the ones that come with thermal carafes.
Final Verdict
The advantages of the direct water line machines outweigh their disadvantages. In the long run, these might prove to be the best option, especially if you are buying it for your small business. The initial price to acquire the device will be little bit on the higher side, but it does make sense in the end. If this doesn’t fit your needs, you can definitely go ahead and check out various types of espresso machines that you can buy right now. (Visit this link)
