Most people can agree that coffee made from stale grounds simply just doesn’t taste as great as freshly ground coffee.
That’s why, if you want your espresso taste the best it can be, you’ll want to freshly grind it each time you brew a shot. Fortunately, there are many espresso grinders that have been designed with this in mind and come with built-in grinders.
To help you find the one that’s the perfect match for you, we’ve created this guide with the best commercial coffee machines with built-in grinders.
You’ll learn the answers to these questions:
- Why choose an espresso machine with a built-in grinder?
- What things should you consider before you buy?
- Which ones are the best commercial coffee machines with built-in grinders?
WHY CHOOSE AN ESPRESSO MACHINE WITH A BUILT-IN GRINDER?
The answer to this question is simple: convenience.
In other setups, if you want to provide freshly ground espresso, you’d need to buy a separate grinder. Of course, this leads to extra costs, not to mention having to find room for the grinder.
Businesses that don’t have much room left to squeeze yet another appliance in might struggle to fit in both an espresso machine and a grinder.
On top of that, espresso machines that come with built-in grinders tend to be superautomatic machines.
How does that affect you?
It ties in with the concept of convenience – superautomatic espresso machines are incredibly easy to use. Instead of grinding the espresso, brewing the shot, and frothing the milk yourself, you basically push a button for the drink you need and wait.
These types of machines are awesome for beginners or situations where your employees won’t be using the machine enough to become espresso experts.
Some superautomatic machines are so user-friendly, that you can even set them out as a self-service station for your customers in a hotel breakfast buffet, for example.
WHAT THINGS SHOULD YOU CONSIDER BEFORE YOU BUY?
Espresso machines can be a large investment, so you’ll want one that’s really an ideal match for your business.
To ensure this is the case, you need to begin your search by defining what you need from your espresso machine.
These are some excellent things to think about before you buy one:
- Your business layout
- Your employees
- Your business type
- Your budget
YOUR BUSINESS LAYOUT
This aspect is all about where you’re going to put your new espresso machine.
It would absolutely be annoying if you were to invest in a new espresso machine with a built-in grinder, only to find that it was too large to go where you needed it to.
The way to remedy this issue is to measure the space you have available and compare it with the dimensions of the machines you’re interested in.
But the size of the space isn’t all that’s important – you also want to think about whether or not a water supply is nearby.
Since espresso machines with built-in grinders are usually superautomatic machines, it’s essential to make sure you have an area with a water line you can connect them to.
This may mean you’ll need to cut into a countertop or reconfigure the area for the machine. Make sure you plan out the workflow and space for your machine carefully.
YOUR EMPLOYEES
Your customers aren’t the only ones you need to think about in this decision. You’ll also need to consider what type of employees you have.
For instance, if you often have batches of new hires to train, you’ll want a machine that’s as simple as possible to learn.
Superautomatic machines can be available as one- or two-step machines. With a one-step machine, you just select your drink and let the machine handle the rest while two-step machines do everything except steam the milk.
So if you’re looking for something that’s as user-friendly as possible for your new hires, you’ll probably want to look for a one-step superautomatic espresso machine.
One-step machines are also great for employees who aren’t going to be dedicated baristas, and won’t develop expertise in espresso machine operation.
But if you want your employees to have a more hands-on drink-making process, you might end up preferring a two-step machine. In that design, your baristas will have complete control over foaming the milk.
YOUR BUSINESS TYPE
Your business’s identity is another priority to add to your list.
Hotels, convenience stores, or offices can really stand to benefit from one-step superautomatic machines because these business types are not coffee-centric. The simpler to use an espresso machine is, the better in these cases.
Hotels and convenience stores could even set these kinds of machines out for their customers to use themselves.
Cafes, restaurants, or coffee shops that are going to use their machine more often may consider two-step machines that give them control over milk foam. This makes it a bit easier to personalize drinks to your customers’ tastes.
This is also a point where you could factor in the appearance of a machine. You’ve likely been told in the past to not judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to a business, your look is oftentimes critical.
In that situation, you want an espresso machine that accentuates the atmosphere you’re going for.
Franke superautomatic machines usually look smooth and simplistic, like tablets or smartphones. They’d look great in trendy businesses.
Nuova Simonelli’s superautomatic models resemble classic espresso machines with their polished and shining exteriors. These would look right at home in boutique coffee shops.
YOUR BUDGET
Espresso machines with built-in grinders tend to be a little more expensive than their automatic or semiautomatic counterparts.
However, they do still come within a pretty wide price range, so you can find models that fit in with higher or lower budgets.
This means there’s plenty of room for you to factor in what kind of budget your business has for an espresso machine. The best espresso machine for you will be one that won’t break your bank.
It’s a good idea to avoid prioritizing budget if you’re able to, though. If you use cost as your sole criteria for a machine, you’ll purchase one that may not work out for your company.
That’s why you’ll want to weigh what your business requires against the price.
BEST COMMERCIAL COFFEE MACHINES WITH BUILT-IN GRINDERS
When you purchase the Nuova Simonelli Talento, you get a machine that’s built to last.
It’s constructed from stable stainless steel, from its case to its boilers. You can expect repairs to be few and far between on the Talento.
The gleaming case also doubles as an eye-catching feature which bring a refined twist to any countertop.
-
Majesty Coffee Price: $17,700 (1-step) or $16,650 (2-step)
-
Machine Type: Superautomatic
-
Grinders: 2
-
10 Programmable Drink Buttons: With 10 different drink buttons and two digital pages on the machine, you can program a total of 20 drinks into the Talento, providing your customers a huge variety.
-
Built-In Diagnostic System: Further increasing its longevity, the Talento will tell you if there’s an issue, so you can make corrections right away.
-
Flexible Spout: Adjust the spout to different heights so you can brew drinks right into cups of various sizes for large or small drinks.
-
Automated Cleaning: Increase your employees’ ability to multitask, as they won’t need to spend time cleaning the Talento at the end of a long shift.
Get the Lowest Price Here >>
Choosing the Franke A600 FM CM is like adding an expert barista to your team.
By simply selecting the drink you need from a touchscreen menu, employees can have a wide variety of beverages made in a couple minutes, from lattes to even chocolate milk. This is also a speedy machine capable of creating up to 150 drinks per day, so it can comfortably meet the demands of small to medium businesses.
-
Majesty Coffee Price: $14,032
-
Machine Type: Superautomatic
-
Grinders: 2
-
Touchscreen Controls: If your employees have ever used a smartphone or a tablet, they’ll be comfortable operating the 8-inch touchscreen on the Franke A600.
-
Pre-Infusion: Thinks of this feature as an invisible guarantee of quality espresso. It settles the grounds before extraction with a gentle stream of water, so that each particle is reached during brewing and a fuller flavor is achieved.
-
FoamMaster System: You’re not sacrificing any flexibility with the FoamMaster system. The machine will foam milk for a huge array of customizations, such as different consistencies or even adding foam to cold drinks.
-
Optional Flavor Station: With the optional flavor station, you can add up to three popular flavored syrups for customers to choose from, such as hazelnut or caramel.
-
Optional Cup Warmer: The optional cup warmer keeps your hot drinks nice and warm for as long as possible by pre-heating your cups for you so your drink isn’t cooled by being poured into a cold cup.
Get the Lowest Price Here >>
The Nuova Simonelli Prontobar makes high-quality espresso drinks accessible even to your newest employees.
This is the perfect machine for businesses with a lot of employee turnover, or businesses like restaurants where employees’ primary focus isn’t on coffee. It’s also an incredibly compact machine, so you’ll be able to find space for it even in the most crowded situations.
-
Majesty Coffee Price: $9,855
-
Machine Type: Superautomatic
-
Grinders: 2
-
Durable Steel Burrs: The burrs in the grinder are made of a special type of steel, making replacements infrequent.
-
Quiet Pump: While this might not be much of a deal in a busy restaurant, bars or offices with quieter atmospheres will love how the Prontobar doesn’t interrupt them.
-
Auto On/Off Time Settings: Save energy by setting the Prontobar to power on or off at scheduled times.
-
Compact Size: Measuring at 33 x 52 x 60 cm, this machine can comfortably fit where you need it to.
Get the Lowest Price Here >>
The Franke A400 FM CM is the solution for anyone who wants a reliable Franke machine on a smaller budget.
Your company will still be able to benefit from an array of cutting-edge features, such as an 8-inch touchscreen display and Franke’s ingenious FoamMaster system that froths milk to different specifications.
The differences between the Franke A600 and A400 are relatively minor – you are not able to get a flavor station with the A400, and it only comes with one powder container for cocoa or dry milk.
-
Majesty Coffee Price: $8,789.60
-
Machine Type: Superautomatic
-
Grinders: 2
-
Pre-Infusion: Although the machine tamps for you, there are still a variety of factors that can impact your tamp, including the condition of the tamper or the texture of the grind. No matter what factors are at play, pre-infusion ensures a balanced extraction.
-
Adjustable Beverage Spout: You won’t need to deal with the hassle of transferring espresso by hand to larger cups when a customer wants a bigger drink, as the beverage spout can be moved to accommodate tall sizes.
-
CleanMaster System: Using integrated cartridges, employees can choose for the A400 to clean itself while they attend to other tasks.
-
FoamMaster System: This gives you more options to tweak drinks to a customer’s unique tastes by altering the foam to create new drink combinations.
Get the Lowest Price Here >>
