Having thoroughly road tested a bean-to-cup coffee machine I can give you the good, the bad and the ugly on the Siemens TK58001GB model.

As bean-to-cup coffee machines go, this particular Siemens model was nice and compact – becoming an accent to the worktop, rather than the main feature. This machine also got bonus points for its stylish and simple design. The day-to-day maintenance is kept at a minimum and it scored top marks for its ease of use.

On the flip-side, the frother was somewhat temperamental, sometimes producing great results and at other time not so great results. You need to make sure that you select the correct type of water that your machine will be supplied with. Select the wrong type and the guidelines for descaling will be incorrect (not really a negative if you read the instructions!) On that note, the documentation that comes with the machine could do with being a little clearer in places. Cups do need to be warmed, especially for espresso-style shots but this applies to most bean-to-cup machines anyway. If you happen to pick up a pack of beans which has a lot of oil, the beans tend to stick in the silo but a bit of gentle tapping sorts out the issue.

A little tip is to thoroughly read through the initial start-up instructions as they do need to be followed to the letter to ensure your machine works correctly. This should go without saying but sometimes it’s all too tempting to plug ‘n go if you are a little too eager to try it out without reading the instructions first.

All-in-all, this is a great little machine and any issues are quickly resolved with experience on using it over time.

The best way to keep your employees energised and ready for the task ahead is to provide those extras which make the working day a little more comfortable.  One way of doing this is to provide good quality refreshments in the form of an office coffee machine. 

Not only will your employees feel hydrated with fresh coffee, it also gives a great impression to visitors when you can offer them something other than a watered down instant-coffee made from a jar.  A professional coffee machine will provide your working environment with frothy cappuccinos and smooth espressos, all made according to the drinker’s specification so that you can truly give serve everyone a bespoke cup of coffee at the touch of a button.  Of course, disposable cups are always an option but a bespoke machine will mean that it can dispense into everyone’s own mugs, in a variety of volumes.

Different sizes of machine are also available depending on the size of your workforce.  A small machine will work best in an office employing up to 20 people or if it will be kept in a reception area or office kitchen.  A medium-sized machine should be considered if you have up to 60 people in your establishment.  Anything over this and a heavy duty machine should be what you are thinking of. 

The only other option to be considered will be any additional extras such as warming plates for cups and milk frothers.  These options are ‘nice-to-haves’ and budget-dependent and most can be added on at a later date.

News update, 15th September.

Following an explosion in a Cafe at Sainsbury Supermarket on Tuesday, the coffee trade has been reminded of its responsibility for due diligence of the maintenance of espresso machines and other containers of extremely hot water.

Boiler Saftey Tests Needed - After Machine Explodes

The first to respond from the trade so far has been the Coffee Council, which has said that although such incidents are so rare as to be virtually unheard-of, all caterers using espresso machines must remind themselves that they are using extremely sensitive pieces of equipment, for which servicing schedules and boiler-inspection procedures must be followed.

Details of Tuesday’s incident are still not entirely clear, although it is now generally accepted that at around 12.25pm in the café of Sainsbury’s in the Queensmead shopping centre, Farnborough, an explosion occurred, as a result of which several people were taken to hospital and others treated at the scene.

Various media reports give different numbers of the injured; it has been reported by several media that one lady has been detained in hospital with injuries to eye, face and neck.  The news media reported the event with different degrees of drama, one referring to ‘panic’, and one referring to a coffee machine being ‘hurled across the café’ by the explosion.  An eye-witness said on television that ‘the ground shook’.

Although first reports referred to an ‘industrial coffee machine’, the machine in question later turned out to be a conventional three-group traditional espresso machine, typical of the machines used in every high-street specialty coffee-house.

The aspect of the story has puzzled some of the trade is contained in a statement from Sainsbury’s, which said: ‘seven people sustained minor injuries when a pipe in a coffee machine at our Farnborough store ruptured this afternoon’.   A reporter on local television later said: ‘it was one of the pipes leading into the machine which ruptured, causing the explosion’.

In reply to questions on this, Sainsbury’s has so far been unable to give any detailed clarification of this diagnosis, or how such damage could have caused an explosion.

However, several coffee-machine suppliers who have seen a picture of the damage, which has now been widely shown on the internet,  (See -  http://bbc.in/aIf9Bn )   have said that they are in no doubt that the situation was a boiler explosion, probably caused by a fault at a safety valve.

Mick Ackroyd of our own Xpress Service says this an extremely rare occurrence and though there were report some years ago in the USA of the Boiler Safety Valves failing most engineers say they have never ever come across such an incident;

While being careful to stress that the cause of Tuesday’s incident has still not been established, suppliers of espresso machines have been unanimous in saying that the accident illustrates the importance of caterers treating espresso machines with care, and the importance of appreciating that such a machine is a ‘pressure vessel’, with a legal requirement of regular examination and certification by a qualified inspector on a yearly basis.

Any Commercial Establishment with a commercial coffee machine should either call us or go onto www.AIEE.org.uk. Alternatively call your Insurance company that can advise you of their requirements to validate your insurance.