Coffee brewing equipment has never been
better. Here’s what you need to know to buy the right brewer for your
operation.
It used to be that coffee brewing just
involved spraying hot water over ground beans for a set amount of time. The
coffee was brewed with unsophisticated equipment and held in simple urns at a
set temperature. The latest coffee equipment brings more science to the art of
coffee making. Here are the main types of coffee equipment that may fit your
operation.
For a small-volume outlet, the basic single-pot brewer may be the product of choice. These units drip hot water through coffee into decanters that sit on a warming plate. One model is the pour-over type, meaning water is manually poured into a reservoir to make coffee with no water connection needed. Pot brewers can also be plumbed for automatic water filling. There is some variation in sizes, but most of these models usually brew about a half-gallon in about four minutes.
The next coffee-maker type is the airpot, which brews coffee directly into insulated containers that are completely sealed and insulated. They can hold coffee temperature and quality for several hours compared to the pot brewer hold time of about 20 minutes. They are excellent for serving a variety of specialty or flavored coffees since a group of airpots can be held on a rack for merchandising. These portable containers are usually one to three liters in capacity.
The move up in coffee volume is to an urn. The most popular size is a twin three-gallon unit. As a rule of thumb, consider using an urn when serving six gallons of coffee, roughly 100 eight-ounce servings or more in one hour. Most urns have some quality brewing features built in, including a water bypass to divert water around the coffee being brewed directly into the urn to prevent overextraction of the grounds. Another feature you’ll want is automatic agitation. Coffee strength varies during the brewing cycle and agitation is needed to mix the coffee to a uniform consistency. If you don’t have an agitation feature, just draw off some coffee once brewing is complete and pour it back into the urn to mix the stratified flavor strengths.
Another coffee brewer type is the modular brewer, which is often used in high-volume applications. It consists of a fixed brewing module that controls the temperature and volume of water used. It usually has spaces for two brewing containers that can be attached to a hose or spout of the brewing module. The brewing container varies in size with some up to five gallons. Some may have their own heater modules.
Coffee makers with a coffee grinder and brewer in one machine are common in high-end restaurant operations. These units often have dual coffee bean hoppers to brew two types of coffee into a decanter or airpot. Single-cup brewers are also becoming popular in restaurants. These units are suitable for high-end fine dining operations where quality and personalized service are more important than volume. French presses for tableside use are also popular in many quality restaurants.
Coffee maker purchasing tips
• A coffee maker is basically a hot water heater that requires a lot of power. Most large-volume models use 208- or 240-volts of power. Some models have options for the heater size, rated in kilowatts (KW). If you can, choose the higher KW option. The recovery time to bring temperatures back up to par will be shorter.
• When idle for an extended period, some brewers will automatically go into sleep mode. During the sleep mode, the heating element allows the temperature to drop, which helps conserve energy. Newer coffee brewer designs are better insulated, hold heat better and have more efficient heating elements.
• Don’t over purchase on the size of your coffee maker. Nothing is worse than coffee that’s been sitting too long. It may take a little more effort to make coffee batches regularly, but your guests will love you for it.
• A good water filter will eliminate off tastes and greatly reduce machine maintenance.
• If you want to make your operation known for a great cup of coffee, choose the right equipment and follow the elements of brewing noted above. Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you.
For a small-volume outlet, the basic single-pot brewer may be the product of choice. These units drip hot water through coffee into decanters that sit on a warming plate. One model is the pour-over type, meaning water is manually poured into a reservoir to make coffee with no water connection needed. Pot brewers can also be plumbed for automatic water filling. There is some variation in sizes, but most of these models usually brew about a half-gallon in about four minutes.
The next coffee-maker type is the airpot, which brews coffee directly into insulated containers that are completely sealed and insulated. They can hold coffee temperature and quality for several hours compared to the pot brewer hold time of about 20 minutes. They are excellent for serving a variety of specialty or flavored coffees since a group of airpots can be held on a rack for merchandising. These portable containers are usually one to three liters in capacity.
The move up in coffee volume is to an urn. The most popular size is a twin three-gallon unit. As a rule of thumb, consider using an urn when serving six gallons of coffee, roughly 100 eight-ounce servings or more in one hour. Most urns have some quality brewing features built in, including a water bypass to divert water around the coffee being brewed directly into the urn to prevent overextraction of the grounds. Another feature you’ll want is automatic agitation. Coffee strength varies during the brewing cycle and agitation is needed to mix the coffee to a uniform consistency. If you don’t have an agitation feature, just draw off some coffee once brewing is complete and pour it back into the urn to mix the stratified flavor strengths.
Another coffee brewer type is the modular brewer, which is often used in high-volume applications. It consists of a fixed brewing module that controls the temperature and volume of water used. It usually has spaces for two brewing containers that can be attached to a hose or spout of the brewing module. The brewing container varies in size with some up to five gallons. Some may have their own heater modules.
Coffee makers with a coffee grinder and brewer in one machine are common in high-end restaurant operations. These units often have dual coffee bean hoppers to brew two types of coffee into a decanter or airpot. Single-cup brewers are also becoming popular in restaurants. These units are suitable for high-end fine dining operations where quality and personalized service are more important than volume. French presses for tableside use are also popular in many quality restaurants.
Coffee maker purchasing tips
• A coffee maker is basically a hot water heater that requires a lot of power. Most large-volume models use 208- or 240-volts of power. Some models have options for the heater size, rated in kilowatts (KW). If you can, choose the higher KW option. The recovery time to bring temperatures back up to par will be shorter.
• When idle for an extended period, some brewers will automatically go into sleep mode. During the sleep mode, the heating element allows the temperature to drop, which helps conserve energy. Newer coffee brewer designs are better insulated, hold heat better and have more efficient heating elements.
• Don’t over purchase on the size of your coffee maker. Nothing is worse than coffee that’s been sitting too long. It may take a little more effort to make coffee batches regularly, but your guests will love you for it.
• A good water filter will eliminate off tastes and greatly reduce machine maintenance.
• If you want to make your operation known for a great cup of coffee, choose the right equipment and follow the elements of brewing noted above. Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you.
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