Get a great-tasting brew

Innovative coffee machines prepare beverages quickly without sacrificing taste.

A good coffee machine is an essential tool for the coffee connoisseur. Today's range of coffee makers offers coffee drinkers everything they need to brew great tasting coffee at home. But the best way to enjoy a cup of gourmet coffee is in a cool café where it has been made for you on a state-of-the-art coffee machine.

Offering both domestic and commercial coffee machines, BonCafe Middle East's products range from traditional Italian style espresso machines to fully automatic machines that can produce more than 300 cups of coffee per hour. ‘The type of coffee machine you choose for your outlet depends much on the capacity of the venue and the daily coffee consumption, as the machine will need to be able to withstand the volume of trade as well as producing the finest quality brew. Both traditional and fully automatic machines have advanced a great deal in technology offering great benefits to consumers," says Sally Francis, Brand Development Manager, BonCafe Middle East.

Automatic machines

"A fully automatic machine with a built-in milk foaming system, such as the Egro 50 series, makes it possible to serve countless different types of coffee at a consistently high quality and incredible fast rate whereas the traditional machine, such as the Italian Rancilio Classe 8, allows the barista to work more creatively, grinding the coffee, measuring the rate of extraction and foaming the milk to perfection to create latte art."

Raj Kewalram, Operations Manager, Gloria Jean's Coffees, says, "We use coffee machines and percolators from a purely commercial point of view since we deal with large volumes of customers and cannot afford to keep them waiting. However, we also use a French press or press pot that offers a more true taste of freshly ground coffee."

Coffee brewed with the French press or a coffee plunger captures more of the coffee's flavour and essential oils, which often become trapped in a traditional drip brew machine's paper filters. It is usually stronger and thicker than coffee made in bigger machines.

Coffee making is a fine art, believes Corrine Bowker, co-owner, The Lime Tree Café. "Although machines are used to actually make the coffee, there is a human element which requires skill and patience. Good timing, consistent grinding, atmospheric conditions and continuous quality control are essential to make a good cup of espresso, latte or cappuccino."

"The use of machines in our stores has definitely helped in being able to serve our customers a consistently good beverage every time," says David Rodgers, General Manager, Dunkin' Donuts.

"We use the Bunn-O-Matic machine which is globally used to make our signature beverage, the Dunkin' Original Coffee. Gaggia is an Italian machine brand used for our espresso beverages. We get these fine, premium quality machines directly from the authorised dealers in the UAE. The Tailor 430 is another favoured machine in all Dunkin' Donuts stores worldwide used to make our Coolatta beverages," says Rodgers.

"We use a semi-automatic coffee machine and a coffee press to prepare our coffee drinks. It allows us to handcraft our beverages. The machine brews the perfect espresso shot and creates a rich and creamy foam," says Govinda Chhetri, Central Perk's outlet manager. "The machines allow us to be fast, accurate and prepare a quality beverage all the time with minimal supervision."

Coffee presses

"Our coffee presses, including the Barista Signature 8-cup, provide the boldest and most flavoured brew and allows one to savour coffee the way the professionals like it - creamy and completely true to itself, with an extra touch of richness and body. Without paper filters, it's the purest infusion of coffee and water which creates a more exotic cup highlighting flavour subtleties," says Maan Kouly, Sr. Operations Manager, Starbucks Middle East.

Reeves Vaz, Operations and Training Manager, Second Cup, BinHendi Enterprises, says, "With ever-increasing clientele and the need for urgency in big cities, our machines are able to prepare beverages quickly but, at the same time, retaining the consistency of the product without changing the taste profile."

Radwan Masri, General Manager of United Restaurant Development, which runs three franchisees - Cinnabon, Seattle's Best Coffee and Zaatar W Zeit, says, "The machines in our cafés are semi-automatic espresso ones that come in either two or three groups, which means that a barista can make two or three drinks simultaneously.

"The speed of these machines and their capacity makes it easier to serve many customers in busy places. Many cafés use fully automatic machines, which makes it easier and faster. But the role of the coffee maker is essential, so using fully automatic machines will eliminate that personal touch of a barista," says Masri.

"At Second Cup we use the latest sophisticated equipment, ranging from Rancilos espresso makers, Azkoyen espresso grinders, Blendtec blenders and Barista 98s. These machines are consistent and enable the barista to prepare professional consistent drinks at all times," says Vaz.

Costa uses CMA machines, according to Simon Holroyd, Regional Manager, Costa Coffee - UAE and Pakistan. "There are four factors that make a good coffee where the machine, the grinder, the barista and the actual coffee go into making a good cup of coffee."

Dima Hallal, who recently purchased three coffee machines for her office, says, "Segafredo Zanetti is famous for its coffee though they also produce sophisticated machines. What I like most about my machine is the various features that inform you when the device needs cleaning and also when it runs out of beans. What more does a coffee lover need?"