Coffee machines deliver on quality without the need for a barista

WHILE GREAT COFFEE is all about flavour and aroma, not all foodservice operations can afford their own barista, especially in major city centres where these expert coffeemakers command high wages. And using untrained staff to operate a traditional espresso machine can often lead to inconsistent quality.

Hence the rise of alternative coffee machines designed for environments where a skilled operator is not on hand, or where customers wish to help themselves to quality coffee. These are becoming a familiar sight in hotel buffets, conference centres, work sites and back of house facilities, and health and aged care.

Nestlé Food Professional supplies Nescafé Alegria and Nescafé Milano units, both part of its Fusion range of coffee machines. They are designed to be easy to operate, clean and maintain while delivering consistent quality coffee.

“Both are well established in the market and have looked the same for quite a while, but as consumer expectations continue to evolve we have given them a facelift to make them more high tech,” says Nida Malik of Nestlé Food Professional Beverage Solutions.

The latest generation Nescafé Alegria machines are all-new and improved with sleek contemporary designs, highlighted by a brushed aluminium nozzle with the iconic Nescafé red accent.

The Nescafé Milano units come equipped with sleek 10 inch touchscreens with eyecatching LED lights and feature deep black and brushed silver tones. They offer a wide range of premium beverage choices from 12 to 24 selection options.

Currently there are three machines in the Nescafé Alegria range and two in the Nescafé Milano, each one with a different throughput level. The smaller Nescafé Alegria machine can produce 30-50 cups per day, the midsize unit 60-80 and the largest one 120-140. The smaller Nescafé Milano produces 30-50 cups per day and the larger one 60 to 80.

“The new generation Fusion machines have been designed to be even easier to maintain and super easy to clean,” Nida tells us. “All our customers that have them on site have given them amazing reviews and they particularly like the simple streamlined design and look.”

The larger Nescafé Milano unit includes a touchscreen with screen swipe functionality and allows users to choose their beverage from a photo display. The programmable selections include skim lattes, cappuccino, hot chocolate, flat white, long or short black and so on. “The user can choose the strength of the coffee, the type of milk – there’s plenty of freedom to customise your beverage and you get quality coffee with beautiful crema and aroma,” Nida says.

“The great thing about these Fusion units is you don’t need a dedicated staff member, you don’t need a barista – your customer can use the machine themselves to get whatever beverage option they desire. They are made to fit in to any environment and will stand out, wherever you place them.”

Nestlé Food Professional also offers a similarly sleek and contemporary unit for cold beverages, the CoolPro, described as a complete solution for dispensing cold beverages at the touch of a button.

“As a closed system, CoolPro is hygienic and optimised for operational simplicity – the product comes bagged in a box with a tube, and you simply fit the tube and put the box inside the unit.

“It’s what we call a plug and play system - there’s no contact with the liquid and no mess! And one of the benefits of Coolpro is the variety of brands and cold beverages it can dispense,” says Elisa Lau of Nestlé Food Professional Beverage Solutions.

“The CoolPro range currently features two refreshing offerings that have proven popular with millennials: Nestea Peach, which is our peach iced tea offering, and Sjora Mango & Peach, which is our new and exciting refreshing fusion of fruit juice and milk.

“They’re served chilled and ready to drink, and the units are economical to run. We’re currently working on delivering more flavour variants, with even more brands, to expand the portfolio.”

CoolPro units have been successful in college halls, accommodation buffet areas, pubs and clubs, as well as office lunch areas.

They are also currently placed on military sites nationally, and Elisa adds: “we’ve now received a lot of interest and are looking to further tap into the petrol and convenience channels, as well as commercial cafes, entertainment and sporting venues.”