Coffee is the most popular drink at work and is consumed by approximately half of all office workers. The average employee consumes three cups of coffee each day. Having your team popping out for coffee can not only waste time but can be a massive distraction to your workflow, so an office espresso machine is a perfect solution.
Our team reviewed 25 different espresso machines to assess how they can handle the rigors of use in an office every day. Using this information, we’ve compiled a list of the best office espresso machines, with our top pick of the Jura 15145 WE8. Before you start looking for the finest commercial espresso machines, consider your unique demands. You need to choose whether you want a semi-automatic or automatic option with ground coffee or pods, then you have to think about durability and capacity, as well as easy maintenance.
Extra features: 5 – 16 g brewing chamber, 12 barista quality specialties, TFT color display, integrated rinsing, cleaning and descaling program, the One-Touch function
Jura stand apart from many other coffee machine manufacturers as they continue to improve their product range. The company strategically replaces old with new, making tweaks and changes to the existing formats. This approach is exemplified by the 15145 WE8. The Jura 15145 WE8 is our top pick for the best espresso machines for small office use for many reasons. The model has had a number of tweaks and changes from the XS9 to create a fantastic machine that makes a great cup of coffee every time.
The WE8 features a 500-gram bean hopper that can produce approximately 80 cups of coffee with a six-pint water tank. This is a great feature, as you can comfortably make coffee all day without needing to keep replacing the beans. The suggested output for this machine is a maximum 30 cups a day, which matches the water tank capacity. So, fill it once in the morning and you’re set for all day. Additionally, you don’t need to worry about several days worth of beans going stale, as the WE8 features an Aroma Preservation Cover to seal the bean container and lock in optimal freshness.
There are multiple programs to deliver your perfect cup of coffee and an integrated rinse, clean and descale program to keep everything clean and tidy.
Extra features: auto grind and tamp, micro-foam milk texturing, flexible shot control, one touch Americano, removable bean hopper
The Breville BES980XL Oracle is a great choice for your office espresso machine. It automatically grinds, doses and tamps your coffee for a mess free, yet barista quality espresso. The feature is fully integrated to automatically deliver 22 grams of coffee into the portafilter. You can choose between one and two shots or adjust the machine to manual, so you can control how much espresso is in the cup. The one touch Americano feature produces a double espresso, before filling the cup with hot water through a separate, dedicated spout to create the perfect Americano.
The machine also has a hands free, programmable milk texturing feature that includes automatic purge. This is a self-cleaning wand to texture your milk and adjust the temperature to your specific preferences. This micro foam enhances the espresso flavor and can allow you to create latte art.
These features combine to ensure that your team can enjoy a barista coffee experience without needing to leave the office.
Extra features: manual or automatic settings, triple heat system, micro-foam milk texturing, flexible shot control, backlit LCD displays, electronic PID temperature control
The Breville BES920XL Dual Boiler features a triple heat system that allows precise control of your water pressure and temperature. Next to the Oracle, we listed above, the Dual Boiler is a great option for your office espresso machine. It costs less than the Oracle, but is packed with innovative features to enhance functionality.
The Dual Boiler has a sleek design that will look fantastic in any break room or office kitchen. The dual boiler allows you to brew and steam your milk simultaneously. The machine doesn’t offer fully automated operation that spoon feeds users, but it allows you to develop a few barista skills. There are lots of features that allow you to make an espresso based drink to suit your preferences.
The Dual Boiler is a larger machine that will take up more counter space in your break room, but it is a great machine for the price, providing consistent results each and every time. The reliable smooth lever delivers excellent steam, with precise control for the brew temperature, pressure, brew time and coffee strength. There is even an auto start feature that can allow you to enjoy coffee automatically at certain times of the day. However, one of the most attractive features of the Double Boiler is that it has cleaning and descaling protocols built in and even a warning when you need to refill the water tank to enhance the functionality even further.
Extra features: programmable, manual frothing for milk-based drinks, 3 temperature settings, easy access to water reservoir and bean hopper
If you’re looking for a compact, high end espresso machine for your office, the Gaggia Anima is a great choice. The machine is packed with innovative features including one touch auto frothing, ceramic burr grinder and Rapid Steam technology to help you make a great coffee every time.
The Amina also has a programmable descale cycle, auto off to save energy, removable brew group and pre infusion to deliver impressive, reliable results with the flexibility of customization. The five setting burr grinder and adjustable coffee dispenser is ideal if you have off sized cups. There are also three temperature settings with programmable brew options, so you can make the perfect cup to suit your specific preferences.
This Gaggia espresso machine is great for those who enjoy the convenience of not needing to control every knob and setting. This super automatic machine offers superb functionality with a semi-automatic price tag. It is easy to use with an intuitive display to make it simple for anyone to use.
Extra features: one-touch espresso brew system, fast capsule disposal, adjustable cup size, 25-capsule storage drawer, manual steam and hot water wand, a cup warmer, low energy standby mode
The Lavazza Blue is a capsule espresso machine that is well suited to busy offices. The machine is designed to offer efficient, quick operation with separate boilers for brewing and steaming. It does require exclusive use of the Lavazza Blue capsules, which are innovative capsules that contain the perfect amount of pre measured, pre ground espresso for a great cup.
What makes the Lavazza a great option for offices is that it has a simple control panel that even novice espresso lovers can use. There is a blue LCD display and four buttons that allows programming of the brew time, temperature, water hardness and cup size for a perfect coffee. There are also two programmable brew buttons with a manual steam wand, so you can steam and froth milk to make lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and more. The Lavazza Blue also features a dedicated steam boiler, allowing you to switch from brewing to steaming without any downtime.
The Lavazza Blue capsules provide single servings of coffee that are sealed for freshness. You just need to place a capsule in the slot and press a button for the perfect espresso. After it has brewed, the used capsule is dropped out of the machine to prevent mess. You can also use the machine to make tea or hot chocolate with the Lavazza Blue capsules. You can even password protect the program menu to avoid the settings being accidentally changed.
Not every person is able to pick out a device to buy mainly because they do not know what the features listed mean. We know how to make it much easier for you to make a purchase decision. As such, you will find many of the critical features of the office espresso machines listed below. Also, we offer you a short description of each and what to look out for when sifting through your options. This should definitely make the selection of these devices easier.
Before you begin shopping for the best commercial office espresso machines, you need to think about your specific requirements. After all, the best machine for an office with two or three people is hardly likely to be appropriate for an office with twenty people. You will not only need to consider your budget, but also the types of drinks you prefer, how easy the machine is to use and where it will be installed. If you have limited space, you will need a compact model, but this may limit the capacity. Here we’ll explore several other factors you will need to consider before you make your purchase decision.
Every coffee maker is different, so you will need to assess what features are offered on different models. Here are just some of the most important features to consider when you’re looking for the best office espresso machines.
Semi-automatic espresso machines have been around since the 1940s and provide a convenient alternative to the manual machines. You will still need to grind and tamp your coffee, so that it fits into the portafilter properly, but once the portafilter is attached, the machine takes over the brewing process. Fully automatic espresso machines are similar, but they feature a one touch brewing system. You can simply turn it on and the machine controls the volume of water and will automatically stop when the coffee is brewed. This can be a great advantage in an office, as multiple drinks can be quickly prepared without needing to worry about complicated controls.
You will also need to consider whether you want a machine that uses ground coffee or pods. As the name suggests pod machines use disposable capsules, which can be advantageous in a busy office. The operation is simple and you just need to pop in a pod and press a button to get a great brew. This can eliminate a lot of the mess associated with coffee machines, as you won’t need to clean up spilled coffee grounds. However, you are restricted to buying particular pods. For example, the Lavazza Blue is a great pod machine that allows you to make coffee and even tea and hot chocolate, but you need to purchase Lavazza capsules.
A traditional machine using ground coffee may be a little more complicated to use, but it does provide greater flexibility. You can purchase the coffee that you like and adjust the strength of coffee to your preferences. Many automatic machines do make it easier to use, so you can automatically grind and tamp the coffee and have easy to use interfaces, so you can make coffee with ease.
Before you make your purchase decision, you need to think about the capacity of the coffee machines. If you have a busy office place with multiple people, a machine with a maximum capacity of 30 cups a day may not be sufficient. For example, the Jura WE8 is a fantastic option for loading up the water and beans at the start of the day, but the recommended maximum is 30 cups a day. So, while it is our top pick, if you have a larger office, it may lack the capacity for your office.
It is also important to consider the durability of your machine. When your coffee machine will be used day in, day out in your office, it needs to stand up to this intensive use. Fortunately, all the models in our list have been assessed to offer great durability. To confirm the durability of a machine, it is worth looking at the warranty offered. A warranty is an indication of the manufacturer’s confidence in its products.
In a busy office, you don’t want to be stuck for hours cleaning the coffee machine after work to be sure that it will be working when the team arrives the next morning. Fortunately, automatic espresso machines tend to be quite simple to clean.
Many of the models we’ve listed here even feature specialized cleaning programs that not only rinse and clean the machine, but also descale it, which can be crucial if your office is in a hard water area to prevent limescale causing clogs.
You will also need to consider the size and weight of the machine. Unless you have a massive break room, countertop space is often at a premium, so you should consider the size of machine you can accommodate. Fortunately, there are some compact models that offer fantastic coffee brewing without taking up too much space.
Finally, it is worth looking at what extra features are available, such as built in grinders, cup warmers, programmable settings, frothing wands and multiple group heads that can enhance functionality.
While all the products on our list would provide a great machine for your office, there are some machines that stand out. The Breville line is so impressive, we’ve picked two models for our top five. Both the Oracle and Dual Boiler offer impressive functionality for use in an office with an easy to use interface, automatic grind and tamp, and cleaning features. This eliminates the need to train your team members to be a barista, they can simply use the presets to make a great cup of coffee every time.
However our pick for the best office espresso machines on the market has to be the Jura 15145 WE8, which benefits from a 500 gram bean hopper and large water tank, so the machine can be loaded up and is ready for use throughout the day. There is even an Aroma Preservation Cover to seal the bean container and lock in the freshness. There are multiple programs with this super automatic machine and integrated rinse, clean and descale function, so you can make the perfect coffee to suit your preferences.
