Your Buyer’s Guide to Choosing the Perfect Coffee Machine for Your Café

Opening a café or upgrading your coffee setup is exciting — but choosing the right commercial coffee machine can feel overwhelming. With so many features, styles, and brands available, it’s essential to know exactly what to look for so you can serve consistently great coffee and keep your customers coming back.

In this guide, we’ll cover what you need to consider before buying, from plumbing requirements to group size, coffee style, and machine technology. We’ll also introduce you to leading brands like Bezzera, Wega, and Boema that are trusted in cafés around the world.

1. Plumbed or Tank-Fed – Which Is Right for You?

One of the first decisions you’ll make is whether you need a plumbed-in coffee machine or a tank-fed model.

• Plumbed Machines

  • Connected directly to your café’s water supply.

  • Ideal for busy venues where high-volume coffee production is needed.

  • Reduces downtime as you don’t need to manually refill.

  • Often paired with a water filtration system to protect the machine and enhance flavour.

• Tank-Fed Machines

  • Contain an internal water tank you fill manually.

  • Great for smaller spaces, mobile coffee carts, or venues without direct plumbing access.

  • Offer flexibility for events or pop-up cafés.

If your café will be making coffee all day, every day, plumbing in your machine is almost always the more efficient choice.

2. How Many Groups Do You Need?

The “group head” is where the coffee is brewed. The number of groups your machine has determines how many coffees you can make at once.

• 1-Group Machine – Suitable for low-volume venues or as a backup machine.

• 2-Group Machine – The most common choice for cafés; allows two baristas to work at once and handle busy periods with ease.

• 3-Group Machine – Perfect for high-volume cafés with multiple staff and high turnover.

As a rule of thumb:

• Small café or bar with light coffee service → 2-group.

• Busy café or restaurant with steady coffee traffic → 2- or 3-group.

3. What Type of Coffee Do You Want to Serve?

Your coffee menu will influence the machine you choose:

• Espresso-focused – Look for machines with precise pressure control and excellent temperature stability.

• Milk-based drinks (lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites) – Choose a machine with powerful steam wands to texture milk quickly and consistently.

• Specialty coffee – Invest in a machine with programmable shot times, pressure profiling, and PID temperature control for precision brewing.

4. Understanding Internal Cooling & Temperature Control

A good commercial coffee machine isn’t just about heating water — it’s also about keeping the brewing temperature stable. If water is too hot, you risk burning the coffee, leading to bitter flavours.

High-quality machines use advanced internal cooling and heat-exchange systems to ensure consistent brewing temperatures, even during peak service. For example:

• Heat Exchanger Systems – Keep brewing water separate from steam boiler water for better control.

• PID Controllers – Allow fine-tuning of brewing temperatures for different beans.

• Thermal Stability Designs – Ensure back-to-back coffees are brewed perfectly without overheating.

This technology is key to producing smooth, balanced coffee — and why investing in a quality brand pays off.

5. Trusted Brands for Your Café

Here are three brands renowned for their durability, performance, and coffee quality:

• Bezzera – Italian craftsmanship with a focus on precision brewing and elegant design. Great for cafés looking for both style and performance.

• Wega – Known for reliability, user-friendly controls, and consistent coffee production, even in busy environments.

• Boema – Australian-made machines built tough for local café conditions, with a focus on easy servicing and durability.

Final Tips Before You Buy

1. Consider your space – Measure your counter area and ensure you have enough room for the machine, grinder, and workflow.

2. Think about water quality – Poor water quality can damage your machine and affect taste — a filtration system is a wise investment.

3. Factor in service & support – Choose a supplier who offers installation, training, and ongoing maintenance.

4. Match your machine to your menu – If you serve high volumes of milk-based coffee, prioritise steam power and speed.

Hospitality Connect – Your Coffee Machine Experts

At Hospitality Connect, we stock a wide range of commercial coffee machines from Bezzera, Wega, Boema, and more, along with grinders, accessories, and training. Whether you’re opening your first café or upgrading your current setup, our team can help you find the perfect machine for your needs.