Coffee machine for the office: which one suits your team?
Half past eight, the first people are already in. The grinder hums, the aroma drifts down the corridor, and half the team gathers at the coffee machine. Someone steams milk for two, someone talks about the weekend, and the client arriving for a nine o’clock meeting gets a cappuccino with a heart in the foam. A beautiful coffee machine in the office is a meeting point, a sign of appreciation for your team and a host for your clients: gleaming stainless steel, matt black or a colour that suits your rooms. Whether there are five of you or a hundred, the nicest question to start with is: how should your coffee break feel?
In short: For offices, we recommend a coffee machine that matches the number of cups and the moment when everyone wants coffee at once. For small teams, a dual boiler with a grind-by-weight grinder is lovely; for lots of milk drinks at the same time, a multi-group machine from the hospitality world; and for offices with around twenty to a hundred employees where everyone presses the button themselves, a super-automatic machine from Eversys. Add a plumbed-in water connection with a water filter, beans from our roastery in Zurich and a simple care routine. That is how we advise at Coffee Coaching Club.
How many cups a day? How to find the right size
It starts with a simple calculation. A coffee study by Deloitte from 2024 finds one to three cups per person per day, depending on the generation. Count the coffee drinkers in your team, multiply by two or three, and you know roughly how many cups your machine will make each day. Even more important is the moment when everyone comes together: in the morning, after lunch, before the big meeting. If you mostly drink espresso and coffee, a machine with one group handles a lot. If plenty of cappuccinos are part of it, strong steam counts, and if several people often stand at the machine at once, two or more groups are lovely. If everyone should simply press a button without any handling, the super-automatic machine is the right answer. Where the two approaches differ is shown in our comparison super-automatic or espresso machine.
Dual boiler: the espresso machine for small teams
A small team that likes to meet for a coffee break will love a dual boiler. One boiler holds the temperature for the espresso, the other supplies steam for the milk, both at the same time, so several cappuccinos come one after another without waiting. You set the brew temperature independently of the steam: slightly cooler brings out more aroma in the bean, slightly hotter more body, and in our experience you can taste differences from just half a degree. Our experience: saturated groups, such as those built by La Marzocco and Arkel, deliver the most balanced interplay of aroma and body, more in saturated group vs. E61. Some dual boilers can also be plumbed in, and for several La Marzocco models we carry dedicated plumb-in kits. Dual boilers are made, for example, by La Marzocco, Profitec, Lelit and Arkel, with all models under dual boiler espresso machines. For milk drinks, espresso machine for cappuccino helps you further.
Multi-group machines: when everyone wants coffee at once
If the whole team arrives at once in the morning, or you often welcome guests, a machine with two or three groups brings calm to the coffee corner. Several people brew at the same time, the steam is enough for many milk drinks in a row, and your coffee corner looks like your favourite café round the corner. Commercial machines like these are plumbed into the water supply and a drain, with a water filter in front, and get a suitable power connection. You will find multi-group machines among the La Marzocco commercial machines, and more, for example from Ascaso, among our professional and hospitality equipment.
Super-automatic machine: cappuccino at the touch of a button for large teams
If everyone in the office should get an espresso or cappuccino without any introduction, a super-automatic machine is lovely. One tap on the display, and the machine grinds, brews and froths the milk, cup after cup the same. With us, that means Eversys, the professional super-automatic machines from Sierre in Valais. In our experience they suit offices with around twenty to a hundred employees, concept stores and hotel lobbies. For the daily care of the milk system you start a cleaning programme on the display, and the machine guides you through the steps. With a super-automatic machine, we coordinate delivery, set-up and introduction. You will find all models under super-automatic coffee machines, and more about the brand on our Eversys page.
Grind by weight: every cup the same, whoever grinds
In the office, someone different stands at the grinder every day. Grind by weight is absolute convenience and consistency: the grinder weighs as it grinds and stops to the gram. We brew espresso by weight. We grind fine, start at 14.5 grams and work our way up from there, usually to 17 grams, at a ratio below 1:2. Once you have found your dose, the grinder hits it for everyone. Large flat burrs, as found in many professional grinders, bring more clarity to the aromas in our experience. Grinders for many cups are made, for example, by Mahlkönig, Fiorenzato and Markibar, with all models under grind by weight and professional espresso grinders.
Plumbed-in water connection and water filter
An espresso is mostly water, which is why you taste good water in every cup. With a plumbed-in connection, the machine draws its water straight from the mains, nobody has to fill the tank any more, and a water filter in front keeps the taste consistent and protects the machine from limescale. How hard your tap water is depends on your municipality: your water supplier gives you the values, or you measure them yourself with a test kit. Filters such as BRITA PURITY C are made for plumbed-in machines. In the iQ version, the filter head measures the water values, adjusts continuously and shows online how long the cartridge will last. In our experience, you change the cartridge after half of the stated lifetime, so the taste stays consistent. You will find filters, cartridges and test kit under BRITA. You can see what the connection needs in plumbed-in espresso machine.
Beans from our roastery in Zurich
We roast our house coffees ourselves in Zurich. For most teams we recommend chocolatey-nutty coffees with plenty of body that taste lovely on their own and carry the milk: Cozy Chocolate with cocoa and dark chocolate, Nutty Delight with hazelnut and Chestnut Delight with a warm chestnut note. For the office, all three also come in a 1 kg bag. In our experience, more coffee at the same ratio can soften acidity and bitterness; extraction and taste do not behave linearly. You will find all coffees under coffee beans, more in coffee beans for espresso machines.
Cleaning and care in everyday office life
You taste a well-cared-for machine in every cup, and with a fixed routine that everyone in the team knows, care happens along the way. You wipe the steam wand after every milk drink and let a little steam through. In our experience, you backflush the group with cleaner about every 50 shots, so in an office with lots of cups usually at the end of the day. There are dedicated milk cleaners for milk systems, and for the grinder cleaning tablets that you grind through like beans. You will find cleaning powder, milk cleaner and grinder cleaner under machine and grinder cleaning, for example from Urnex.
At a glance
| Type or topic | What makes it lovely | Right for you if |
|---|---|---|
| Dual boiler | espresso and milk at the same time, adjustable brew temperature | you are a small team and enjoy your coffee break together |
| Multi-group machine | several people brew at once, plenty of steam for milk drinks | everyone arrives at once in the morning or you often welcome guests |
| Super-automatic machine | cappuccino at the touch of a button, cup after cup the same | everyone should make their own coffee without an introduction |
| Grind by weight | absolute convenience and consistency | someone different stands at the grinder every day |
| Plumbed-in water and filter | no tank filling, consistent taste | the machine gets a fixed place with a water connection |
| Beans from Zurich | chocolatey-nutty, lovely on their own and with milk | your coffee should taste round and familiar |
| Cleaning products | a fixed care routine for everyone | your machine should run like on the first day for many years |
A machine for many years
A coffee machine for the office stays with you for many years, which is why the nicest way to begin is straight away with the machine that suits you. So that it runs like on the first day, our own service workshop takes care of servicing and repairs for your espresso machine and grinder. So that everyone feels confident at the espresso machine, there are our barista courses: private, on your own, for two or with your team, in German or English.
Business account and enquiry
For a complete coffee solution from a single source, with machine, grinder, water filter, beans and care, send us your enquiry via Hospitality & Office. Tell us about your team, how many cups you drink a day, how much space you have and when you would like to start, and we will put together what suits you. For companies, we are happy to demonstrate the right machines, and we can also discuss a trial placement in your enquiry. If your company orders beans and cleaning products regularly, apply online for a business account: we check your details, activate the account, and you order directly in the shop after logging in. Jackson, our AI advisor, answers questions about our range around the clock.
You can also find us in person
In Bern at Gerberngasse 44 and in Zurich Oerlikon at Hagenholzstrasse 50b, many machines are set up and in operation, and in the café they make coffee for our guests all day long. Drop by with your team for a coffee and see the machines live. If you would like to experience several machines and grinders side by side, there is the espresso machine and grinder comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Which coffee machine suits an office?
A machine that matches the number of cups and the moment when everyone wants coffee at once. For small teams we recommend a dual boiler with a grind-by-weight grinder, for lots of milk drinks at the same time a multi-group machine from the hospitality world, and for offices with around twenty to a hundred employees where everyone presses the button themselves, a super-automatic machine from Eversys.
How many cups of coffee does a team drink per day?
A coffee study by Deloitte from 2024 finds one to three cups per person per day, depending on the generation. Count the coffee drinkers in your team and multiply by two or three, and you know roughly your cups per day. For choosing the machine, what matters most is the moment when everyone comes at once.
Espresso machine or super-automatic in the office?
An espresso machine is lovely if you enjoy coffee as a small ritual and like standing at the machine yourselves. A super-automatic machine suits you if everyone should get a cappuccino at the touch of a button without an introduction. With us, that means Eversys, the professional super-automatic machines from Sierre in Valais.
Does an office coffee machine need a plumbed-in water connection?
Multi-group machines from the hospitality world are plumbed into the water supply and a drain. Some dual boilers can run either from a tank or plumbed in. With a plumbed-in connection there is no tank to fill, and a water filter in front keeps the taste consistent.
How often do you clean the coffee machine in the office?
You wipe the steam wand after every milk drink. In our experience, you backflush the group with cleaner about every 50 shots, so in an office with lots of cups usually at the end of the day. There are dedicated cleaners for milk systems and grinders.
Which coffee beans suit an office?
Chocolatey-nutty coffees with plenty of body that taste good on their own and with milk. We roast Cozy Chocolate, Nutty Delight and Chestnut Delight ourselves in Zurich, and for the office they also come in a 1 kg bag.
Can we see the machines before buying?
Yes. In our cafés in Bern and Zurich, many machines are set up and in operation. For companies, we are happy to demonstrate the right machines, and we can also discuss a trial placement in your enquiry via Hospitality & Office.
How does my company order from you?
Directly in the online shop: what is in stock arrives in 2 to 4 working days, or you pick it up via click & collect in Bern or Zurich. For regular orders, apply online for a business account; for a complete coffee solution, send us an enquiry via Hospitality & Office.
Written by Yalcin Akpinar, qualified food chemist and coffee roaster at Coffee Coaching Club. Updated: October 2026.
