At the end of a good meal or just to start the day in the best way, coffee is Italians most appreciated drink. An espresso after having lunch out, actually, is that key element that makes your day memorable.
All restaurants, where food and drinks are served, must have an espresso coffee machine.
In fact, having a coffee out, it’s a very popular habit both for Italians and tourists. And its flavour must be as good as the meal had before.
Many people have learned to distinguish a high-quality coffee powder and a high-performance coffee machine. So, it would be a shame that the meal had before was ruined by a tasteless coffee, quickly made and maybe bitter and burnt.
Out-of-home coffee consumption dropped by roughly 37 percentage points over the winter months as a result of the pandemic-related limitations. However, a return to pre-2020 levels is projected in 2022, making it impossible to be caught off guard.
If you have a business like a restaurant, a bed and breakfast or another facility, you are probably wondering which kind of professional machine is better, in order to provide a high-quality experience to your guests.
We suggest you find your bearings like you do when you choose your raw materials: high-quality elements, artfully prepared by the wisdom and care that identify your business.
Although compared to a whole meal, coffee represents a small voice on the menu, its preparation must not be underestimated. The taste of coffee tells a story, it is the result of small gestures that convey your attention to the customer. Therefore, you must turn it in to a worthy end of a hearty and pleasant lunch.
Providing the customer with a sensorial experience, depends on the coffee machine chosen and on the quality of the coffee beans.
The coffee extracted with a Pontevecchio lever coffee machine encloses the gesture, the flavour, the craftsmanship that a good restaurant can offer. Furthermore, with the 2-groups model, your customers are not forced to unnecessary waiting, and they can taste their espresso at the same time.
Let’s see how to choose a professional coffee machine for restaurants or for other facilities.
How to choose the coffee machine for a restaurant
It’s never easy to purchase an equipment for a hospitality business. It is not enough to go to a store and order a coffee machine for restaurants because each location has its own unique characteristics that must be considered.
First of all, a restaurant espresso machine must prepare a bigger number of coffees than a home espresso machine.
But how many?
The first factor to consider is the quantity of customers you serve on a daily basis, when choosing a machine that can provide you with best performance.
What kind of experience do you want your customers to have when they visit your restaurant?
The organoleptic features of espresso are influenced by the extraction methods. You will never be able to provide a full, aromatic, or delicious coffee with a capsule coffee machine as you can with a lever coffee machine.
Maintenance and frequent cleaning are other factors that must be considered. A restaurant coffee machine must be functional, durable, and simple to operate.
Let’s have a look at the expenses. It goes without saying that when buying an appliance for a business, you must stick to your budget. However, in order to determine the true cost, it is necessary to consider the quality of the materials, the required maintenance, the availability of spare parts, the boiler’s power, and the amount of electricity consumed.
To recap, while choosing the coffee machine for your restaurant, you need to focus on what you need, trying to make a purchase that guarantees optimal performance over time.
Let’s have a look at the factors to consider.
How many coffees are made daily in your restaurant
You might be influenced by many factors while buying a first lever coffee machine.
Some models are made with high-quality materials, others are very popular and publicized.
Our lever coffee machines are a real gem. They are, actually, studied in every single detail. We really take care about their development and design.
They preserve the taste of the coffee and enhance its features. But they are suitable for all businesses.
The secret to choosing a high-quality espresso coffee machine, in fact, does not lie in its aesthetics or materials with which it is made.
The first thing you should ask yourself, before buying it, is: how many coffees do I serve in my restaurant every day?
Manuals and lever coffee machines suit perfectly small businesses. But facilities, where a big quantity of coffee is served every day, need a professional and an automatic coffee machine.
Coffee machines for bars or restaurants, that have many seats, must be long-lasting and face an intense and continuous use. Furthermore, this machine allows you to make many different types of coffee if used in a big business. Customers, actually, can have other caffeine-based drinks like cappuccino, latte, ginseng and barley coffee. Automatic machines, therefore, allow you to have a more varied offer.
Automatic coffee machines, moreover, can be handled by anyone. Just give the correct input to the device.
The lever coffee machine requires greater attention in order to guarantee an excellent result.
What type of coffee machine can you choose for your restaurant
According to the size of your business and to the workflow you have, you can choose between many different types of coffee machines.
While choosing, therefore, you must consider the kind of performance you need.
Do you want to make many coffees at the same time? How many cups of coffee do you extract every day?
Knowing the amount of coffees you prepare daily helps you to assess the size of the boiler you need to satisfy the request. Furthermore, this information allows you to choose the most suitable pump power.
The number of customers helps you to know the need of a lever coffee machine for a bar with one or more dispenser groups.
The coffee machines on the market vary according both to its handedness and the type of coffee you want to use. You can choose between:
- ground coffee powder: put it in the filter and press it with the tamper. The arm is connected to the machine and the extractions begins;
- pods: there are many appliances that can be used both with coffee powder and pods, just using two different arms;
- capsules: it’s the quickest extracting method, however, the taste of the coffee is standard, the cost of each capsule is high, and they have a big impact on the environment.
- coffee beans: this option guarantees a tasty coffee, due to the freshly ground coffee beans.
When you are about to buy a professional coffee machine, you should always consider what kind of experience you want to offer to your customers.
Any of these options give different results when we talk about the flavour. It’s up to you to decide what to serve to your customers: a drink like others or a memorable experience.
Ease of use and maintenance are two elements that must be taken into consideration
The pace of a business, especially in periods when work becomes intense, rely completely on the skills and, on the equipment and staff speed. To make everyday life fluid, you should always look for appliances that can simplify daily routines.
Cleaning a coffee machine for hotels breakfasts should not require too much time or put in trouble your staff.
Coffee machines on the market, are designed to speed up and automate these practices as much as possible. Although, each model has its own characteristics and before buying a coffee machine for your bed and breakfast, you must consider the following things:
- how to clean it daily;
- how often it must be decalcified.
According to this information it is possible to find the model that perfectly matches your business.
Anyway, remember that these automatic machines have self-cleaning mechanisms. To let the drink, retain its organoleptic characteristics, you must frequently make descaling cycles and hoping that the self-cleaning mechanisms are always effective.
Otherwise, you can also take into consideration coffee machines equipped with removable parts. This option gives you the possibility to remove the kit and clean it more accurately.
Semiautomatic machines require more attention, but they allow you to descale them manually. Furthermore, they have removable parts that can be cleaned frequently.
An accurate ordinary maintenance extends the life of your equipment, but the lifespan of a lever coffee machine for bars depends on the materials it is made of.
Evaluate the materials with which it is made while choosing your appliance, preferably stainless steel, brass, or aluminum, that are more resistant and durable. Furthermore, you better contact a solid company who guarantees a good and long-lasting assistance.
Why choose a coffee machine for a restaurant? What does it offer more than an automatic?
For coffee lovers, manual espresso coffee machines are one of the most appreciated gifts. In fact, connoisseurs of this drink can distinguish exactly the quality and the flavour produced by a lever coffee machine. These kinds of appliances, actually, produce a high-quality coffee.
But what are the advantages of a coffee lever machine compared to an automatic one? There are many reasons to buy a lever coffee machine, we will show you some to let you understand if this appliance suits your business:
- Allows you to manage the time it takes to water to pass through the coffee grounds. This lets you make a unique coffee, preserving the taste of the powder you have selected for your guests.
- Regulates the temperature and disperses the heat during the transition. In this way there will be not bitter nuances.
- It doesn’t need to be rinsed at the end of the day like automatic machines. So, you can save time and money.
- It has a mechanical and a non-electronic engine. In this way, failures are avoided, and a longer duration overtime is guaranteed.
- It is not noisy, so, you can use it whenever you want without disturbing your guests by making annoying background noises.
- They are beautiful! Therefore, they enhance any type of venue focusing on the “wow” factor.
- The result is a coffee with the traditional flavour and increasingly appreciated by coffee lovers.
Why coffee machines for businesses (restaurants, bars, farmhouses, hotels) are more expensive?
When you are about to buy an appliance for your own business, you must find the right balance between resistance, practicality, and budget. Choosing within coffee machines on sale does not guarantee neither huge savings nor a high-quality result.
Generally, in the lower price ranges, you will find basic appliances with few features. And for sure, also the materials they are made of are cheaper and less durable (they are usually made of plastic).
The price of coffee machines is a decisive element because, the more you pay, the more you’ll have a high-quality machine with extra features.
While buying it, therefore, it is good to consider the budget, but, first of all, you must evaluate how often and what kind of use your business requires.
Furthermore, high price range appliances are equipped with many accessories, like the tamper and the steam arms. Or they shut down automatically when the temperature is reached, in order to let you save energy and safeguard your appliance.
Craftsmanship and the made in Italy brand are guarantees of quality and, you’ll not go wrong going in this direction.
In short, higher prices are subjected to:
- resistant materials, like stainless steel and brass;
- craftsmanship of the product;
- made in Italy;
- the volume of the boiler;
- extra accessories;
- design;
- the power of the boiler.
Our coffee machines for your restaurant
Pontevecchio produces three models of lever coffee machines:
- Export;
- Lusso I;
- Lusso II.
The Export model has a vintage style and is equipped with one brewing group. It’s a home-use lever coffee machine that’s perfect for espresso lovers.
The Lusso I coffee machine has only one brewing unit and is intended for use both at home and in businesses. It can make up to two coffees at once and is powered by a mechanical engine.
The Lusso 2 lever coffee machine is the most suitable model for restaurants and hospitality facilities such as farmhouses and bed and breakfasts.
It has two brewing groups, allowing you to make up to four coffees at once, allowing you to work more efficiently. In this way, all of the clients at the same table can be served in a matter of minutes, without having to wait long.
The structure is solid and long-lasting, thanks to the use of high-quality raw materials such as brass and steel.
Thanks to the chrome plate designed by Ercolino Bernini, Pontevecchio’s’ creator, the water is dispersed over the two groups, ensuring continuous and intense work.
Its operation is completely mechanical, the only electrical component is the control unit, which regulates the water pressure. The probe, which starts a warning light when there is a lack of water, is an essential part of this equipment. As a result, the boiler does not overheat, and no problems occur.
The Lusso II model, with its elegant style, is ideal for both stylish spaces and more familiar settings.
According to the style of your furniture, you can opt for five colour variations: white, stainless steel, black, red and tobacco.
Our machines come with a variety of accessories: 2 filters for one cup, 2 filters for two cups, 2 filters for pods, a coffee measuring cup, a tamper, and a funnel.
Are you ready to make the right choice for your restaurant?
Serving a high-quality coffee to your customers, is the best way to let their moments spent in your restaurant become memorable. Coffee, in fact, is an opportunity to let them know about your choice of high-quality products and, that you really take care of them.
If your restaurant makes a big number of coffees, automatic espresso coffee machines are the best choice.
But if you run a family business, a small restaurant, or other facilities where few coffees are made daily, a lever espresso coffee machine is the perfect choice.
According to this list of the top coffee machines for restaurants, the Lusso II model from Pontevecchio is the best coffee machine for restaurants.
First of all, they do not require any special maintenance and are easy to handle. The mechanical engine guarantees their duration over time.
The result is a coffee with an unmistakable taste and, appreciated by true lovers of this black drink. Because coffee lovers, actually, can feel and taste what is hidden behind a special coffee: skills, craftsmanship, attention to detail, the selection of the materials and the controlled extracting process.
Contact us if you want your guests to remember every flavour tasted in your establishment.
We will help you to discover the models and features of Pontevecchio lever coffee machines.
You will see that with our appliances, you will make your customers’ stay unique!
