Equipment Guide: Flavored Water Machines for the Office

Plain water gets the job done. But sometimes, you want something with a little more personality.

Maybe it’s sparkling water with a splash of strawberry. Maybe it’s something citrusy with a boost of electrolytes to get through the afternoon. Whatever the preference, flavored water machines let employees make their drink exactly how they like it, all at the touch of a button.

For workplace teams, that means more variety without stocking endless cases of cans and bottles. It’s one reason Bevi has become a popular choice for office hydration.

In this guide, we’ll cover how flavored water machines work, the benefits they bring to the workplace, and what to consider when choosing the right one for your office.

What Is an Office Flavored Water Dispenser?

An office flavored water dispenser is a plumbed-in machine that filters your building’s water and adds carbonation, flavors, and enhancements on demand, one drink at a time. Employees can mix and match flavors, adjust carbonation, and add boosts like electrolytes or caffeine to make each drink their own. Available in countertop and freestanding models, these machines bring more beverage variety to the breakroom without the cost and clutter of stocking endless cans and bottles.

How Does a Flavored Water Machine Work?

A flavored water machine takes your building’s water, filters it, and mixes in carbonation and flavors based on what employees choose. Every drink is made fresh at the point of dispensing. Here’s how it works:

• Connect: The machine hooks into your building’s water line, so there are no jugs to swap.
• Filter: Water passes through a filtration system to remove impurities and improve taste.
• Chill and Carbonate: Water is cooled and, if selected, carbonated with CO₂.
• Flavor: Flavors and enhancements from sealed cartridges mix in as the drink pours.
• Dispense: The finished drink pours directly into a cup or reusable bottle.

Benefits of Flavored Water in the Office

Flavored water is a breakroom favorite, but keeping the fridge stocked with a bunch of flavors adds up. Flavored water machines give employees the variety they love while helping workplace teams control costs, cut waste, and spend less time managing inventory.

• Lower Your Cost Per Drink: If your team goes through cases of sparkling water every week, switching to a machine can lower your cost per serving and help stretch your beverage budget further.
• Keep the Variety: Employees can mix and match flavors, carbonation, and enhancements, giving them more options without stocking dozens of different drinks.
• Cut Packaging Waste: Every refill replaces a single-use can or bottle, reducing packaging waste and the amount of recycling your office generates.

Countertop vs. Freestanding Flavored Water Machines

The right setup depends on your space, how many people use it, and how much variety you want to offer. Here’s how the options compare:

• Size and Placement: Countertop models save floor space, while freestanding machines offer more variety and work well in busy breakrooms.
• Flavors and Enhancements: The Bevi Countertop has four slots, typically for three flavors and one enhancement. The Bevi 2.0 has eight, allowing for five flavors and three enhancements.
• Water Options: The Bevi Countertop serves cold still and sparkling water. The Bevi 2.0 adds light sparkling and additional temperature options, including ambient and hot water.

How Much Maintenance Do Flavored Water Machines Require?

Flavored water machines are fairly low-maintenance, especially compared to coffee equipment. The biggest difference is keeping an eye on flavor cartridges and CO₂ levels. Beyond that, a little routine cleaning and regular filter changes keep the drinks tasting fresh and the machine running smoothly.

Here's what a typical maintenance schedule looks like:

• Daily: Wipe down the machine and dispensing area, and empty the drip tray.
• Weekly: Give the drip tray and dispensing nozzle a deeper clean.
• Monthly: Check filters, flavor cartridges, and CO₂ levels, replacing anything that's running low or due for service.

The exact schedule depends on your machine and how often it's used. If you work with Crafty, you can request refills or service anytime through the Crafty Platform.

Best Flavored Water Machines for Offices

Not every office needs the same setup. Some want as many flavors and options as possible, while others need something that fits into a smaller breakroom. Based on our experience managing office pantries, here are our top picks:

• Bevi 2.0 Sparkling Flavored Water Machine (Freestanding): Best for offices that want maximum variety. Employees can customize carbonation, choose their water temperature, and mix up to three flavors and two enhancements in a single drink.
• Bevi Countertop Sparkling Flavored Water Machine: Best for offices with limited space. Get still and sparkling water, flavors, and enhancements in a compact design, available in black or white to fit your breakroom.

How to Choose a Flavored Water Machine for Your Office?

The best flavored water machine comes down to what your team drinks, how often they'll use it, and what your space can support. Before choosing a model, here are a few things worth considering:

• Headcount: Both Bevi models are built for offices of about 100 people. Larger teams or multiple floors may need more than one machine.
• Space: Countertop models save floor space, while freestanding machines offer more flavors and features in one unit. Consider where employees will use it and how much room you have.
• Installation: You'll need a water line, power outlet, and CO₂ supply. The Bevi Countertop also requires cabinet space below and a countertop cutout for plumbing, while the Bevi 2.0 is self-contained.
• Water Options: If your team wants hot water for tea or instant meals, the Bevi 2.0 offers it. If you already have hot water covered, a countertop model may be enough.
• Design: The Bevi Countertop comes in black or white, giving you options to match your breakroom.
• Budget: More features typically mean a higher price tag. Focus on what employees will actually use, and consider how much you're currently spending on canned sparkling water to understand the potential savings.

How to Know When to Switch from Cans to a Flavored Water Machine?

Employees love having options, but keeping a fridge stocked with every flavor of sparkling water gets expensive fast. A flavored water machine lets you offer more combinations without buying more cases. The question is whether your team's drinking habits make the switch worthwhile.

• Look at Your Flavor Favorites: Are employees reaching for flavored sparkling water throughout the day? Look at which flavors move fastest and how often you're restocking. Consistent demand is a good sign a machine could be worth it.
• Compare Your Beverage Spend: Pull your spending on flavored water and sparkling water. If those categories take up a significant share of your beverage budget, a machine could lower your cost per drink while maintaining variety.
• Calculate Your Potential Savings: Crafty data shows a 100-person office could save roughly $5,500 annually by switching to Bevi. Your savings will depend on consumption, headcount, and current spending.
• Think Beyond the Can: Employees can mix flavors, adjust carbonation, and add enhancements like electrolytes or caffeine. That means more drink combinations without stocking every option individually.
• Keep the Crowd Favorites: You don't have to eliminate cans completely. Keep a smaller selection of employee favorites and let the machine handle everyday flavored water demand.

The goal is to give employees more of what they love while spending less to deliver it. Your Crafty team can help compare your current beverage spend against the cost of a flavored water machine to see if the switch makes sense.

The Sustainability Impact of Switching to a Flavored Water Machine

Offering more beverage variety usually means stocking more products, more packaging, and more waste. Flavored water machines change that equation. Instead of buying individual cans for every flavor, employees can create their own combinations from one machine.

Here's where that makes a difference:

• More Flavors, Less Packaging: One machine can offer dozens of drink combinations using concentrated flavor cartridges, reducing the need to stock individually packaged beverages.
• Less Transportation and Storage: Concentrated flavors take up less space than cases of ready-to-drink beverages, reducing the volume of products that need to be shipped, stored, and restocked.
• Fewer Half-Finished Drinks: Employees choose their flavors, carbonation, and enhancements with every pour. They can also control how much they dispense, helping reduce unwanted drinks and leftover beverages.
• Less Single-Use Waste: Employees refill reusable cups and bottles instead of opening a new can for every drink. Across Crafty clients that switched to Bevi, more than 1.7 million bottles and cans have been avoided.

Flavored water machines still require electricity, CO₂, and replacement cartridges. But by concentrating more drink options into one dispenser, offices can reduce their reliance on individually packaged beverages without sacrificing variety.

Flavored vs. Hot, Cold, and Sparkling Water Machines

Flavored water machines bring plenty of variety to the breakroom, but they’re not the only way to keep your team hydrated. The right fit depends on what employees like to drink, what your office already offers, and which features matter most.

Flavored Water Machines

• What You Get: Flavored still and sparkling water with a rotating selection of flavors.
• Best For: Teams that want more variety from their water station.
• Space: Varies by machine and setup.
• Upkeep: More moving pieces, with flavor cartridges and CO₂ to manage on top of regular filtration.

Sparkling Water Machines

• What You Get: Sparkling water, often alongside still water.
• Best For: Teams that reach for sparkling water all day and want an alternative to stocking can after can.
• Space: Usually requires room for the machine plus a CO₂ tank.
• Upkeep: A little more involved, with CO₂ replacements in addition to regular cleaning and filtration.

Cold Water Machines

• What You Get: Cold and ambient filtered water.
• Best For: Straightforward, everyday hydration.
• Space: Typically compact, with countertop and freestanding options.
• Upkeep: Low, especially compared to machines doing multiple jobs.

Hot Water Machines

• What You Get: Hot water, often alongside cold and ambient options.
• Best For: Tea, hot chocolate, instant meals, and offices that want hot and cold water in one place.
• Space: Countertop and freestanding options are available.
• Upkeep: Generally pretty low, with routine cleaning and filter changes.

Find the Right Flavored Water Machine for Your Office

The best water machine for your office depends on how much variety your team wants and what your space can support. Maybe you need a compact countertop model with a few crowd-favorite flavors. Maybe you want a full drink station with sparkling water, flavor combinations, enhancements, and hot water all in one place. Either way, the goal is to give employees more of what they love while making the most of your beverage budget. Your Crafty team can recommend the right setup based on your headcount, space, and current beverage spend, and handle installation, refills, and service from there.