Equipment Guide: The Best Office Coffee Machines for Your Team

Key Takeaways

• The right office coffee machine depends on your people and your program. Bean-to-cup, drip, pod, and commercial espresso machines each support different team sizes, budgets, beverage preferences, and workplace experiences.
• Each machine type delivers a different balance of variety, volume, and service. Bean-to-cup machines offer broad drink variety, with fresh milk models typically costing 4 to 5x more than powdered options. Drip brewers are built for reliable, high-volume coffee, while pod machines keep brewing simple with minimal upkeep.
• Commercial espresso creates a true café experience and requires dedicated expertise. Crafty offers commercial espresso machines through our in-office café program, with 2-group setups typically suited for offices under 300 people and 3-group machines built for larger teams. Across every machine type, consistent daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance helps protect quality and performance.

The Four Office Coffee Machine Types at a Glance

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• Bean-to-Cup: Freshly grinds whole beans for every cup and gives employees plenty of options, from coffee and espresso to lattes, cappuccinos, and hot cocoa. A strong fit for workplaces looking to deliver café-style variety with an easy, self-serve experience. Fresh-milk models create a more premium experience, but come at a higher cost than powdered options.
• Drip: Built to keep great coffee flowing throughout the workday. Drip brewers deliver consistent, high-volume coffee with straightforward operation and upkeep, making them a strong choice for busy offices with steady coffee demand.
• Pod: Simple, convenient, and easy to maintain. Employees can choose their drink, pop in a pod, and brew a fresh cup in minutes. Pod machines work well for smaller teams, lower-volume spaces, or workplaces where ease and individual choice are the priority.
• Commercial Espresso: Brings the full café experience into the workplace with barista-operated equipment built for quality and volume.

Bean-To-Cup Coffee Machines for the Office

What is a Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine

A bean-to-cup coffee machine is an all-in-one coffee maker that grinds whole beans fresh for each cup. These machines take the guesswork out of brewing, delivering high-quality espresso drinks at the touch of a button. With a sleek touchscreen, they make self-serve coffee easy and intuitive—just one or two clicks, and within a minute, you're sipping on a specialty coffee. We’re talkin’ lattes of any flavor, cappuccinos light as air, hot cocoa for those chilly days, even macchiatos!

How Does a Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine Work

Bean-to-cup machines automate the entire process:

• Grinding: Fresh coffee beans are ground on demand.
• Brewing: The machine tamps the coffee grounds and extracts espresso under pressure.
• Milk Frothing (if applicable): Machines with milk systems froth fresh or powdered milk.
• Serving: Your drink is dispensed, ready to enjoy.

Each machine's menu can differ and offer different types of espresso drinks, such as your standard shot of espresso (single and double), Americanos, cappuccinos, lattes, and Hot Chocolates.

Are There Different Types of Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machines

Yes, and the biggest factor is milk.

Some machines use fresh milk, delivering an authentic café experience with creamy, rich foam. Others use powdered milk, which is more budget-friendly and requires less maintenance. If cost weren’t an issue, fresh milk would always be the choice—but those machines come at 4-5x the price of their powdered milk counterparts.

Another key consideration? Size and space. Some machines are designed to fit neatly under cabinets, while others require more clearance.

What Are the Best Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machines

The best machine depends on your needs, but here are some top picks:

• De Jong Duke Nio FM 
• WMF 1500S+
• De Jong Duke Nio

How Should I Upkeep a Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine at Work

These machines require daily rinse cycles, weekly deep cleans, and monthly descaling to keep them running smoothly. A neglected machine means bad coffee (or worse—no coffee!).

That’s where Crafty comes in. Our team provides regular coffee machine upkeep and support to ensure your machine stays in top shape, so your team can enjoy fresh, high-quality coffee without any hassle. We know from experience that a well-maintained machine makes all the difference.

We’d love to be like Oprah, handing these out left and right (“You get a bean-to-cup! And you get a bean-to-cup!”), but we also know that without proper upkeep, the experience isn’t great. With Crafty’s support, your office can count on a consistently smooth, delicious coffee experience every single day.

Drip Coffee Machines

What is a Drip Coffee Machine

If automatic bean-to-cup espresso machines are the Cadillacs of office coffee, then drip coffee machines are the Toyotas—reliable, consistent, and built to handle daily coffee demands. These machines are the workhorses of standard brewed coffee, perfect for offices that need a steady supply of fresh coffee throughout the day.

How Does a Drip Coffee Machine Work

Drip coffee machines use a simple and efficient brewing process:

1. Water is heated and dripped over coffee grounds.
2. The hot water flows through the grounds, extracting flavor.
3. The brewed coffee drips into a carafe or airpot, ready to be served.

For the freshest taste, whole bean coffee can be ground on-site, but if a grinder isn’t an option, frac packs are a great alternative. Frac packs are pre-portioned packs of pre-ground coffee that make brewing easy—just open, pour, and brew. Crafty offers a great selection of frac packs from local roasters in every market.

Are There Different Types of Drip Coffee Machines

The biggest factor in choosing a drip coffee machine is capacity—how much coffee your office drinks in a day. Some models brew a single pot at a time, while larger twin units can handle higher volumes.

The other key consideration is electrical setup. Twin units require a 208V outlet, which may not be available in all office spaces, while other models are dual voltage and can work with standard outlets.

What Are the Best Drip Coffee Machines

Here are some top choices for office drip coffee machines:

• Bunn Axiom Single (DV-APS) 
• Bunn Infusion Twin Tall
• Bunn Axiom Double (Twin-APS)

How Should I Upkeep a Drip Coffee Machine at Work

While maintenance is simpler than with espresso machines, drip coffee machines still need regular care:

• Daily: Rinse and clean the brew basket and serving vessels.
• Weekly: Perform a deeper clean to remove coffee oils and buildup.
• Monthly: Descale the machine to prevent mineral buildup.

There’s no required preventative maintenance outside of filter changes, which depend on the specific filter—typically every three months, quarterly, or annually. A quarterly calibration of the unit also helps keep it running smoothly.

Crafty can support your team with regular upkeep, ensuring your machine stays in top condition and your coffee stays consistently great. 

Pod Coffee Machines

What is a Pod Coffee Machine

Pod coffee machines are all about convenience. They’re fast, clean, and easy to use, making them a popular choice for offices that need quick, no-fuss coffee. While Keurig machines are common, even their own inventor has admitted they aren’t the best option. That’s why we prefer Nespresso, whose pods are recyclable and aligned with sustainability efforts, something we care about, too.

How Does a Pod Coffee Machine Work

Pod machines work by inserting a pre-packaged coffee pod into the machine, which then pierces the pod, forces hot water through it, and delivers a fresh cup of coffee in seconds.

The process is as simple as:

1. Insert the coffee pod.
2. Press a button.
3. Enjoy your coffee.

No grinding, no mess, no hassle—just a smooth and intuitive coffee experience.

Are There Different Types of Pod Coffee Machines

The key differences between pod machines come down to volume and milk options.

• Some machines are designed for light use, while others can handle a higher number of users daily. Nespresso’s Professional line is built to support more volume than the residential models you may have seen before.
• Some pod machines have built-in milk frothing for lattes and cappuccinos, while others require a separate milk solution.

The main question to consider: how many people will be using this machine each day?

What Are the Best Pod Coffee Machines

For offices looking for pod coffee machines, here are some top choices:

• Nespresso Momento 100 
• Nespresso Momento 200 
• Keurig K3500 (A commercial-grade Keurig option for those who prefer the brand.

How Should I Upkeep a Pod Coffee Machine at Work

Pod machines are relatively low-maintenance, but they still need regular cleaning to function properly:

• Daily: Empty the used pod container and rinse the drip tray.
• Weekly: Run a cleaning cycle to remove coffee residue.
• Monthly: Descale the machine to prevent mineral buildup.

Again, Crafty is here to support you!

Commercial Espresso Machines

What is a Commercial Espresso Machine?

Commercial espresso machines are high-powered coffee machines designed for professional baristas. These machines are most commonly found in our in-office café programs, where our trained and certified baristas operate them to serve high-quality espresso drinks at scale.

Unlike other office coffee solutions, these machines require skill and training to operate properly, which is why we only provide them as part of our in-office café program.

How Does a Commercial Espresso Machine Work

These machines use high-pressure water to extract espresso from finely ground coffee. The key component of any commercial espresso machine is the grouphead—the final stop for water before it reaches the coffee grounds. The barista locks a portafilter filled with coffee into the grouphead, starts the shot, and expertly manages the process to create a perfect espresso.

A properly trained barista knows how to:

1. Grind and dose the coffee correctly.
2. Tamp with the right pressure.
3. Extract espresso at the correct time and pressure.
4. Steam milk to create silky microfoam for lattes and cappuccinos.

Are There Different Types of Commercial Espresso Machines

The biggest factor in choosing a commercial espresso machine is the number of groupheads.

• Two-group machines are best for in-office cafés serving fewer than 300 people, offering efficiency with some cost savings.
• Three-group machines are recommended for cafés serving more than 300 people, providing extra capacity to handle high-demand times like the morning rush. Even if one group goes down (which can happen), baristas can keep service running smoothly.

Because these machines require expertise, they are only available through Crafty’s in-office café program, where our barista team ensures they are operated and maintained correctly.

What Are the Best Commercial Espresso Machines

We work with some of the best brands in the industry. Here are the primary commercial espresso machines we offer in our café programs:

• La Marzocco Linea Classic 2 Group
• La Marzocco Strada 2 Group
• La Marzocco Linea Mini

How Should I Upkeep a Commercial Espresso Machine

Since these machines are built for high-volume use, they require careful maintenance to ensure peak performance:

• Daily: Clean the groupheads, steam wands, and portafilters to prevent coffee oil buildup.
• Weekly: Backflush the machine with cleaning detergent to remove deeper residue.
• Monthly: Descale and inspect key components to maintain long-term performance.

Crafty’s barista team handles the upkeep of these machines as part of our in-office café program, ensuring they run smoothly and consistently deliver high-quality coffee. With proper maintenance and skilled operation, commercial espresso machines provide an elevated coffee experience that rivals the best cafés.