A Quick Buyer’s Guide to Choosing the Right Hot Drinks Vending Machine

Ten questions to ask yourself when choosing a hot drinks machine

1. What does my business need?

Thinking about getting a new hot drinks machine is exciting. But it’s important to look before you leap. In other words, don’t just go out and buy the first, all-singing, all-dancing vending machine that you come across. You first need to work out exactly what your business needs, particularly in terms of the number of people you intend to serve.

You’ll also want to think about whether the type of hot drinks vending machine you use is appropriate for your workplace. It’s no good buying a delicate, traditional-style espresso machine for a large warehouse, for example. A series of robust, high-performance commercial hot drinks machines would be much better suited to the job. Conversely, you wouldn’t want to install an enormous hot beverage machine in a tiny office with little room to manoeuvre. Whilst your team of ten may be delighted at the idea of having unlimited hot drinks on tap – a hot drinks machine for a small office is likely the more appropriate choice.

Most hot drinks machine suppliers will indicate capacity in their specifications. Essentially, this allows you to determine how many hot drinks your full hot beverage machine is able to make before it will need to be refilled. This information may be presented in cups (for instance, a sixty-cup or seven-hundred-cup machine) or could be provided by breaking down the exact quantities of specific ingredients that your chosen hot drinks vending machine can hold. For example, if you know that one machine holds up to 1.5 kg of soluble coffee and 5.7 kg of sugar, it is safe to assume that it is a relatively large machine that can serve a considerable number of people. Don’t worry if all of this feels a little confusing – a the UK’s best vending machine supplier, like Best Vending, would be more than happy to break this down for you to ensure you make the right choice.

2. What kind of drinks do I want to provide?

Choosing your selection of drinks is perhaps one of the most exciting decisions you will have to make when getting a new vending machine. Do you want to provide all kinds of hot drinks or just tea and coffee? And is it important for you to be able to serve drinks fresh – with real milk, recently ground coffee beans and loose-leaf teas – or are you happy to limit your offering to soluble coffees and instant teas?

Hot chocolates are another popular option, as are drinkable soups. Some machines even enable you to upload a custom hot drinks menu, for those of you interested in catering to specific dietary needs or looking to express yourself more creatively through the hot drinks you serve.

Finally, certain hot drinks machines are also capable of serving cold drinks like squash. Although this may not seem like the most appealing option when compared to frothy cappuccinos and tempting infusions, it can be a good idea to include it in your offer if children are likely to visit your premises and you’re not planning on fitting a separate cold drinks machine, as well.

3. Who do I want to provide hot drinks for?

Touching on the point above, it’s crucial that you consider your target customer. Are your hot drinks exclusively for in-house office staff? In that case, you probably don’t need a vending machine with a convoluted payment system. A table-top espresso machine could be just what you need to add that touch of luxury needed to boost employee morale.

Conversely, if you’re planning on installing your hot drinks vending machine in a bustling waiting room where potential customers are likely to spend significant amounts of time, you’ll want to make sure you opt for a sturdy machine that’s easy to operate, whilst also offering a quality selection.

Ease-of-use becomes particularly important when thinking about hot beverage machines for the service sector. People in hospitals are likely to be under a lot of stress and may be experiencing physical or cognitive difficulties, as well. As such, the simpler your user interface, the better.

Whatever your situation, there’s always a vending machine to suit your circumstances. If you’d like to learn more about the right type of machine for your setting, you might like to visit our sectors page.

4. How much am I willing to spend?

If you’ve found your perfect machine and it’s a little more pricey than a cheaper, less ideal alternative, we’d always recommend taking the plunge anyway, as it will pay off in the long run. The better the machine you install, the more profits you will make – not to mention that quality lasts.

If buying a hot drinks vending machine outright seems challenging right now, don’t despair. Companies like Best Vending take great pride in offering the very best vending machines on the market at competitive prices. Our team even offers rental options for those of you who would prefer not to buy your machine outright, which gives you the added advantage of being able to turn a profit instantly if you choose to charge for the drinks on offer.

5. Do I want to charge?

It is possible to set commercial hot drinks machines to free vend if you wish to provide hot beverages free of charge. This tends to be the case in smaller offices, car showrooms and certain healthcare settings. Nevertheless, most people do wish to charge for the drinks they have on offer.

Nowadays, customers expect to be able to pay by card – or even by phone. Traditional coin-operated vending machines are therefore being gradually phased out in many locations. Manufacturers have long been fitting their machines with more modern payment alternatives, including loyalty-card and key-based options for places like warehouses and gyms, allowing members or employees to access your system without having to carry cash. More modern machines might also be fingerprint enabled. Think about who will be using your machines and how they are most likely to want to pay to avoid missing out on potential profit.

6. How can I make sure people use my hot drinks machine?

Placing your hot drinks machines in visible, easily-accessible areas where lots of people can find them is the most obvious way to guarantee use – followed by a good hot drinks selection. However, there are a myriad of modern features that make attracting potential customers even easier. Vending machines with LED touchscreens and multi-media screens are prime examples. Whilst the former simply serve to highlight your offer in a more aesthetically pleasing and readily acceptable way, the latter allow you (via USB as mentioned earlier) to upload high-quality promotional images, videos and even sound clips. Not only will this make people notice and want to use your hot drinks machine, but it is also an unmissable opportunity to teach them about your brand – especially when your vending machines are strategically placed in waiting rooms, where people are likely to spend a lot of time and will appreciate the distraction.

7. How much time can I dedicate to stocking and maintaining my machine?

Acquiring a vending machine is all well and good but it’s important to remember that you’ll also need to maintain it. It’s therefore essential to choose a machine with a large enough capacity to not immediately run out of stock. Choosing a hot drinks vending machine with a built-in “out-of-coffee” sensor does, however, help to prevent this from happening.

If restocking your vending machine is a hassle you would rather live without, there are companies out there that will refill them for you. This is a service we certainly offer at Best Vending, where we pride ourselves on delivering only the freshest ingredients. Our service engineers will come out to check your machine on a regular basis to keep it clean and working in tip-top condition and will monitor use to ensure your machine is never running low.

8. How long do I plan on keeping my hot drinks vending machine?

If you only need your hot drinks vending machine for a short time, then renting may be a more cost-effective solution rather than purchasing outright. If, however, you’re looking for long-term use, we’d always recommend opting for the highest-quality machine you can afford and signing up for regular servicing and maintenance, as frequent checks can help to prevent potentially costly issues and ensure you are able to provide hot drinks uninterrupted whenever required.

9. Is my chosen hot drinks vending machine sustainable?

Not all vending machines are sustainable. You plug them in and they run on electricity, so of course, they will have some impact on your overall energy use. Having said that, most modern machines boast an ‘A’ energy rating and have an optional eco-mode, allowing you to reduce your power consumption to almost negligible levels of around 0.1 kWh when idle.

10. Where’s the best place to get a hot drinks vending machine?

If, after reading this hot drinks vending machine guide, you’re ready to start searching for your perfect machine, contact Best Vending today. As our name suggests, we’re the best choice for all your vending machine needs around the country, whether you’re looking for a commercial hot drinks machine or a hot drinks machine for a small office.