Business on coffee machines: business plan, approximate income, where is it better to install

There are often questions on the Internet about how to use a coffee machine, but there is no clarification of what exactly is meant. There are a huge variety of coffee machines, they can be automatic, semi-automatic, traditional (such as those installed in coffee shops), office, and home. We’ll try to help you understand the device and still make coffee using what you have, or set up a new unit from scratch.

Deciding on the device

Most often, problems arise with office and home devices. Because semi-automatic machines and machines are usually installed in public places, and they have recently been equipped with touch screens, where it is easy to select the type of drink, volume, and press the cooking button.

We will not consider professional traditional ones - everything is too complicated with them, and you need to learn to work with each separately. If you don’t have experience, you’re unlikely to prepare any decent drink.

Professional machines usually have a label with the name and model. Look more precisely, because it is impossible to give general recommendations.

We will deal with coffee machines that are at home or in the office. Labels often fall off with active use, printed logos are erased, and it is almost impossible to determine which device you have in front of you. This is what we will proceed from.

Inspect the coffee machine.

Is there a compartment for coffee beans somewhere? Or is the only compartment you can reach the water container? If the beans fall somewhere, it means it is a coffee maker with automatic grinding. If not, 99% that it is a carob, and it should have a horn handle. There are also capsule coffee machines, and with them everything is also quite simple. And also drip coffee makers, they can be identified by their coffee jug.

Pros and cons of business on coffee machines

Business with coffee machines has more advantages than disadvantages. So, the undeniable positive aspects include the following factors:

You don’t need a lot of rental space - even the largest device will need no more than two square meters.
To get started, you can rent equipment.
There is no need for staff, at least for the first time, when there will be no more than a dozen devices.
Simple registration - to start work, you only need to register an individual entrepreneur with the Federal Tax Service and conclude a lease agreement with the owner of the area.
No special knowledge or economic education is required.
The coffee vending machine business is considered one of the most profitable.

Every barrel has a fly in the ointment, and the coffee vending machine business is no exception. In this case, it’s high competition - such machines are available almost everywhere, and don’t forget about coffee shops, where people prepare drinks in front of you, not systems.

There are also risks, although they are small - the equipment can be damaged by vandals, so it is not recommended to simply install them on the street.

How to use a coffee machine with automatic grinding

So, you have found where the water is poured and the grains are poured. Now the machine needs to be configured:

Pour in the grains.
Fill with water up to the mark.
If possible, adjust the grinding. To begin with, it is better to choose a medium one; this is a universal option for any drink.
It may be possible to set the amount of water for one serving.
Temperature - if it is adjustable - set it to about 92-98 degrees.

Most likely, the main panel will have either buttons with the type of coffee or with the volume. Place a suitable size cup under the spout and press the start button. If you are preparing two servings, try pressing the button twice.

Attention: for one serving, place one cup in the center! Often there are two distribution terminals, and if you are preparing one portion, it will flow from two at once.

Coffee recipes

There are a wide variety of recipes for making coffee for a coffee machine. Let's look at the most common ones.

Espresso

The basis of all coffee drinks is espresso. How to make espresso in a coffee machine? If we talk about a standard portion, we will need 7 grams of finely ground coffee beans and 70 milliliters of water. The finished drink has the consistency of syrup. Sugar is added depending on preference.

Double espresso (Doppio)

This type is suitable for those who like to drink a lot of coffee. The preparation process is no different from classic espresso. You just need to pour two brewed cups into one.

Cappuccino

It is also prepared on the basis of espresso, which makes up a third of the drink. To prepare it, take a heated cup with a capacity of 180 milliliters. Milk of 1% fat content is whipped using a cappuccino machine into a thick foam and poured into a cup of espresso. It also makes up 1/3 of the drink. Foam is laid on top. Top with grated chocolate. The coffee serving temperature is 60-70 degrees.

How to use a carob coffee machine

It is these devices that often raise a lot of questions. But they are actually very easy to handle. There should be a compartment for water in the back or side - make sure there is enough of it, or better yet, fill it with new water.

Usually in front you see a sticking out handle - a horn. It needs to be turned to the left by 30 degrees. This may not be very easy, but don’t overdo it.
When the grooves come together, it will come out easily. Be careful - there may be used grounds in there.
Usually there is a strainer in the cone where the coffee is poured. Gently shake it into a knock box or saucer.
Take out the strainer and rinse.
Insert a strainer into the cone and add ground coffee. There is no point in putting grain. The coffee should be medium grind.
Usually there is a tempera on the left - like a small circle on a stem. It is usually next to the horn area. Press the coffee down lightly, but not too tightly.
If there is anything left on the edges, wipe it off with a napkin.
At the same angle as you took it out, insert the horn and turn it, securing it.
There is no need to turn to a right angle. If only he didn't hang out.
Now turn on the coffee machine. Often there is a separate button on the front panel for this.
Wait until the button turns red and the whole machine heats up.
Place a cup in the middle.
Press the coffee button.

It is advisable to remove the horn after a while, pour the grounds out of the strainer, and rinse the strainer.

Calculating income and expenses

Income is easy to calculate. The cost of 1 serving of coffee ranges from 7 to 15 rubles, and the buyer pays from 25 to 35 rubles. The benefit is obvious. Income from one glass ranges from 15 to 20 rubles. During the day, from 50 to 100 servings of coffee are purchased. Income per day is 750-2000 rubles, and per month – 22-60 thousand rubles.

As for expenses, they are: rent - 1-15 thousand, electricity - 2.5-6 thousand, maintenance - 1 thousand. All this must be subtracted from income. As a result, the profit from one machine can be up to 50 thousand rubles if the machine is well located. In the worst case, this indicator is zero. This is why many recommend starting your business with one coffee machine.

How to use a coffee machine with capsules

You found the capsules and realized that this was a capsule coffee machine. This clarifies a little, since capsules can be inserted from the side, from above, into the compartment. However, you need to find where.

Fill the reservoir with water. Don’t waste time on trifles, pour to the mark, the machine itself will measure out the required amount.
Insert one capsule into the coffee machine. Most models have been piercing capsules on their own for a long time, in any case, try it. If all else fails, take it out and make a puncture, in case you got a rarity.
If you have a choice of drinks, choose them. The most budget models do not prepare anything other than espresso.
The machine itself will heat the water and brew the drink.

Attention: capsule coffee machines usually do not boil water, only heat it. Therefore, use the water that you could drink raw, preferably purified or filtered.

Expense and income

Now you know what vending is. Coffee machines, with the right choice of components and location, can bring considerable profit. Of course, starting such a business requires initial capital. And many people are interested in how long it will take for the device to start paying for itself?

The cost of a coffee machine ranges from 80-350 thousand rubles. It all depends on functionality. Of course, you can purchase a used model. In this case, the cost can be from 50 to 60 thousand. However, in this case there is a risk of regular breakdowns. On average, a reliable coffee machine that does not create any problems and works properly costs from 140 to 160 thousand rubles. As for the payback, with the right choice of location, the equipment brings an income of 150 thousand rubles within 6 months.

How to use a drip coffee machine

To use, you will most likely need ground coffee and paper filters. Sometimes the filters are reusable, but they are similar in shape so you'll likely recognize them.

Take out the pitcher for the finished coffee, place it on a flat surface and pour the required amount of water.
Pour water into the upper compartment, usually everything is filled without opening the lid, but options are possible.
Return the jug to its place.
Find a compartment where you can insert the filter. Paste.
Pour a portion of ground coffee into the filter. Close the compartment.
Find the power button and start the cooking process.

When you hear a clearly changed sound, turn off the device, otherwise the coffee will be burnt. Carefully remove the container and pour into cups.

Component Features

When choosing ingredients, it is worth considering that products for vending machines differ from those used at home. They are intended only for coffee machines:

Dissolve quickly.
They do not absorb moisture.
They do not accumulate odors from foreign objects.
Stored for a long time.

You should purchase ingredients only from trusted suppliers, and when preparing drinks, follow all rules and proportions. Only in this case will the coffee or tea be tasty and aromatic.

How to use your new coffee machine

If you just bought a coffee maker, most likely you have instructions for it. Read it before you start the device for the first time. However, sometimes it happens that there are no instructions, or they are uninformative, or in an incomprehensible language. There is a certain list of steps that you must do before you start up your new coffee machine and prepare your first cup of your favorite drink.

Place the coffee machine on a flat, dry and clean surface.
Remove all containers that you can reach without using excessive force, wash them from dust and dry them inside and out. The inside of the water tank does not need to be dried.
If there is a water connection, connect it. Connect the device to a 220V network.
Turn on the device, there is usually a very obvious button for this.
When turned on for the first time, an increased noise level is acceptable, not for long, for about 20 seconds. This is normal, then it will most likely be quieter.
If the device is not connected to a water supply, fill the tank with cold water up to the mark. As a last resort, do not add 3-4 centimeters to the edge. It is better to use filtered water, since when heated it will inevitably form calcium deposits, and this will extend the time before cleaning.
If there is a temperature regulator, set it to 95-98 degrees. It is usually located on the front panel.
If there is a water hardness indicator, set it. If you don’t know, bet on average numbers.
If there is a grinding regulator, set the value you need, but not too fine and not too coarse. The best one is medium, it will suit almost everything.
Pour the entire reservoir into the cup, making as many servings as you need until all the water is gone. There is no need to add coffee.
Before using the coffee machine, set the amount of water for one serving, if possible.
Adjust the amount of coffee per serving. On average, 7-8 grams of coffee are used for espresso, and 15 for a double shot.
If you have a capsule machine, place the capsule in the compartment.
Select the type of coffee, if offered, and press the button.
It is better to pour out the first cup.
You can try the second one.

Most coffee machines go into standby mode after 15-20 minutes and need to be turned on again. No fine tuning will be required later.

In general, using the coffee machine is not at all difficult: it just looks complicated, but you just need to do the whole procedure once, and then you will easily perform it automatically. It might be worth watching a video, or finding detailed instructions. If you can identify the manufacturer, you may be able to find a specific model on the company's website.

To summarize the above

So, is it worth starting a coffee machine business? Quite, especially if your budget is relatively small and you don’t have deep knowledge of management and economics. All you need to get started is: draw up a business plan for coffee machines, choose the equipment itself and its location, purchase high-quality raw materials and document the whole thing. And most importantly, do your work efficiently, satisfying the needs of your clients, and good profits will not be long in coming.

Conclusions:

Using a coffee machine is not difficult, but when asking such a question, it is better to clarify the brand and model, or at least the type of device.
We told you how to use capsule, carob, semi-automatic and drip coffee machines; professional models should be dealt with separately.
Try to find out at least the brand in as much detail as possible, and then find instructions or videos.
Experimenting and clicking everything is not a good idea.
Using the coffee machine for the first time is difficult, because everything needs to be washed and set up, but then the settings will be saved, and you will prepare a drink with just one button.

Where to put the machines

Focus on:

patency of the point;
level of competition. We are talking not only about other machines, but about all retail outlets that sell similar products;
rental rate;
requirements of the institution whose territory you are entering. For example, in schools you can install vending machines only with the permission of the administration and sell strictly certain products, in particular, you cannot sell chips and chocolates;
safety. Consider the risk of vandalism;
proximity to the target audience. A soda machine is unlikely to be popular in the hallway of a fitness club;
access to electricity and water.