Magazine: Man or machine?

Automatic coffee machines have become much more widely used in recent years. In theory these devices can do what skilled baristas can: making various hot beverages from many ingredients quickly and simply. In creating the latest models one consumer demand prevails: perfect products have to be made with just the push of a button. Design, efficient operation and making baristas’ job simpler also matter. Despite this trend demand for good baristas also keeps growing because machines and men have different functions in bars and restaurants. Some people in the trade say the quality of coffee is almost completely independent from the machine it was made with and solely depends on the quality of coffee beans used. Others believe how skilled the barista is, quality ingredients and a well-set coffee grinder all matter as much as the coffee machine itself. According to Bence Víg, managing director of Progast Kft. modern coffee machines are designed in line with the latest technological trends, in order to meet changing consumption habits and increasingly special operational conditions. A growing number of the new machines feature touchscreens and manufacturers try to make coffee makers as small as possible. Vince Nagy, head of Horeca at Caffé Perté Kft. explained to us that there hadn’t been many technological changes made in classic coffee machines (the ones with a handle to pull) in recent years. They have been made more comfortable to use and energy saving though. However, there are many new trends in design; almost every manufacturer makes traditional-looking high-tech coffee machines. Caffé Perté mostly uses classic machines with a handle. Is the quality of the cup of coffee made in proportion with the price of the coffee makers? Mr Víg thinks the main question is whether the bar has a coffee machine that suits the place the most. High-performance machines need to be used in busy places, but small downtown cafés don’t need such a fully automatic high-performance machine. A place’s owner should also take into consideration how often there are changes in the staff. Automatic coffee makers are conquering: from hotels to fast food chain’s cafés to bakeries they are widely used. These machines have to be fast so that guests don’t have to queue for a long time – this could even put them off from buying. The expert added that automatic coffee machines require excellent maintenance support, for instance the kind the Progast team does for WMF coffee machines, e.g. training staff, cleaning, replacement, etc. Mr Nagy revealed that in the last few years they put lot of energy into training bar and restaurant staff. The problem is that the level of workforce fluctuation is high in these places. His company has a nationwide coverage and provides continuous maintenance service, which includes training staff, cleaning and machine replacement, to keep coffee machines in the right condition.